ACCESSIBLE GAMES FOR HEALTH AND K-12 EDUCATION Lynn Marentette, Sp.A. NCSP School Psychologist Union County Public Schools May 7, 2008 http://techpsych.blogspot.com http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.com

Background School psychologist in Union County Public Schools, North Carolina Certified in school psychology and guidance counseling Discovered Universal Design for Learning in 2002when researching multimedia applications and educational games for secondary students with mild disabilities who were struggling in school and becoming disengaged. Students were strong visual learners; most were avid gamers Some students had more complex disabilities Returned to school in 2003 initially to learn how to make multimedia games for hand held devices and interactive whiteboards, took first game class at Central Piedmont Community College, later studied VR for education and training. Graduate Student, UNC-Charlotte HCI, Games, ubiquitous computing, etc Universal Usability and Pervasive Computing

School psychologist in Union County Public Schools, North Carolina

Certified in school psychology and guidance counseling

Discovered Universal Design for Learning in 2002when researching multimedia applications and educational games for secondary students with mild disabilities who were struggling in school and becoming disengaged.

Students were strong visual learners; most were avid gamers

Some students had more complex disabilities

Returned to school in 2003 initially to learn how to make multimedia games for hand held devices and interactive whiteboards, took first game class at Central Piedmont Community College, later studied VR for education and training.

Graduate Student, UNC-Charlotte

HCI, Games, ubiquitous computing, etc

Universal Usability and Pervasive Computing

My Interests

Accessible Games for Health and K-12 Education “ Technology can positively influence the method in which healthful living courses are taught in the public schools today” -N.C. Healthful Living Curriculum http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/healthfulliving/

“ Technology can positively influence the method in which healthful living courses are taught in the public schools today”

-N.C. Healthful Living Curriculum

http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/healthfulliving/

Child and Youth Health Risks Number of obese children age 6-17 has more than doubled over the past 30 years or so. Risk carry over to adult hood and can increase with age. Related physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable consumption Result is an increase in health care costs. Other risks: suicide, water safety, riding a bike without a helmet, aggression/violence -NC Healthful Living

Number of obese children age 6-17 has more than doubled over the past 30 years or so.

Risk carry over to adult hood and can increase with age.

Related physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable consumption

Result is an increase in health care costs.

Other risks: suicide, water safety, riding a bike without a helmet, aggression/violence

Health Education Skills Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease Access health information and promotion products and services Self-management of behaviors related to reducing health problems and promoting positive health Analyze external and internal influences on health and behaviors Interpersonal communication to enhance health Decision-making to enhance health Goal setting to enhance health -NC Healthful Living

Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease

Access health information and promotion products and services

Self-management of behaviors related to reducing health problems and promoting positive health

Analyze external and internal influences on health and behaviors

Interpersonal communication to enhance health

Decision-making to enhance health

Goal setting to enhance health

Existing Games Not immersive; ok for casual mini-games Food Fury: Grades 3-5 http://www.playnormous.com/FoodFury/FoodFury.html Student can choose level of difficulty University of Texas School of Public Health, School of Health Information Science, and Archimage, Inc. Amazing Food Detective Kaiser Permanente http://www.kp.org/amazingfooddetective English and Spanish, includes a guide for teachers and health tips for families Kaiser Permanente

Not immersive; ok for casual mini-games

Food Fury: Grades 3-5

http://www.playnormous.com/FoodFury/FoodFury.html

Student can choose level of difficulty

University of Texas School of Public Health, School of Health Information Science, and Archimage, Inc.

Amazing Food Detective

Kaiser Permanente

http://www.kp.org/amazingfooddetective

English and Spanish, includes a guide for teachers and health tips for families Kaiser Permanente

Examples of Content

Problem: How do we provide access? Input devices, communication devices Accessible, adaptable content that supports a wide range of learning strengths and needs Adapted activities designed to promote engagement, cooperation, and transfer of learning of skills and behaviors to daily life. Move from providing access to implementing universal design

Input devices, communication devices

Accessible, adaptable content that supports a wide range of learning strengths and needs

Adapted activities designed to promote engagement, cooperation, and transfer of learning of skills and behaviors to daily life.

