Gobee:

This partnership was formed in response to a clear gap in the area of education and tech-driven programs in humanitarian settings and by a need to connect these two sectors to support continued learning during school closures as a result of COVID-19. Through a process of co-creation which draws upon the valuable skills and experience of each organization — gamified learning, app development, learning measurement, and innovation for refugee education — we worked to understand the potential and feasibility of a gamified learning assessment tool that measures academic and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills.

NYU-TIES served as research and technical advisors to ensure that the features of the game, the assessment items, and the interaction with the interface of the gamified tool produced a valid formative assessment measuring:

1. Two main academic skills: numeracy competence and Arabic literacy for grades one through three.

2. Two SEL components: self-efficacy and growth mindset through child self-report.

Through this partnership, NYU-TIES worked to:

1. Share prior research findings and expertise focused on student academic and SEL assessment through game-based technology;

2. Conduct and share fit-for-purpose psychometric analyses of data resulting from iterations of Gobee;

3. Conduct qualitative research to understand teachers’ formative assessment practices and;

4. Communicate the need for the tool as well as results with partners.

• Phase 1: The aim of phase 1 was to produce a prototype of a game-based formative assessment tool that could help teachers to assess children’s learning, either at home or through devices in the classroom, and provide necessary support to learners, based on the data generated. The premise of the tool is that children can access it from anywhere, with gaming features embedded in the assessment to make the experience more motivating and rewarding for the child completing the assessment. A teacher dashboard “point of view” is also integrated into the design, allowing educators to see children’s performance level in real-time in order to adjust their instruction.

• Phase 2: In phase 2 of this project we improved the tools features to allow for flexibility in adding and assigning content, (2) generated meaningful evidence on how children and teachers are engaging with the tool to inform design revisions, and (3) determined what it will take to adapt the tool for other languages and contexts. NYU-TIES’s primary contribution ensured that the design of the tool follows appropriate scientific principles; designing a research plan to collect information on the efficacy and usability of the tool and teacher dashboard; and conducting basic analysis on data collected on the tool.

• Phase 3: In phase 3 we undertook two research components. First, we conducted a scoping study to better understand teacher and school leadership practices and policies, general curriculum and SEL framework, and EdTech programs in Jordan and other LMIC contexts. The study also identifed gaps in current formative assessment and EdTech practices. In partnership with War Child Jordan, we conducted primary data collection on teachers’ perceptions and use of formative assessment practices in settings where refugees are present.