Desenvolvimento e implementação de jogo para alfabetização de crianças com necessidades especiais e análises de movimentação do usuário

Abstract

The learning process in early childhood education is one of the main foundations for a child’s education. In atypical cases, alternative measures with greater effectiveness are required, since each child is unique in relation to learning processes. Children with cerebral palsy may have their learning process compromised due to brain injuries. However, it is known that brain plasticity allows the formation of new connections that lead to learning, making it possible to activate reward and emotional systems through enjoyable activities. The objective of this work was to develop a game for touch-screen devices with user movement tracking, using assistive and rehabilitation technologies to support the literacy process of children with cerebral palsy. The platform includes computational tools to record movement paths and the time required, working on users’ cognition in a playful manner. The interface was developed in JavaScript and made available online free of charge. For this purpose, concepts of data analysis and programming were employed, based on information obtained from existing games. To ensure that children’s interaction occurred naturally and in a manner compatible with established literacy methods, the exercises were adapted from existing models. Maximum, minimum, and average values were recorded in a database composed of 200 sessions carried out on the platform. The platform described in this work proved to be a tool that enables (1) a complete learning process that maintains the foundation of previously developed methods while incorporating new playful and interactive tools; and (2) the verification of strategic data related to the child’s rehabilitation.