disability — Volume 13:2 papers — Digital Culture & Education (ISSN: 1836-8301)

THE POTENTIAL OF SERIOUS GAMES TO FOSTER LEARNING AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH DISABILITIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Written by:
Christopher Keller, University of Basel, Switzerland
Anna K. Döring, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
Elena Makarova, University of Basel, Switzerland

Abstract: Serious Games for children and adolescents with disabilities can enhance their learning and respond to their needs in an inclusive educational setting. The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the potential of Serious Games for children and young people with disabilities, thereby providing an overview of effective Serious Games for schools and practitioners in the field of inclusive education. For this purpose, a systematic review of empirical literature found in the database Education Resources Information Centre (ERIC) was conducted, applying a qualitative content analysis. Findings from the 21 reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies indicate that Serious Games provide effective support for achieving learning objectives in certain school subjects and facilitate optimal conditions for learning. We found that Serious Games have strong potential and can make an important contribution to the inclusion of children and adolescents with disabilities in school.

Keywords: serious games, children and adolescents with disabilities, inclusion, systematic review

ΑN INNOVATIVE TRANSMEDIA-BASED GAME DEVELOPMENT METHOD FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

Written by:
Polyxeni Kaimara, Department of Audio & Visual Arts-Ionian University, Corfu, Greece
Ioannis Deliyannis, Department of Audio & Visual Arts-Ionian University, Corfu, Greece
Andreas Oikonomou, School of Pedagogical & Technological Education, Thessaloniki, Greece
Emmanuel Fokides, Department of Primary Education, University of the Aegean, Rhodes, Greece
George Miliotis, Department of Audio & Visual Arts-Ionian University, Corfu, Greece

Abstract: Education is the cornerstone for a society without discrimination as it promotes full personality development and enhances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. As a result of the “Education for all” policy, more children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) are included in neighbourhood schools regardless of their cognitive, physical or emotional condition. Inclusive education (IE) focuses on learning motivation and styles, different students’ learning pace, learning objectives, methods, personalized strategies, material, and content. The degree of independent living of both children with or without SEND is one of the main concerns of educators, parents, and therapists. Children with SEND often struggle to achieve independence because of their limitations in adaptive behaviour. Considering valid epistemological backgrounds, pedagogical frameworks and a range of intervention strategies focusing on those skills, the paper presents an innovate transmediabased game development method for inclusive education, combining traditional games, art-based production, and game development methodologies with cutting-edge technologies involving 360° videos, virtual, and augmented reality.

Keywords: augmented reality; special educational needs and/or disabilities; transmedia learning; virtual reality; 360 degrees interactive videos