Assessing Students' Conceptual Knowledge of Computer Networks in Open Wonderland

Computer Networks, an undergraduate computer science course, is taught through a variety of new technological tools but more attention on assessment strategies using those technological tools is desirable. Research studies have shown that assessment methods also influence students' learning. Current assessment techniques, even those which include technology, focus more on summative assessment rather than formative. Formative assessment is necessary for teaching and assessment of complex skills like troubleshooting or network design. Therefore, there exists a need for assessments to capture students' problem solving process and chosen approaches during the assessment. By tracking a student's behaviors in an immersive assessment environment, the path that the student takes towards the solution can be studied. Virtual Worlds are naturally immersive environments and can be effectively used to record interactions that students made in the worlds. We have developed NetWorld in Open Wonderland, an open source software for creating 3D virtual worlds. NetWorld is a 3D virtual world built for detailed assessment of computer network concepts for computer science undergraduate students. This detailed assessment happens at 3 levels -- conceptual understanding, diagnostic abilities and the ability to design a network. This paper describes the design principles and implementation of NetWorld and a plan to evaluate its usability.