Work-In-Progress—CrimOPS—Gamified Virtual Simulations for Authentic Assessment in Criminology

Abstract

Authentic assessment is the concept of using creative learning experiences to assess students’ skills and knowledge in conditions that simulate reality. The importance of authentic assessment in higher education is recognized as it helps measure student performance and attainment of skills related to the expected learning outcomes of the degree program, they study that map the skills required in their profession in the related industry. There is also growing evidence that authentic assessment can enhance student engagement and improve the student experience and learning outcomes. VR coupled with gamification offers the authentic context for students to apply their knowledge and skills while solving real-world problems. This paper presents a work-in-progress study that focuses on the creation of an educational resource that effectively supports teaching and learning crime-scene analysis and evidenced-based inferences in Criminology through simulated crime scenes. The paper describes a participatory design process involving students and academics as co-creators of a VR game, the CrimOPS, it presents the initial prototype derived from this collaboration and preliminary study results.