Potentials for Video Games to be Used in Educational Settings to Support the
Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities
With the widespread popularity of video games across various age groups, the ideas
conveyed through them hold the potential to subtly influence a significant number of players.
Due to their potential to help learning and development, video games have attracted a numerous
amount of attention lately. Although they were primarily seen as simply a kind of entertainment,
their immersive qualities have made them a desirable teaching tool, especially for individuals
with learning impairments. This essay will deeply discuss how the educational setting of games
can contribute to students with learning disabilities. The most important limitation lies in the fact
that the majority of games on the app market that target underprivileged groups now target the
LGBTQ+ community, thus it is necessary to find a special strategy to support their social
inclusion. However, games with educational implications would be a fruitful area for further
work. My research question will be “how games will be utilized in educational settings to help
those individuals with learning difficulties?”. By providing an interactive, personalized, healing,
and engaging learning environment, video games can address the unique needs of anyone who
has a learning disability and enhance their educational experience.
By giving players a platform for customization and pushing them to construct their own
constructions, the authors conclude their examination of Minecraft that it fosters players'
imagination and creativity. (Neble and Sascha, 359) Notably, when building one's world in
Minecraft, there is an educational mode that the player may activate. In this mode, numerous
items that are not available in the regular mode are made available in the game's item bar. For
instance, the Redstone in the game's educational mode simulates actual physical circuits and the
periodic table of elements also appears in the education mode. Also, abstract the materials used
in chemical experiments into video game assets so that players may easily mimic physics
experiments in real life.(Neble and Sascha, 361) Additionally, in the context of game design,
fostering a culture of inclusivity and amiability can catalyze aiding individuals with learning
disabilities to feel validated and supported whilst participating in gaming activities. To promote
constructive social dynamics among players, game developers may implement mechanisms that
incentivize prosocial conduct and mitigate adverse behavior. Moreover, players may benefit from
customized interfaces and analytical tools that offer real-time feedback on their performance,
such as post-level scoring or goal-tracking, which can be particularly advantageous for students
with learning disabilities. The investigation of the previous statement has clearly demonstrated
that it is clear that video games can provide an individualized platform for players with academic
disabilities, and enhance their educational experiences.
Students can gain a sense of accomplishment by playing video games, which can help
with retention and long-term learning results. In a set game, players feel a strong sense of
accomplishment and more confidence as they complete each task, and this confidence can
subconsciously build the self-esteem of people with learning disabilities. At the same time, video
games can offer some degree of privacy and anonymity, which might lessen the social stigma. In
the book, the authors state that "the challenge of climbing a virtual mountain is as real as the
challenge of climbing a real mountain (although the activities themselves are clearly different).
The simulation is as real as what it simulates" (Gibbons, 9). In addition, the combination of soft
music and relaxing backgrounds in video games "the exhilarating music of the game urges the
player to keep going, especially during its rapid movements, aiming to create a sense of
immersion rather than hinder it" (Gibbons, 11), making the population using it interested in this
way of learning. This study has found that persons with learning difficulties can be completely
engaged in an egalitarian setting by video games' outstanding attraction. The best instructors for
persons with learning difficulties are their interests and hobbies,
which can raise their
educational attainment.
​
The engaging learning environment can also support the needs of students with learning
disabilities. Video games allow people with learning disabilities to feel the joy of success
through a strong sense of immersion. "Simulations must allow students to play real roles and
experience the importance of their decisions and actions. In other words, relevance is critical to
participation" (Elizabeth 6), the authors emphasize the immersion of the user, which effectively
blocks out external distractions and allows individuals with learning disabilities to focus on what
they are learning. In addition, "simply reproducing the main features or behaviors of an event
does not necessarily translate it into a simulation." (Elizabeth 8), which then requires the user to
carefully analyze each element of the educational game that helps to deepen the firmness of the
knowledge acquired by the person with learning disabilities. Accordingly, games with a high
level of vicariousness and participation can potentially improve the quality of learning for people
with learning disabilities.
​
Video games also have a healing effect, which can certainly be of great help to people
with learning disabilities. According to the Computerized CBT approach "cCBT is a method of
delivering social media through a computer or tablet at home or in a healthcare setting "(Cooney,
Patricia, et. al. 2), by creating games with potential pointers to guide people with learning
disabilities to understand and think in the right way, this approach has been shown to be effective
in the long run, as the authors state in their article "First, it was determined whether the cCBT
intervention led to statistically significant improvements in indicators of anxiety, depression, and
mental health symptoms from pre-treatment to post-treatment to 3-month follow-up." (Cooney,
Patricia, et. al. 4). Video games have been found to have positive effects on mental cognition.
