Options
Informal learning from video games of three autistic children in a family: A case study
Citation
Paper presented at the 3rd Redesigning Pedagogy International Conference, Singapore, 1 - 3 June 2009
Abstract
Many autistic children are highly interested and motivated by computers (Goodwin,2008; Grynszpan, Martin & Nadel, 2007). Shafer (2006) in his book “How computer games help children learn” revealed that good computer or video games allow “children to live in worlds that they are curious about, or afraid of, or want desperately to try out” (p.24) and implicitly it is because they want to understand the rules, roles and consequences of those worlds. Autistic people do not have impairment in their understanding of physical causality, and may even be superior relative to mental-age matched controls (Baron-Cohen, cited in Wakabayashi, et al.,2007). The purpose of the case study is to explore for evidences of informal learning from computer and video games of three autistic children in family of author directly during period of study of one month and indirectly through reflection of past
recollections of significant moments of observed learning. The children have played video games from Nintendo consoles (N64, game cube, WII) , Nintendo portable devices (Advanced gameboy, DS) , Sony playstation console and online internet games and applications. It is the hope of this study to generate interest in considering using computer and video games in special education for learning and literacy (Gee, 2007).
Date Issued
June 2009