Developing an e-game to aid learning support educators (LSEs) teach basic arithmetic to children with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Students with Intellectual Disabilities face a huge problem since Intellectual Disabilities usually interfere with learning basic crucial skills, such as mathematics [8]. Students with intellectual disabilities are likely to experience difficulties with problem solving and abstract reasoning [8]. Therefore, students with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities often complete their schooling without mastering these basic crucial skills [9]. By developing a mathematical educational game that turns an abstract process, which is meaningless to the student, into something which is tangible and more useful to the students, the students’ motivation to learn mathematics will be increased. Hence, the students’ relationship and attitude towards mathematics will be improved. This study evaluates whether a digital-educational game can aid Learning Support Educators in teaching arithmetic to students with intellectual disabilities. The participating Learning Support Educators provided extremely positive feedback when using the digital-educational game that was developed with their students since the digital-educational game provided aid to the Learning Support Educators and also provided motivation and added engagement to the students while gaining a better understanding of why mathematics is important for everyday life.