iRubric: Game-Based Learning Evaluation Rubric

edit print share Copy to my rubrics Bookmark test run assess... delete Do more...

Game-Based Learning Evaluation Rubric

The Game-Based Learning Evaluation Rubric (GBLER) is a research-driven framework for assessing educational games and simulations. Grounded in ARCS Model, Flow Theory, Experiential Learning, and Usability Heuristics, it evaluates motivation, immersion, interactivity, usability, and collaboration. Using a five-level scale, GBLER helps educators, designers, and researchers create engaging, high-quality digital learning experiences.

Rubric Code: R24C965

By shayleewilson

Ready to use

Public Rubric

Subject: Education

Type: Assessment

Grade Levels: 9-12, Undergraduate, Graduate, Post Graduate

Game-Based Learning Evaluation Rubric 100 %
	Developing The game does not meet the expectations in this area. 1 pts	Emergent The game shows some basic implementation but lacks depth or consistency. 2 pts	Proficient The game meets expectations with room for improvement. 3 pts	Advanced The game demonstrates strong implementation with only minor areas for improvement. 4 pts	Exemplary The game excels in this area, setting a high standard for educational effectiveness. 5 pts
Section 1: Motivation and Engagement 20 % This section assesses how effectively the game captures and sustains learner interest, connects to real-world applications, builds player confidence, and provides meaningful rewards. Drawing from Keller's ARCS Model, this category evaluates the balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, ensuring that learners remain actively engaged and see the value in their experience.
1.1 Attention Sustainment Does the game maintain player engagement through perceptual arousal, inquiry arousal, and variability?	Developing No engaging elements; interactions are passive and monotonous.	Emergent Limited interactive elements; lacks variety in engagement methods.	Proficient Uses basic elements (e.g. sound effects, animations) but lacks depth.	Advanced Incorporates multiple interactive elements (e.g. branching scenarios, surprise challenges) that sustain attention.	Exemplary Highly engaging with dynamic storytelling, unexpected challenges, and multimodal interaction to sustain long-term interest.
1.2 Relevance Does the content align with real-world applications and learners' experiences?	Developing Content is generic with no real-world connections.	Emergent Some attempt at relevance, but connections to real-world applications are weak.	Proficient Includes some relevant examples but lacks deep integration with real-world scenarios.	Advanced Effectively integrates real-world examples and industry applications.	Exemplary Strong real-world relevance; uses authentic case studies, simulations, and practical applications.
1.3 Confidence Building Does the game provide scaffolded challenges that build mastery and self-efficacy?	Developing No difficulty progression or guidance for improvement.	Emergent Basic scaffolding, but progression is abrupt or inconsistent.	Proficient Progression exists, but lacks adaptability with individual performance.	Advanced Well-designed difficulty levels with adaptive progression and feedback.	Exemplary Fully adaptive difficulty system ensuring continuous engagement and optimal challenge.
1.4 Satisfaction & Rewards Structures Are intrinsic and extrinsic rewards balanced effectively?	Developing No rewards or ineffective reward structure.	Emergent Limited rewards, mostly extrinsic (e.g. points, leaderboards) with no deeper engagement.	Proficient Uses a mix of extrinsic (badges, points) and intrinsic (story progress, self-improvement) rewards.	Advanced Balances rewards well with meaningful milestones that drive motivation.	Exemplary Highly motivating reward system fostering intrinsic motivation through mastery, autonomy, and meaningful achievements.
Section 2: Flow and Cognitive Immersion 25 % Inspired by Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory, this section measures whether the game provides a seamless, immersive experience where challenges align with player skills, goals are clearly defined, and feedback is immediate. A well-designed game fosters deep concentration, prevents distractions, and allows learners to enter a state of flow, maximizing cognitive engagement and learning retention.
2.1 Challenge-Skill Balance Are challenges aligned with player skill level?	Developing Tasks are either too easy or too difficult, leading to disengagement.	Emergent Some balance, but difficulty levels are inconsistent.	Proficient Provides a general balance but lacks adaptive difficulty.	Advanced Challenges adjust moderately to player skill level.	Exemplary Fully adaptive difficulty system ensuring continuous engagement and optimal challenge.
2.2 Clear Goals and Feedback Are objectives clear with immediate and constructive feedback?	Developing No clear goals or feedback provided.	Emergent Goals exist but lack clarity; feedback is inconsistent or delayed.	Proficient Goals are clear, with basic feedback mechanisms.	Advanced Well-structured goals with detailed and actionable feedback.	Exemplary Transparent goals with real-time, actionable, and personalized feedback.
2.3 Concentration and Focus Does the game minimize distractions and maintain cognitive immersion?	Developing Frequent distractions, cluttered UI, or intrusive elements.	Emergent Some distractions, but overall game flow is maintained.	Proficient Minimally distracting with some cognitive immersion.	Advanced Well-structured interface that maintains engagement.	Exemplary Fully immersive experience with seamless, distraction-free gameplay.
2.4 Autotelic Experience Is the game intrinsically rewarding, encouraging continued play without external reinforcement?	Developing The game lacks intrinsic motivation; players only engage for external rewards.	Emergent Some elements are engaging, but the experience feels primarily task-driven rather than enjoyable.	Proficient The game provides a moderately enjoyable experience with some intrinsic motivation.	Advanced Players are deeply engaged and find the experience personally rewarding beyond just earning rewards.	Exemplary The game fosters deep intrinsic motivation, making players lose track of time and engage purely for the joy of learning and mastery.
Section 3: Experiential & Interactive Design 25 % Grounded in Experiential Learning Theory, this section evaluates the hands-on, inquiry-based nature of the game. It considers how well the game encourages active problem-solving, decision-making, and real-time interaction with content. Additionally, it assesses how multisensory elements (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic interactions) enhance the learning experience, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging.