Furthermore, certain video games necessitate the coordination of hand and finger movements
with visual input, which can enhance this kind of ability in individuals with learning disabilities.
This improvement can lead to benefits in activities such as handwriting, typing, and sports. As a
result, these games can be instrumental in helping individuals with learning disabilities integrate
into mainstream society more effectively. It is easy to see from this that video games can
fundamentally guide the thinking of people with learning disabilities, making them better
educated later in life.
Video games can take good care of every user who joins the game. In other words, each
person with a learning disability has a different situation and degree of disability. In reality, it
would take a lot of manpower and resources to take care of all of them. In the game, we can
analyze what mode is the most suitable for a particular person with learning disabilities based on
the performance of each user in the game. "In each scenario, the age and pathology of the
participants are heterogeneous. However, the situation with each student is based on their
potential and how they are assisted to play, learn and share." (Mariel Ivonne Contreras, et al. 3).
The method given by the authors in the article state that the pairing of modes with the individual
player can serve to sustain a sense of novelty and stimulation within the gaming experience.
Furthermore, updates to video games can be employed to introduce novel features, resolve
technical issues, and ensure the equilibrium of gameplay mechanics to accommodate the needs
of diverse user demographics, while concurrently establishing a unique experience for every
learning disability person. The study contributes to the understanding that tailoring the education
to the individual has a positive effect on overall education.
Video games can serve as a motivation for people with learning disabilities to continue
learning. The example in the article describes "Children need to pose and maintain it for as long
as possible. Although laughter and chat initially dominated the classroom, over time, children
will enter the game and try their best to surpass their peers!" (Cardoso Leite, et al., 2). The innate
competitive nature of humans will serve as a driving force to support them in their continued
efforts in difficult times. The benign competition led by this competitive spirit has great benefits
for each individual in the collective, which is also confirmed by the experimental results in the
article:" Using such games, Binet's guess, is the key to allowing students who fail in the school
system to catch up with two school years in one school year! "(Cardoso Leite, et al., 5). The
gaming environment offers a setting beyond mere competition simultaneously, wherein
collaborative gameplay may facilitate opportunities for learners with learning disabilities to
connect with peers and hone their social skills. Furthermore, the establishment of interpersonal
bonds through friendship may foster a mutually supportive relationship that motivates
individuals to engage in collective self-improvement. To sum up, individuals with learning
disabilities may find resources in video games to keep pursuing learning.
The inclusion of video games in educational settings for students with learning
disabilities requires careful consideration and planning. Educators must ensure that games are
selected based on their educational value, are aligned with specific learning objectives, and are
integrated into broader educational programs. They should also ensure that games are accessible
and inclusive for all students, including those with physical and cognitive disabilities. Overall,
the use of video games in educational settings has the potential to improve learning outcomes for
students with learning disabilities. By providing an interactive, personalized, and engaging
learning environment, Simultaneously, video games possess the potential to instill motivation
and confidence within these students, as well as to serve as a subconscious form of therapy that
facilitates their integration into mainstream society. To sum up, all the aspects listed above can
prove that video Games are an effective tool to be used in educational settings to support the
needs of students with learning disabilities
Reference
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185-191. Current Opinion in Neurology. DOI: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000077.
Cooney, Patricia, et al. "Computerised cognitive–behavioural Therapy for Adults with
Intellectual Disability: Randomised Controlled Trial." The British Journal of Psychiatry Vol 21,
no.2, 2017, pp:95-102. ProQuest. DOI: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2315615149?
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Elizabeth S. Simpson. “Video Games as Learning Environments for Students with Learning
Disabilities.” Children, Youth and Environments, vol. 19, no. 1, 2009, pp. 306–19. JSTOR, URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.19.1.0306.
Gibbons, Sarah. “Disability, Neurological Diversity, and Inclusive Play: An Examination of the
Social and Political Aspects of the Relationship between Disability and Games.” The Journal
of the Canadian Game Studies Association, vol. 9, number 14, 2015, pp. 25-39
Mariel Ivonne Contreras, et al. “Videogame-based tool for learning in the motor, cognitive and
socio-emotional domains for children with Intellectual Disability.”Entertainment Computing Vol.
30, May 2019, pp. 18-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2019.100301
Steve Nebel, Sascha Schneider, & Günter Rey, (2016).“Mining Learning and Crafting
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