Endless Running Game to Support Sign Language Learning by Deaf Children

摘要

The lack of access to information in Sign Language (SL) has been a problem faced by Deaf people, who are trying to use their natural language as the tool for communication and knowledge access. For Deaf children, this problem can be more aggravating, because 90% are children of hearing parents who generally do not know SL. Therefore, the design of educational resources that provide SL support such as animated movies, interactive stories and digital games, is essential for Deaf children. Digital Educational Games (DEG) are learning tools that has been showing benefits for children, providing a playful process and less rejection of the educational process in an environment that promotes greater motivation. This paper presents a methodology for DEG that combines the game style "Endless Running" and the concept of Iconicity to facilitate the learning of SL signs by Deaf children. The methodology was used to develop Ada Runner, a game about Traffic Education where the player can learn signs of Brazilian Sign Language. The game was validated by educators of Deaf children through the gameplay, the answer to 28 questions and a descriptive feedback. The validation presented positive results and considered that the game, based on the proposed methodology, is easy to use and can support the SL learning.