Developing pedagogical videogames to support math learning in deaf children: A work in progress (phases 1-3)

Abstract

The shortage of pedagogical resources to support the teaching of deaf children is a reality in the context of teaching in Portuguese Sign Language (Língua Gestual Portuguesa-LGP). This problem is mainly due to the lack of technical resources in schools and the lack of dissemination of the existing resources, which decisively influences their technical and pedagogical quality and makes them highly dependent on each teacher’s improvisation skills and motivation. Educaçãoacessível.pt aims to contribute to the mitigation of such problems, with the production and distribution of free educational videogames for teaching mathematics to deaf students. Based on a collaboration, active since 2015, between a secondary school for deaf people and a bachelor’s degree on Videogames, 21 mini games were already produced. The present poster is a work in progress that aims to systematizing the main pedagogical resources already developed, and to provide deaf-related particularities and constraints experienced during the production process, as well as data on classroom dynamics. At this stage of the project, some positive conclusions can be drawn: it’s clear that it is possible to produce usable videogames for deaf students in a bachelor’s degree class context, despite the complexity of the resources and partners involved. As for the results of the videogame application with deaf students, it has been observed that the students are motivated to use the games, which can contribute to the consolidation of math principles. About future work, project positive results and acquired expertise founded GBL4deaf (Game-Based Learning for Deaf Students), a larger and supported action-research project aiming to study and document the impact of such pedagogical tools on deaf children’s maths learning process.