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Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
O número de crianças com Perturbação do Espetro do Autismo (PEA) tem vindo a aumentar
nos últimos anos. Essa condição condiciona-lhes o desenvolvimento de competências de
comunicação e interação social, com consequente depreciação de funcionalidades e da
qualidade de vida. As crianças com PEA, à semelhança das neurotípicas, parecem apreciar a
tecnologia, incluindo videojogos, com tendência para se envolverem durante a experiência
com esses meios. A perceção do ambiente seguro, confortável e confiável em que decorre a
interação, potencia uma aprendizagem contínua e o desenvolvimento de habilidades
relevantes para este público, em particular ao nível da comunicação. No entanto, a maioria das
soluções existentes focam-se na vertente pedagógica, mantendo-se pouco explorados os
benefícios que poderão resultar do recurso a videojogos puramente lúdicos, quando
desenhados com estratégias que visem gerar melhorias nas capacidades comunicacionais e
relacionais de crianças portadoras de PEA.
A principal contribuição subjacente a este projeto é, precisamente, o desenho e
desenvolvimento de um videojogo que atenda às particularidades das crianças com PEA e que
inclua estratégias promotoras de comunicação entre jogadores, mantendo sempre uma
abordagem estritamente lúdica.
Pretende-se também que o videojogo possibilite a recolha de dados com valor científico, de
forma a suportar estudos em curso e consequentes sobre a influência da experiência de jogo e
a sua eficácia prática no relacionamento entre os jogadores e nas suas capacidades de
interação e comunicação.
O videojogo concebido, intitulado Bug Bzzness, é multijogador e tem como enredo uma
joaninha que procura e recolhe itens existentes no interior das flores plantadas no jardim. Bug
Bzzness tem na sua génese o estímulo à proximidade e à interação entre os jogadores,
evidenciando benefícios coletivos perante iniciativas de colaboração.
No desenvolvimento do videojogo adotou-se uma metodologia iterativa e incremental e
atendeu a heurísticas e diretrizes de desenho de videojogos. Para a implementação foi usado o
motor de jogos Unity. Optou-se por utilizar arte bidimensional (2D).
Bug Bzzness foi sujeito a experimentação com utilizadores do público-alvo e as observações
revelaram perspetivas auspiciosas, incluindo relativamente à adoção da estratégia puramente
lúdica. Foram testemunhadas reações relevantes, sugestivas de um impacto positivo do
videojogo que são interpretadas como encorajador do avanço da investigação neste campo.
Por questões pragmáticas, o público-alvo cinge-se aos níveis de PEA em que as crianças
detenham as capacidades intelectuais suficientes para a viabilização do próprio ato de jogar.
Ainda, considerou-se que, nesta fase do projeto, seria relevante e possível não limitar a idade das crianças a intervalo mais específico e, em vez disso, permitir que seja o estudo dos
desenvolvimentos a revelar as faixas etárias em que as abordagens possam ser mais eficazes.
O presente projeto está enquadrado no Projeto de Investigação “Da Ludicidade do Videojogo
ao Desenvolvimento Comunicacional da Criança com Autismo”, do Politécnico de Viseu
(PROJ/IPV/ID&I/025). Neste contexto, o videojogo encaixa num propósito que extravasa o
âmbito do presente relatório e as medidas do real alcance dos seus objetivos estão previstas
num plano de atividades bastante mais extenso que o imposto pelo cumprimento dos prazos a
que o trabalho aqui apresentado está sujeito.
