Virtual world interfaces for special needs education based on props on a board
- ISSN: 00978493
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cag.2008.07.002
Abstract
A main goal of special education is the teaching of skills needed for an independent life. Virtual worlds are a valuable tool for this, enabling users to train real-world tasks in a save environment. An intuitive interaction device for mentally handicapped users are props on a board, but until now their interaction space has been limited to the size of the board, whereas the training of realistic tasks requires the use of a large and complex environment, detailing different aspects of everyday life. We devised four navigation strategies for props on a board and tested them with mentally handicapped users. The most suitable strategy was implemented in an educational game teaching common tasks, which may even span multiple locations, such as shopping at the supermarket and then preparing a meal at home. A user study with 24 participants showed that the system enabled all of them to navigate through the virtual environment to complete given tasks and indicated that the system supports learning processes. With our system, mentally handicapped people will be able to train everyday tasks in realistic surroundings, using intuitive prop-based navigation and a navigation strategy tailored to their needs.
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