EDU502 · Activity 3.2

Mei and Abby's Star Bridge Restoration Quest

An authentic, formative assessment for Grade 2–3 English learners

David Townsend
Universal Design for Learning
July 2026

Design focus: A simple learner experience supported by clear UDL, scaffolding, accessibility, and formative-observation decisions.

Mei and Abby the gray cat before the broken Star Bridge

1 · Assessment overview

What Learners Demonstrate

Authentic Task

Students help Mei and Abby restore the Star Bridge by translating a short story message into familiar rune symbols.

Learning Outcome

Learners identify the people, actions, objects, and relationships in a short English message and arrange them in meaningful sequence. Naming this outcome first keeps the mission and the rune task aligned to it (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).

Why It Is Formative

The teacher observes clue use, selections, order, and revision.
Feedback is immediate and supportive.
Evidence guides the next instructional step.

Success Evidence

The learner completes one familiar example with support and then attempts a new example with reduced support.

Mei and Abby studying the Old Star Tongue guide and the Star Bridge map

IND-GBL role: Implicit Narrative-Driven Game-Based Learning places language inside a meaningful story before formal explanation. Learners use available supports to solve the story problem, receive feedback, and then discuss the language pattern with the teacher. The narrative motivates the task while UDL and formative assessment guide access and instructional decisions (Clark, 2013).

2 · Explicit learner instructions

Look, Build, Check, and Try Again

1. Look

Look at the picture and listen to or read the short mission.

2. Build

Use the Old Star Tongue Guide. Choose the runes that match the message.

3. Check

Check the rune order and compare it with the mission.

4. Try Again

Use one clue when needed, revise the rune order, and try again.

Mei pointing to the learner instructions while Abby waits beside the mission board

Digital Requirements

Modern web browser
Mouse, touch screen, or keyboard
Teacher-read directions when needed

Low-Tech Option

Printed mission picture
Printed Old Star Tongue Guide
Physical rune cards
Teacher-read directions

Printed mission picture showing Mei leaping across the bridge

3 · Working assessment demonstration

Star Bridge Quest

Old Star Tongue Reference Guide

Use these translation cards for help. The cards are references, not answer buttons.

Practice item 1 of 2

Mission: Build the rune sentence that means:
“Mei leaps across the bridge.”

Mei and Abby standing before the glowing Star Bridge for Clue 1.

Rune Bank — choose symbols only

My Rune Sentence

Choose a rune to begin.

Look at the picture and the Reference Guide. Build the complete rune sentence.

Teacher Observation

Current taskPractice item 1 of 2

Hint usedNo

Correct sequenceIn progress

Independent transferNot yet observed

Instructional Decision

ContinueModelReteach

Use the learner's choices, clue use, and revisions to select the next support.

4 · Scaffolding and Weekly Learning Goal 2

Support Is Added Only When Needed

A glowing Star Bridge illustrating support that helps learners move forward

Light Support

A visual clue highlights the important character, action, or path.

Moderate Support

A short sentence clue identifies the next meaning to find.

Worked Example

The teacher models one step, explains the choice, and returns control to the learner.

Connection to Weekly Learning Goal 2: Learners solve a hands-on problem while scaffolding prevents frustration and preserves productive challenge. Support fades as understanding becomes visible.

Cognitive Load

One focused assessment sequence, familiar symbols, short directions, and predictable steps reduce extraneous processing so working memory stays available for the language task itself (Sweller, Ayres, & Kalyuga, 2011).

Transfer Check

After the guided example, the learner attempts a new story message with fewer prompts.

Support Fades as Confidence Grows

◉Visual Clue

✦Sentence Clue

✓Worked Example

The teacher selects the least support needed, then returns control to the learner.

5 · Universal Design for Learning

UDL Is Built into the Assessment

Multiple glowing paths leading toward one shared Star Bridge destination

Engagement

Characters, a story mission, choice, and visible progress provide a meaningful reason to participate.

Representation

Pictures, short text, familiar symbols, teacher explanation, and enlarged reference cards present meaning in multiple ways.

Action and Expression

Learners may point, click, touch, arrange, speak, or use physical rune cards to demonstrate understanding.

One Goal, Multiple Pathways

★Engage

◉Understand

✓Show Learning

Language Goal

Learners may take different routes while working toward the same language outcome.

UDL principle: Options reduce barriers without changing the language-learning goal or lowering expectations (CAST, 2024).

6 · Accessibility, equity, and implementation

Access without Unnecessary Barriers

Accessibility

Keyboard-accessible controls
Strong contrast and large targets
Reduced-motion support
Short directions and predictable layout
Teacher reading or repeated directions

Equity

Shared-device implementation
Printable no-device version
Partner or teacher support
Enlarged symbols when needed
Observation based on meaning, not speaking confidence

Realistic Mei and Abby Star Bridge Restoration Quest board game.

Implementation: The same learning goal can be assessed digitally or with printed materials. Technology expands access but is not required for participation.

7 · Improvements from Activity 3.1

How the Assessment Was Strengthened

A restored Star Bridge becoming clearer and stronger through revision

Activity 3.1 Concept	Activity 3.2 Improvement
Story-based assessment idea	Working, interactive demonstration
General directions	Explicit Look–Build–Check–Revise sequence
Broad scaffolding	Visual clue, sentence clue, and worked example
Teacher observation concept	Specific evidence: clue use, selection, order, feedback, revision
Digital concept	Technology requirements plus low-tech alternative
General accessibility discussion	Concrete UDL, accessibility, equity, and CLT decisions

Revision choice: The final design keeps one focused two-item assessment sequence so the presentation remains focused, understandable, and aligned with EDU502 rather than functioning as a full game prototype.

8 · Self-assessment, Design Statement, and references

Conclusion

Mei and Abby looking toward the fully restored Star Bridge

Self-Assessment

Efficient: One focused assessment sequence and three predictable steps reduce unnecessary complexity.
Effective: Learner choices and revisions provide usable formative evidence.
Engaging: The story gives the language task an immediate purpose.
Future improvement: Classroom testing should verify pacing, symbol clarity, and transfer.

Design Statement

This presentation was developed using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to demonstrate an authentic formative assessment for Grade 2–3 English learners. The assessment was designed using systems thinking, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), formative assessment principles, authentic assessment, instructional scaffolding, Cognitive Load Theory, and scenario-based instructional design. The IND-GBL framework places language within a meaningful narrative so learners use English to solve a story-based problem before receiving explicit language instruction. The assessment incorporates multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression, while providing immediate feedback, teacher observation opportunities, and low-technology alternatives that support accessibility, equity, and informed instructional decision-making.

References

Download References Download Narration Script

CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 3.0 [Graphic organizer]. Lynnfield, MA: Author. https://udlguidelines.cast.org

Clark, R. C. (2013). Scenario-based e-learning: Evidence-based guidelines for online workforce learning. Pfeiffer.

Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive load theory. Springer.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.). ASCD.

Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov from Pixabay