A  gamified environment supported by augmented reality for improving communicative competencies in students with ASD: design and validation

Nerea López-Bouzas; M. Esther Del Moral Pérez

doi:10.46661/ijeri.6820

Authors

Nerea López-Bouzas Universidad de Oviedo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0753-0672
M. Esther Del Moral Pérez University of Oviedo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9143-5960

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46661/ijeri.6820

Keywords:

Autism Spectrum Disorder, virtual environment, gamification, augmentative reality, communicative skills

Abstract

The objective of this study was to design and validate an Augmented Gamified Environment (AGE) for improving communicative skills in students with ASD. The study used a mixed methodology: a) qualitative, focused on a single case to describe the AGE design process. The environment uses a pirate adventure story which includes gamified activities supported by augmented reality. It promotes immersive learning through activities that encourage social, linguistic, and cognitive skills linked to symbolic play; and b) quantitative, based on the Delphi method in which experts (N=12) evaluated the environment using 14 indicators in four dimensions: adaptability to the pace of learning, suitability of the base and code for presenting the content, didactic potential for developing competence, and the suitability of the gamification process for students with ASD. The expert assessment helped to improve the adaptability, flexibility, and functionality of the AGE, which incorporated versatile and augmented reality activities and applications to provide the student with playful linguistic and socio-emotional development in an immersive environment.

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Author Biographies

Nerea López-Bouzas, Universidad de Oviedo

PhD student in Education and Psychology with a University Teacher Training Scholarship (FPU). Teacher of Early Childhood Education and Master's Degree in Research and Innovation in Early Childhood and Primary Education. He collaborates with the Department of Educational Sciences and is a member of the research group TECN@: Technology and Learning at the University of Oviedo. His lines of research focus on the integration of technological resources in the teaching-learning process, inclusive education, digital applications, augmented reality, gamification, analysis of audiovisual narratives, etc.

M. Esther Del Moral Pérez, University of Oviedo

University Professor. He teaches ICT applied to Education. Faculty of Teacher Training and Education. University of Oviedo (Spain). He has 4 six-year research periods. Coordinates the TECN@ Research Group: Technology and Learning. Principal investigator of competitive projects, author of impact articles in prestigious journals. Research Areas: media, digital literacy, TV and childhood, video games, social networks, augmented reality, digital applications, gamification, education in rural areas, etc. He carried out research stays in: Calgary (Canada), Poitiers (France), Freiburg (Germany), ITD Genoa (Italy). He taught courses in Latin American universities (Chile, Mexico and Peru).

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