Move from providing access to implementing universal design

Implementation In the Schools Interactive Whiteboards and Displays PC’s, laptops Handheld devices Cell phones? Stand-alone, network, or internet: Many schools block access to any website that relates to games, including sites about federally-funded simulation or game projects, BBC’s CBeebies switch-enabled game site, etc. http://techpsych.blogspot.com/2007/08/on-line-switch-accessible-games-for.html

Interactive Whiteboards and Displays

PC’s, laptops

Handheld devices

Cell phones?

Stand-alone, network, or internet:

Many schools block access to any website that relates to games, including sites about federally-funded simulation or game projects, BBC’s CBeebies switch-enabled game site, etc.

WOLFE SCHOOL ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND

DEVICES AND INPUTS

Barriers Some education administrators frown on the term “games”. Traditional instructional technology has not been adopted well in many classrooms Content of applications marketed to the schools has been at the level of the “electronic workbook”. Many on-line educational applications lack quality, depth. Research: Transfer of learning, generalization of behaviors is important, but doesn’t always happen Accessibility continues to be a problem within the physical world.

Some education administrators frown on the term “games”.

Traditional instructional technology has not been adopted well in many classrooms

Content of applications marketed to the schools has been at the level of the “electronic workbook”.

Many on-line educational applications lack quality, depth.

Research: Transfer of learning, generalization of behaviors is important, but doesn’t always happen

Accessibility continues to be a problem within the physical world.

Universal Design for Learning Center for Applied Special Technology CAST http://www.cast.org Center for Implementing Technology in Education CITEd http://www.cited.org/ Universal Design for Gaming?

Why Universal Design for Learning? http://www.cast.org/publications/UDLguidelines/version1.html Rationale: 13.8% of students ages 3-21 receive special education services for various disabilities: Specific Learning Disabilities 5.6% Speech or language impairments 3.0% Mental retardation 1.1% Emotional disturbance 1.0% Hearing impairments 0.2% Orthopedic impairments 0.2% Other health impairments 1.2% Visual impairments 0.1% Multiple disabilities 0.3% Deaf-blindness -- Autism 0.5 Now 1 in 150 students! Traumatic brain injury 0.1 National Center on Education Statistics (2006)

http://www.cast.org/publications/UDLguidelines/version1.html

Rationale:

13.8% of students ages 3-21 receive special education services for various disabilities:

Specific Learning Disabilities 5.6%

Speech or language impairments 3.0%

Mental retardation 1.1%

Emotional disturbance 1.0%

Hearing impairments 0.2%

Orthopedic impairments 0.2%

Other health impairments 1.2%

Visual impairments 0.1%

Multiple disabilities 0.3%

Deaf-blindness --

Autism 0.5 Now 1 in 150 students!

Traumatic brain injury 0.1

National Center on Education Statistics (2006)

Universal Design for Learning Universal Design for Learning calls for ... Multiple means of representation , to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge, Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know, Multiple means of engagement , to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation. http://www.cast.org/research/udl/index.html

Universal Design for Learning calls for ...

Multiple means of representation , to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,

Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know,

Multiple means of engagement , to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.

- -CAST

Why? Games and Virtual Worlds, Therapeutic Games, MMO’s

EASE GAMES EASe Games were developed from a listening therapy program for use with children who have autism spectrum disorders or those who have sensory or auditory processing problems. http://www.vision-audio.com /

EduSim Based on Croquet http://www.opencroquet.org/index.php/Main_Page Greenbush EduSim http://roots.greenbush.us/?cat=2 http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenbushTV

Based on Croquet

http://www.opencroquet.org/index.php/Main_Page

Greenbush EduSim

http://roots.greenbush.us/?cat=2

http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenbushTV

Suggestions Provide feedback: immediate and ongoing Provide multiple methods of input and output Make it intuitive- easy to understand and play with minimal assistance, or with assistance from a peer Guide the guider approach- documentation materials and directions should be understood by everyone who spends time with the student, including teachers, siblings, and grandparents

Provide feedback: immediate and ongoing

Provide multiple methods of input and output

Make it intuitive- easy to understand and play with minimal assistance, or with assistance from a peer

Guide the guider approach- documentation materials and directions should be understood by everyone who spends time with the student, including teachers, siblings, and grandparents

Suggestions for Applications Provide multiple examples Highlight critical features Use digital tour guides to provide support Provide multiple media and formats Provide background information Support strategic learning, use UDL principles, multiple means of expression

Provide multiple examples

Highlight critical features

Use digital tour guides to provide support

Provide multiple media and formats

Provide background information

Support strategic learning, use UDL principles, multiple means of expression

What Next?