Luz, Câmera, libras!: How a mobile game can improve the learning of sign languages

Abstract

There is a natural communication barrier between hearing and non-hearing people, and one of the reasons is the lack of knowledge about sign languages. This paper presents a study about a mobile application for learning and practicing the Brazilian sign language (Libras). The application consists of a guessing game in which two players must guess each other's signs. For two months, the data collected from the game server and from the user gaming experience was analyzed with regard to the user interaction, engagement, fun and learning. The obtained results indicate that due to the mobile nature of the application, the drop rate was higher than expected. However, the user information demonstrated that learning tools can benefit from the mobile and ubiquitous nature of such devices. Despite the many drawbacks found, users confirmed the game was fun and effective for learning a sign language. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.