Effect of Electronic Games on Problem-Solving Skills in a Sample of Hearing-Impaired Children in Pre-School

Abstract

This study aimed to answer the question of whether the Tablet devices affected children's problem solving skills in hearing-impaired children. It was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The research involved sixteen five-year-old hearing-impaired children and divided these children equally into two groups (experimental and control group). The experimental hearing-impaired children played with an iPad devices for a period of 6 months. The children were assessed at entry to the study on their problem solving capacities, in order to compare their development, using four subscales of the British Ability Scale-II (BAS-II). The four sub-scales were non-verbal. The results revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in their capacity to solve problems, using four subscales of the BAS II: Block Building (BB), Picture Similarities (PS), Pattern Construction (PC) and Copying (C), which showed the effectiveness of the technology devices on the skills of hearing impaired children.