Effect of Gamification on Cognitive Development of Students with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the impact of gamification on the cognitive development of the students with intellectual disability. The study assessed the impact of gamification three various variables i.e. impact of gamification on vocabulary development, problem solving, and concept development. The study was quantitative in nature. It was an experimental study. Randomized pretest-posttest control group design was used to conduct the research. All the students of intellectual disabilities presently studying in public special education institutes of district Faisalabad made the study population. Researcher selected Shadab Institute for students with intellectual disabilities located in city area district Faisalabad for the study. A sample of 10 students was chosen from Grade-1. The student selection was purely randomized based on the fishbowl sampling technique. Sample was again distributed into two groups i.e. Group-A (Treatment Group) and Group-B (Control Group). A random assignment of 5 ID students in each group was made. Researcher visited the Govt. Shadab Institute for Intellectually Disabled Faisalabad, and approached the students with intellectual disability of grade-1. Researcher firstly collected the pretest data from the students on the basis of various manual sheets to measure the vocabulary skills (parts of body, fruits), various concepts (big & small, color sorting, matching gemstones), and problem solving skills (ocean and mazes). Afterwards, the students of the treatment group underwent the intervention through various computer games for one months, 4 weeks (3 days a week). Researcher provided the intervention for 50 minutes (10 minutes to each child). All the students played the games one by one. After the intervention of one month, again posttest assessment was applied on both of the groups (experimental and control group).   Gamification showed a significantly higher effect on vocabulary development (body parts), problem-solving (maze puzzle), and concept development (colour matching and big & small games) in students with intellectual disabilities compared to traditional methods. However, it had no significant impact on vocabulary (fruit names), problem-solving (ocean puzzle), or concept development (gemstone game), where both methods were found ineffective.

Keywords: Gamification, cognitive development, intellectual disability.