Playing in the special education school: from gamers to game designers

In a one year old study, students with mild and moderate intellectual disability, used serious games in their educational practice. Communication, interaction, participation and motivation have been documented in a qualitative study using two different classrooms as case studies. In this paper we describe the documented process of these endeavors, as students turned from gamers into game designers. During the study we were able to document changes in the educational atmosphere, including change of roles and communication re-enforcement between students and teachers. Co-operative game design workshops were organized, as part of the European Project Code RED , targeting students in the risk of early school leaving (ESL), by using game design workshops as a tool of motivation and inclusion

LUDI. Play for children with disabilities

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integrating Serious Games in the Educational Experience of Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Towards a Playful and Integrative Model

The purpose of this paper is to present a series of observations made by researchers and educators on the integration of serious games in the educational experience of users with intellectual disabilities (ID). Data were gathered from four different studies and different games were used, in order to identify a successful model of games based learning application. Moreover, results that highlight the motivational importance of playful integration towards the promotion of self determination in students with ID, will be presented. According to the authors’ findings, special education can be benefited from the successful integration of digital games in the educational scenario, creating a safe and personalized educational environment for the students, as well as a valuable motivational tool for the educator - especially when the educator takes a threefold role, able to support a hybrid model of digital and non digital play. Trying to assist the educational efforts of special education teachers, the authors will present the results of a series of case studies and applications, the role of the educator, as well as practical considerations that resulted in the sketch of a model of playful game-based learning integration

Fingers on the Screen: game Based learning for students with intellectual disabilities

Game Based Learning in the special education classroom is still regarded with skepticism by educators, or has been used mainly as an extrinsic reinforcement. This communication presents a series of observations made by researchers and educators on the motivational impact of games in the educational experience of users with intellectual disabilities

Engaging students with intellectual disabilities through location based games based learning

Learning, is both an emotional and cognitive process and according to researchers and teachers worldwirde, when players are engaged in activities that are intrinsically motivating, they are more prone to demonstrate deep learning. Since 1981 when Malone used digital games as a medium in order to analyze intrinsic motivation, digital games have been reported to stimulate the students’ interest, while motivating them to deploy control, curiosity and imagination. Studies within our research grouping have shown that Digital Games Based Learning (DGBL) can have a positive effect on some of the core development needs of people with Intellectual disabilities and associated sensory impairments. One current are of interests is the expansion of DGBL activities on mobile platforms. The RECALL Project describes the development and evaluation of a novel route learning system for people with disabilities using locative based services (on the Android OS) and is the output of a EU award (504970-LLP-1-2009-1-UK-KA3-KA3MP). In the following paper we will present piloting findings from the piloting use of RouteMate application as well as an initial proposal of a playful locative DGBL integration in the educational experience of users with intellectual disabilities