Marcelino J. Cabrera

Using videogames in special education

Consideration has arisen on the use of video games as learning tools since they are deemed as active elements in classrooms. New game technologies have helped creating alternative strategies to increase cognitive skills in the field of Special Education. This paper describes our experience in video games design and in new forms of human-computer interaction addressed to develop didactic games for children with communication problems such as autism, dysphasia, ictus or some types of cerebral paralysis.

Design of Adaptative Video Game Interfaces: A Practical Case of Use in Special Education

The use of new technological and learning methods that help to improve the learning process has produced the inclusion of the video games as active elements in the classrooms. Video Games are ideal learning tools since they provide training skills, promote independence, increase and improve students’ concentration and attention. For special education students with learning difficulties, it is very important to adapt the game to each student’s cognitive level and skills. The present work describes our experience in the design and the use of video game as new forms to create didactic learning tools to pupils with serious communication problems as autism, dysphasia, ictus, or cerebral palsy.

Design of Videogames in Special Education

The use of new technological and learning methods that help to improve the learning process has resulted in the inclusion of the video games as active elements in the classrooms. Videogames are ideal learning tools since they provide training skills, promote independence and increase and improve students’ concentration and attention. For special education students with learning difficulties, it is very important to adapt the game to each student’s cognitive level and skills. New game technologies have helped to create alternative strategies to increase cognitive skills in the field of Special Education. This chapter describes our experience in video games design and in new forms of human–computer interaction addressed to develop didactic games for children with communication problems such as autism, dysphasia, ictus or some types of cerebral paralysis.

Towards User Interfaces Prototyping from Algebraic Specification

This paper describes the use of an algebraic specification language GRALPLA 1, 2, 3, to specify User Interface. In order to obtain a description at a high level of abstraction, the specification language has been enriched with such concepts as Interactive Objects, and user actions. A description of a prototyping tool based on this language has been given.

Modelisation of Co-operative Work

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in user co-operation and the different ways of accomplishing user tasks. Users share a common scenario sinudtarreously. In such systems, we must take into account technological aspects as well as human factors. Characteristics involved with users (such as usability and performance) as well as the social and contextual organisation Hurst be studied. By doing so, an abstract model, regarding design and implementation details, allow us to contemplate the efficiency of these properties.