Implementing game-based learning: The MAPLET framework as a guide to learner-centred design and assessment

Game-based learning can provide immersive experiences simulating authentic environments to enable students to develop and demonstrate the mastery of foundational knowledge through to complex concepts and higher order metacognitive and creative skills. While research provides evidence of the benefits of game-based learning, assessing the effectiveness of the learning that takes place is not without its challenges; realizing assessment in game-based learning cannot be achieved in isolation of the broader curriculum. From a whole of curriculum perspective, the alignment of targeted outcomes with gaming activities and assessment strategies for both summative and formative purposes is pivotal to the creation of effective learning experiences. Matching the intellectual maturity of learners with the demands of the gaming environment is also essential in order to facilitate engagement. Both require a strong understanding of the learner and process of learning, particularly the cognitive processes that underpin the development and assessment of different types of knowledge and skills. This chapter introduces a new approach to curriculum design which addresses both these elements within a single framework. The MAPLET framework combines the fundamental principles of curriculum alignment with a model for intellectual skill development based on the development of expertise. Use of the framework to guide decisions about which gaming applications to use, when and for whom, and how they can be assessed is discussed.