The Effect of a Mobile Mathematical Game on the Mathematic Learning of the Student with Intellectual Disability

Abstract

Taking into account of students with intellectual deficits and special needs in concept learning, this research designed a digital game for a fourth grade elementary student with mild intellectual disability to learn the concept of triangle. The participant’s experience of learning from the game and the impact of the game on his learning gains on the introduced concepts of triangle were explored. This study adopted the A-B-A' research design of the single-subject model. One 4th grade elementary student with intellectual disability was recruited as the research participant. The experiment included three stages: the baseline, the intervention, and the retention. The participant's level of satisfaction towards the game was collected via observation and interview using the game satisfaction questionnaire. Moreover, the participant’s performance on the tests embedded in the game was collected throughout the experiment. Two major conclusions are obtained. The participant is satisfied with digital game-based learning process. The designed digital game is effective in helping elementary students with intellectual disabilities to learn the concepts of triangle.