Fostering the Life Skills of Learners With Intellectual Disabilities Using Interactive Technologies: A Motivational Model-Based Digital Game-Based Training Approach

Background: For learners with intellectual disability, it is a challenge and crucial issue to foster their life skills. These learners generally encounter several problems during the learning process, such as difficulties paying and maintaining attention, difficulties with memory and application and slow learning ability. Life skills training can help them facilitate their physical functions, maintain cognitive memory ability and strengthen their ability to play a greater role in society. Objective: Conventional training for learners with intellectual disabilities is generally taught with traditional lectures and demonstrations, which could lack interaction and immediate feedback. To address this issue, by referring to the attention, relevance confidence and satisfaction motivational model, a digital game-based training approach is proposed. Method: To confirm the effectiveness of the approach, this study experimented with a life skills training course for learners with intellectual disabilities using a pre- and post-test design for 6 months. One class of learners comprised the experimental group trained with the digital game, while the other class was the control group that learned with conventional training. The learners' learning achievement, anxiety level, learning attitude, problem-solving tendency, learning satisfaction and learning perceptions were assessed. Results and Conclusions: The findings indicate that digital game-based training enhanced the learning achievement, learning attitudes, problem-solving tendency and learning satisfaction of students with intellectual disabilities, while also reducing their anxiety levels.