Collaborative Virtual Environment to Facilitate Game Design Evaluation with Children with ASC

ABSTRACT

Involvement of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in the design of new educational technology is becoming more prevalent. Despite potential barriers due to communication and ideation difficulties for children with ASC, adapted participatory design methods can successfully facilitate their direct involvement. Nonetheless, methods requiring face-to-face communication can still be difficult for children with ASC and research suggests that technology mediation could facilitate their contribution. This study explores the use of collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) as a medium through which students evaluated existing computer games and offered suggestions for game development. CVEs in which the users were represented by (a) avatars and (b) video-pods were compared to a face-to-face condition. Twelve typically developing (aged 8–9 years), 12 higher ability ASC (12–14) and 4 lower ability ASC children (12–14) participated. All student groups preferred the video-pod CVE and students with ASC were generally better able to contribute effectively through this medium than face-to-face.

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by technology developed in the COSPATIAL project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission (Grant Agreement No. 231266). We thank the children who participated and the teachers and schools who supported this work. We also gratefully acknowledge Dr Tony Glover at the Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, who developed and modified the CVE for use in this study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tessa Roper

Tessa Roper is a Research Fellow in the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham. Her research interests are related to involving users in the design of novel technologies, and she has expertise in the development and use of immersive technologies for learning.

Laura Millen Dutka

Laura Millen Dutka completed a PhD at the University of Nottingham investigating methods for supporting participatory design with children with autism spectrum conditions. She has worked in Human-Computer Interaction in both academic and industrial settings, and currently works as an HMI specialist at Jaguar Land Rover.

Sue Cobb

Sue Cobb is Associate Professor and Head of the Human Factors Research Group, University of Nottingham. She has over 20 years’ experience in user-centred design research with specific interest in user involvement in development and application of products and novel interactive technologies for special education and rehabilitation.

Harshada Patel

Harshada Patel is a Senior Research Fellow in the Human Factors Research Group at the University of Nottingham. She is a chartered research psychologist and her main research interests are in user requirements generation, the usability and evaluation of new technologies, and understanding and supporting collaborative work.