Towards accessibility in educational games: a framework for the design team

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51358/id.v18i2.931

Abstract

Information design is relevant to game design: especially the design of educational games which must include best practices of game development and the delivery of information to the player. Games and players interact in important ways: the game communicates with the player on how to start and play the game, the player decides what to do in the game, and the player must communicate effectively with the game through different actions. Without attention to accessibility, the game may cause some players informational and interactional barriers. This study discusses accessibility in educational games, including communication channels, users' cognitive processes, and informational inputs. A framework offers a way for developers to think through design which reflects different needs related to accessibility. With this framework, designers can create games that address four key areas of need (vision, hearing, motor control, and cognitive); recognize how game interactions are impacted by those needs; and acknowledge that all players fall somewhere on a spectrum of need within each of those areas.

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Author Biographies

Matheus Araujo Cezarotto, New Mexico State University

Dr. Matheus Cezarotto is a postdoctoral researcher in the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Innovative Media Research and Extension department and its Learning Games Lab. He researches the Learning Games Lab's products, working through grant development and providing instructional design expertise. His published work focuses on building a research-based understanding of instructional and information design, specifically to design meaningful educational media supporting learners’ variability.

Barbara Chamberlin, New Mexico State University

Dr. Barbara Chamberlin is Professor and Extension Specialist with New Mexico State University (NMSU) Innovative Media, Research and Extension department. She directs the NMSU Learning Games Lab where she oversees research, instructional design, and testing for a variety of online learning tools. Her research activities include formative review of games in development regarding interface and character design, storyline, accessibility and playability of games.

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Published

2021-10-18 — Updated on 2021-12-20

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How to Cite

Cezarotto, M. A., & Chamberlin, B. (2021). Towards accessibility in educational games: a framework for the design team. InfoDesign - Brazilian Journal of Information Design, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.51358/id.v18i2.931 (Original work published October 18, 2021)

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Articles