Analysis vs Description¶

Understanding the difference between description and analysis is critical for success in reflective assessment.

Many students lose marks by describing what they did instead of analysing why it mattered.

What Is Description?¶

Description tells the reader what happened.

Examples: - “I added a scoring system.” - “I changed the player speed.” - “I fixed a bug.”

Description answers: - What did you do? - What feature exists?

Description alone is not sufficient for higher grades.

What Is Analysis?¶

Analysis explains why decisions were made and what effect they had.

Examples: - “I increased the player speed because testing showed movement felt slow.” - “I changed the scoring system to reward skill rather than time.” - “Fixing the collision bug reduced unfair player deaths.”

Analysis answers: - Why did you do it? - What problem were you solving? - What changed as a result?

Moving from Description to Analysis¶

A useful approach is:

1. Describe the change briefly
2. Explain the reason for the change
3. Explain the impact on the game

Figure 15 — Moving from description to analysis

flowchart LR
    Describe --> ExplainWhy --> ExplainImpact

This structure keeps responses focused and clear.

Analysis and Evidence¶

Strong analysis refers to: - specific mechanics - testing or feedback - visible changes in behaviour - outcomes for the player

Claims without evidence are weak.

Analysis in AS92007¶

For AS92007: - description supports Achieved - analysis supports Merit - evaluation supports Excellence

You are expected to go beyond “what I did”.

Looking Ahead¶

Next, you will learn: - how to link design decisions to outcomes - how to evaluate success and limitations - how to structure strong reflective responses

Analysis is the bridge between doing and understanding.

End of Analysis vs Description