ABSTRACT
What are the cognitive consequences of interacting with a computer-based game or simulation? In particular, do people who play games and simulations develop what can be called transferable knowledge or skills that can be applied beyond the original learning context (Pellegrino & Hilton, 2012)? These are the kinds of questions that motivate this chapter's focus on how to assess transfer in games and simulations. The chapter begins by examining key concepts in how to assess transfer in games and simulations, and then provides examples of assessment of transfer in a variety of educational games (Design-A-Plant, Profile Game, Circuit Game, Cache 17, Crystal Island, Virtual Factory, and Decimal Point), brain-training games (Tetris, Unreal Tournament, Portal, Lumosity, Cerevrum, and All-You-Can-ET), and simulations (Dr. Phyz, F-16 Aircraft, The Body VR, and Labster). The development of reliable and valid measures of transfer remains a major challenge of research on games and simulations.
