Evaluating performance on a bespoke maths game with children with Down syndrome

Abstract

Background: Despite the interest and potential of multi touch devices, there are limited published studies researching their effectiveness and usability specifically with children with Down syndrome, one of the most common groups of children with an intellectual disability. This is particularly true for mathematical learning, an area in which many experience particular difficulty. Objectives: The study set out to evaluate a bespoke digital game in which children learned to select which was “more,” a foundational skill for understanding magnitude. Methods: A mixed methods approach was adopted with eight single case studies of children aged 9–14 years. Probes (untaught examples) were introduced to examine progress and the impact on performance in non-digital contexts. Results: Five pupils improved their performance on the digital games and this was sustained at the time of the delayed post-test. Four pupils showed improved performance in non-taught, non-digital contexts for both taught and untaught ratios. Disaggregated data reveals the variability in performance, with peak performances occurring at different points of the intervention. The introduction of a two-player version improved performance for five pupils through promoting sustained attention and strategic responses to winning. One child performed at chance level on the digital game throughout but made gains in non-digital settings. Conclusions: Bespoke learning tools have good potential to promote attention to numerosity. However, progress in digital contexts does not automatically transfer to non-digital contexts. The study reveals the individual nature of the learning affordances of different pedagogic tools and the place of bespoke games within teachers' repertoires.