Gamification as technology enabler in SEN and DHH education

Area of Science:

• Education
• Linguistics
• Technology

Background:

• Special Educational Needs (SEN) students, particularly Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) learners, face significant challenges in achieving French language proficiency at the elementary level in Mauritius.
• A notable gap exists in available French language learning tools that integrate pedagogical knowledge and technological solutions tailored for SEN and DHH students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of gamified French learning resources to enhance the understanding and achievement of SEN and DHH students.
• To address research questions concerning the specific difficulties these students encounter in French reading and writing, and the impact of gamification on their learning process.

Main Methods:

• The study employed a pragmatic paradigm and action research framework, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Data collection involved a mixed-methods approach including surveys, interviews, observations, and focus group discussions, analyzed through narrative inquiry.

Main Results:

• While students demonstrated competence with traditional teaching methods, the integration of gamified learning aids resulted in a slight improvement in performance for some SEN and DHH students.
• The research provides insights into the effectiveness of gamification as a supplementary tool for French language acquisition in this specific student population.

Conclusions:

• Gamification shows promise as a supplementary educational tool to support French language learning for SEN and DHH students.
• Further research and development of tailored gamified resources are recommended to maximize the positive impact on these students' academic outcomes.