Conceptual elaboration through the collaborative and collective creation of digital games in the perspective of inclusive education

Abstract

This paper examines the development of concepts in children with and without disabilities through digital game creation activities. The study presents the use of technology in a pedagogical approach based on Vygotsky’s theories related to conceptual elaboration, imagination, and creativity in childhood and on advanced studies in game design with children. The qualitative research adopted the Design-Based Research (DBR) as a methodological approach, which made the collaborative and collective performance of students in games creation activities possible. The interdisciplinary team was composed by researchers and undergraduate students in the areas of computing, education, and design and by four children from the third year of Elementary Education at a school in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, including two with intellectual disabilities. Data analysis revealed the children’s appropriation of concepts about digital games and their components, the perception of the game creation process, the complexity inherent in the construction of technologies, and the critical view of children regarding games and their use. Intellectual differences among children were overcome through approaches that favored their different competencies, which afforded admiration among peers, mutual respect, and school inclusion.