3.1 Active Learning and Exploration Does the game encourage hands-on, inquiry-based learning?	Developing Passive learning; no interactivity.	Emergent Limited interactivity with predefined paths.	Proficient Some opportunities for exploration, but constrained.	Advanced Encourages problem-solving and interactive learning.	Exemplary Deep inquiry-based learning with high player autonomy.
3.2 Multisensory Interaction Are audio, visual, and kinesthetic elements used effectively?	Developing No or poor use of sensory elements.	Emergent Basic use of sensory elements, but not fully integrated.	Proficient Effective use of visual and auditory cues but lacks depth.	Advanced Engaging multimodal elements for deep learning.	Exemplary Fully integrated multisensory experience that enhances cognition and retention.
3.3 Authentic Context & Problem-Solving Are scenarios realistic and applicable to real-world professional or educational contexts?	Developing Problems are artificial, disconnected from real-world applications, and do not challenge critical thinking.	Emergent Some attempt to provide real-world relevance, but scenarios lack depth or practical application.	Proficient The game presents realistic problems that encourage some degree of critical thinking and decision-making.	Advanced Well-developed scenarios challenge players with meaningful, authentic decision-making situations.	Exemplary The game fully immerses players in complex, authentic problems that require deep thinking, strategy, and reflection, preparing them for real-world application.
Section 4: Usability & Heuristic Evaluation 15 % A game's usability directly affects its educational effectiveness. This section evaluates interface design, navigation intuitiveness, and accessibility, ensuring that the game minimizes frustration and cognitive overload. Drawing from game heuristics research, it examines whether the game mechanics support smooth interaction, adaptability, and clarity while avoiding usability pitfalls.
4.1 Intuitive User Interface Is navigation simple and accessible?	Developing Confusing interface, hard to navigate.	Emergent Somewhat clear, but usability issues remain.	Proficient Mostly clear, with some minor UX issues.	Advanced Intuitive design with smooth navigation.	Exemplary Seamless UI/UX with no usability barriers.
4.2 Game Mechanics & Adaptability Does the game personalize challenges and learning paths based on player performance?	Developing Game mechanics are poorly designed, unintuitive, or overly rigid with no adaptability.	Emergent Mechanics function but are either inconsistent, overly complex, or fail to adapt to different skill levels.	Proficient Basic mechanics are smooth and provide some level of adaptability for different users.	Advanced Well-designed, intuitive mechanics that adjust to player performance and provide a seamless learning experience.	Exemplary Highly adaptive and response mechanics that adjust difficulty and provide a personalized learning path while maintaining engagement.
4.3 Heuristic Evaluation of Playability Does the game follow usability and playability heuristics to create an accessible, engaging, and smooth experience?	Developing Significant usability issues: poor controls, unclear objectives, or inconsistent mechanics make play frustrating.	Emergent Some usability issues exist, such as clunky navigation, unclear instructions, or lack of feedback.	Proficient The game follows basic usability principles with minor playability issues that do not hinder learning.	Advanced Smooth and engaging gameplay with clear instructions, intuitive controls, and responsive feedback.	Exemplary The game meets high usability and heuristics standards, ensuring seamless, immersive, and frustration-free gameplay.
Section 5: Social and Collaborative Learning 15 % This section assesses the game's ability to foster teamwork, peer interaction, and social engagement in the learning process. It evaluates whether the game includes cooperative challenges, multiplayer options, and mentorship opportunities, ensuring that learners can engage in shared problem-solving, discussions, and knowledge building. The balance between competition and collaboration is also considered to optimize motivation and engagement.
5.1 Peer Interaction & Teamwork Does the game effectively facilitate peer interaction, teamwork, and cooperative learning to deepen engagement and knowledge retention?	Developing No multiplayer or cooperative elements; the game is entirely individual-based with no interaction.	Emergent Some opportunities for interaction exist, but they are limited, unstructured, or superficial (e.g. optional chat, basic leaderboards).	Proficient Encourages some collaboration, such as group tasks, shared objectives, or discussion prompts, but teamwork is not fully integrated into gameplay.	Advanced Well-integrated multiplayer or cooperative mechanics, requiring players to work together to achieve goals, solve problems, or complete missions.	Exemplary The game seamlessly fosters deep collaboration through strategic teamwork, shared challenges, role-based problem-solving, and meaningful social interaction, making peer engagement essential to success.
5.2 Competitive vs. Collaborative Balance Are competition-based elements (leaderboards, scoring) used effectively without undermining intrinsic motivation?	Developing The game relies entirely on competition, discouraging collaboration, or has no social features at all.	Emergent Some collaboration exists, but competition dominates or undermines teamwork, creating frustration.	Proficient A balance of competition and collaboration is present but not deeply integrated into gameplay.	Advanced Strong balance where players engage in healthy competition and meaningful teamwork.	Exemplary The game seamlessly integrates competitive and cooperative mechanics, ensuring an engaging and socially dynamic learning experience.
5.3 Mentorship & Instructor Support Are there mechanisms for expert guidance, peer support, or debriefing?	Developing No guidance, feedback, or support mechanisms are present in the game.	Emergent Some basic support (e.g. FAQs, hints) but lacks structured mentorship or instructor involvement.	Proficient The game provides in-game guidance, automated hints, or a support system, but lacks direct mentorship or structured feedback.	Advanced Includes mentorship features, peer-to-peer collaboration, or instructor engagement to support learning.	Exemplary The game actively integrates mentorship, structured debriefing, and instructor-led discussions, reinforcing learning outcomes.

Keywords:

GBL, Game-Based Learning, Gamification, Games, Learning, Evaluation, Keller, Flow Theory, ARCS, GBLER

Subjects:

Education

Types:

Assessment

Discuss this rubric