Game-Based Assessment - Back and Forth Integers Game

I have created a game called Back and Forth as an activity to use to assess my middle school mathematics students on adding and subtracting integers.

Students will play this game against a classmate, and it involves a dice and a number line. Students will start at 0 on the number line and roll the dice 5 times. After each roll, students will have to choose if they want their number to be positive or negative to determine which direction to move on the number line. Positive numbers will move to the right, and negative numbers will move to the left. The goal of the game is the end as close to 0 as possible, so whoever ends closest to 0 will win.

Check out my game using the following link: Back and Forth Integers Game

There are two main aspects of procedural rhetoric involved in this game. First is the use of a dice; students will only be able to roll a 1 through 6. The second aspect is the movement along a number line, students can only move to the right or to the left. Because of these procedures, this game is reinforcing addition and subtraction since students can only move right or left on the number line, and it is reinforcing the adding and subtracting of integers because of the limited number options on a dice.

The procedural rhetoric of Back and Forth emphasizes the internal grammar being assessed during this game, which includes students understanding of integers/positive and negative numbers, and how to add and subtract integers. If students do not understand the internal grammar, there will be consequences because of these procedures. For example, if a student rolls a 5 and chooses the positive direction, and then rolls a 6 and chooses positive again, by not understanding the internal grammar of adding and subtracting integers there will be the consequence of moving farther away from 0 and lowering the opportunity to win.

Back and Forth also involves discussion and reflection which emphasizes external grammar. After the game is played, students will discuss their strategy with each other and why they made the choices they did along the way. This will help with the external grammar of being able to communicate mathematics language with others, and it will help students see where they could have made a different choice and receive feedback from their peers. 

Students will play the game a couple of times against different partners to try different strategies and to see what works best. When students are done playing, they will complete a reflection assessment answering the following questions:

-Is the game fair? Do both players have an equal chance of winning? Explain.

-What strategies work best to win the game? Why?

-How could you figure out who wins the game without using number lines?

-If the object of the game was to end farthest from zero, how would that change the winning strategies?

-What are two ways you would change the game to make it more challenging and fun to play?

I will be able to assess students understanding of adding and subtracting integers from this reflection based on their strategy and understanding of the game. I have also decided to have students turn in their number lines and recording charts to check whether students added and subtracted correctly by moving to the correct spot each turn (for example, if they roll a positive 2 and then a negative 3 they should end up at -1). This will give me insight to understanding of internal grammar, and I will gain clarity on students ability to communicate clearly the external grammar by listening to students conversations and reading their responses on the reflection.

A couple aspects of my ADC checklist are accounted for from this assessment. My questions “Does my assignment align with objectives and learning goals?” and “Does my assessment provide me with insight regarding student progress towards learning objectives?” are addressed within the game itself. The learning goals of this assessment are adding and subtracting integers, and the students have to do this as they move through the game rolling the dice. The game will also provide me with insight into my students’ ability to think critically and to add and subtract integers.

My questions “Does my assessment allow for exchanges between the teacher and student for learning opportunities?” and “Does my assessment provide students the opportunity for self-assessment?” will be accounted for with the other activities involved. Students will not only receive feedback from me, they will receive feedback from their classmates during the discussion that occurs after each game is played. Students will also be able to self-reflect after each game and with the short reflection they will submit after playing the game multiple times against different classmates.

I hope you enjoyed reading about and playing my game :)