Digital Games to improve learning for Children with Visual Impairment

Kevin Geroge Varghese

This is a synopsis of a Research Paper created by Microsoft India. 

Problem statement: 

Disparity among low- and middle-income students with Visual impairment in accessing technology to meet their educational needs. Can affordable digital games improve skills of children with Visual impairment from low-resource settings and sub optimal academic infrastructure. 

Approach: 

The research was multiphase and exploratory in nature. The researchers visited seven selected schools to understand the curriculum, and the facilities available. Details were collected regarding the functional hardware in the computer lab, curriculum’s learning goal, background of the teachers and the students’ language of choice while operating the PC. 

The teachers were later invited to participate in the workshop, before which they had to fill an online survey to gain an in-depth understanding of their background, skill sets, experience with digital games, use of accessibility tools, and use of software for instruction. Games for the workshop were selected based on dimensions like input-output modality, levels of engagement, and number of users. 

Games that were chosen and why. 

Many of the games listed for the developed countries had to be discarded as they would either require iOS or a steady internet connection. The games had to run on Windows desktop in an offline setting. The game should be accessible to students with visual impairments, requiring only minimal sighted assistance. The interface should not be cognitively taxing for the students, enjoyable, affordable, and should be able to provide the players with immediate gratification. Using the mention rubric, from the 45 chosen games, they had shortlisted 5 games; 

• Hangman, – improves vocabulary – uses cognitive skills – easy to understand – suitable for middle school students
• Simon, easy to learn– improves memory and concentration – relaxing music – improves typing speed – suitable for primary school students 
• Type shooter, easy to learn– improves memory and concentration – relaxing music – improves typing speed – most aligned with curriculum – suitable for primary and secondary students 
• Pizza Game– useful to teach basic math – use sound of real-world objects – aligns with math curriculum 
• UNO– improves logical thinking – engaging 

The teachers from the selected schools considered tactile interaction to be an important element in the learning process and so, effort was made to examine teachers’ perceptions about tactile and proprioceptive dimensions of gaming. The potential of using Nintendo Switch games as a high-fidelity technology probe was examined; although it did not meet the affordability or accessibility requirements, it provided a large range of tactile games, including multi-player games, since it is a high-volume gaming platform. 

Six Nintendo switch games that were shortlisted were Baby, Eating Contest, Ball Count, Shave, Telephone and Safe Crack. The advantages of these games were that they improved listening skills, concentration, and touch sensitivity; there was requirement for physical movements and the instructions were easy to follow. This could help with improving the soft skills. 

You can read more about the choice of games at: https://winvinayafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Teaching-Persons-with-Visual-Impairment-through-Games.pdf