ABSTRACT: The number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing in recent years. This condition limits their development of communication and social interaction skills, with consequent impairment of functionality and quality of life. Children with ASD, similarly to neurotypical children, seem to enjoy technology, including video games, with a tendency to engage during their experience in these environments. The perception of a safe, comfortable, and reliable environment in which interaction takes place fosters continuous learning and the development of relevant skills for this public, particularly at the communication level. However, most of the existing solutions focus on the pedagogical aspect, and the benefits that may result from the use of purely playful video games, when designed with strategies aiming at generating improvements in the communicational and relational capacities of children with ASD, remain little explored. The main contribution underlying this project is precisely the design and development of a videogame that considers the particularities of children with ASD and includes strategies for promoting communication between players, always keeping a strictly playful approach. It is also intended that the videogame enables the collection of data with scientific value, to support ongoing and consequent studies on the influence of the game experience and its practical effectiveness in the relationship of the players and their interaction and communication skills. The videogame is intended to allow the collection of data with scientific value to develop parallel studies on the influence of the game experience and its practical effectiveness on the relationship between players and on their interaction and communication skills. The designed videogame, entitled Bug Bzzness, is multiplayer and has as plot a ladybug who seeks and collects items inside the flowers planted in the garden. Bug Bzzness has in its genesis the encouragement of proximity and interaction between players, showing collective benefits over collaborative initiatives. In the development of the video game, an iterative and incremental methodology was adopted and met to heuristics and guidelines of video game design. Unity game engine was used for the implementation. It was decided to use 2D art. Bug Bzzness was subjected to experimentation with users of the target audience and the observations revealed auspicious perspectives, including in relation to the adoption of a purely playful strategy. Relevant reactions were witnessed, suggestive of a positive impact of videogames that are interpreted as encouraging the advancement of research in this field. For pragmatic reasons, the target audience is limited to levels of ASD in which children have sufficient intellectual capacity that allows them to be able to play. Also, the team decided that at this stage it would be relevant and possible not to limit the age of the children to a more strict range and, instead, allow the analysis of developments to reveal the age ranges in which the approaches might be most effective. This work is framed within the Research Project "Da Ludicidade do Videojogo ao Desenvolvimento Comunicacional da Criança com Autismo", of the Polytechnic of Viseu (PROJ/IPV/ID&I/025). In this context, the videogame fits a purpose that goes beyond the scope of this report and the measures of the real achievement of its objectives are foreseen in a plan of activities much broader than that imposed by the fulfilment of the deadlines to which the work presented here is subject.
ABSTRACT: The number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been increasing in recent years. This condition limits their development of communication and social interaction skills, with consequent impairment of functionality and quality of life. Children with ASD, similarly to neurotypical children, seem to enjoy technology, including video games, with a tendency to engage during their experience in these environments. The perception of a safe, comfortable, and reliable environment in which interaction takes place fosters continuous learning and the development of relevant skills for this public, particularly at the communication level. However, most of the existing solutions focus on the pedagogical aspect, and the benefits that may result from the use of purely playful video games, when designed with strategies aiming at generating improvements in the communicational and relational capacities of children with ASD, remain little explored. The main contribution underlying this project is precisely the design and development of a videogame that considers the particularities of children with ASD and includes strategies for promoting communication between players, always keeping a strictly playful approach. It is also intended that the videogame enables the collection of data with scientific value, to support ongoing and consequent studies on the influence of the game experience and its practical effectiveness in the relationship of the players and their interaction and communication skills. The videogame is intended to allow the collection of data with scientific value to develop parallel studies on the influence of the game experience and its practical effectiveness on the relationship between players and on their interaction and communication skills. The designed videogame, entitled Bug Bzzness, is multiplayer and has as plot a ladybug who seeks and collects items inside the flowers planted in the garden. Bug Bzzness has in its genesis the encouragement of proximity and interaction between players, showing collective benefits over collaborative initiatives. In the development of the video game, an iterative and incremental methodology was adopted and met to heuristics and guidelines of video game design. Unity game engine was used for the implementation. It was decided to use 2D art. Bug Bzzness was subjected to experimentation with users of the target audience and the observations revealed auspicious perspectives, including in relation to the adoption of a purely playful strategy. Relevant reactions were witnessed, suggestive of a positive impact of videogames that are interpreted as encouraging the advancement of research in this field. For pragmatic reasons, the target audience is limited to levels of ASD in which children have sufficient intellectual capacity that allows them to be able to play. Also, the team decided that at this stage it would be relevant and possible not to limit the age of the children to a more strict range and, instead, allow the analysis of developments to reveal the age ranges in which the approaches might be most effective. This work is framed within the Research Project "Da Ludicidade do Videojogo ao Desenvolvimento Comunicacional da Criança com Autismo", of the Polytechnic of Viseu (PROJ/IPV/ID&I/025). In this context, the videogame fits a purpose that goes beyond the scope of this report and the measures of the real achievement of its objectives are foreseen in a plan of activities much broader than that imposed by the fulfilment of the deadlines to which the work presented here is subject.
Description
Keywords
Perturbação do Espetro do Autismo Crianças Comunicação Interação social Videojogos Ludicidade Unity