User Interface Evaluation of Serious Games for Students with Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Abstract. We have designed and evaluated around 10 serious games under the EU Leonardo Transfer of Innovation Project: Game On Extra Time (GOET) project http://goet-proiect.eu/. The project supports people with learning disabilities and additional sensory impairments in getting and keeping a job by helping them to learn, via games-based learning; skills that will help them in their working day. These games help students to learn how to prepare themselves for work, dealing with everyday situations at work, including money management, travelling independently etc. This paper is concerned with the potential of serious games as effective and engaging learning resources for people with intellectual disabilities. In this paper we will address questions related to the design and evaluation of such games, and our design solutions to suit the individual learning needs of our target audiences.

Mobile Learning and Games in Special Education

“…The secret is to ensure a balance between success and challenge and the different levels that can be built into games provide this. These characteristics of games were the reasons Sik Lányi, Brown, Standen, Lewis, and Butkute (2010) designed computer games to teach employment skills to young people with intellectual disabilities. Similarly, Savidis, Grammenos, and Stephanidis (2007) designed two computer games for people with intellectual disabilities in Crete to help their users acquire employment skills.…”

One Way of Bringing Final Year Computer Science Student World to the World of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Case Study

“…A series of serious games are used. The description of such games and their evaluation can be found in [6]. On the other hand [7] is a study of the factors that contribute to literacy for children with cerebral palsy.…”

An Innovative Model for Adaptive Learning Utilizing Biofeedback and Item Response Theory

“…These games, that have educational purposes beside the entertainment, are called serious games [1]. Motivating the users during serious games is a key problem [2]. If the motivation is high, and the user enjoys the game, it can lead to longer and more effective playing sessions.…”