CICANT - Atas de Conferências Internacionais

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http://hdl.handle.net/10437/10949

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Percorrer CICANT - Atas de Conferências Internacionais por autor "Damásio, Manuel"

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    Analogue Games and Digital Literacy : The NetSmart Case Study with Older People
    (Academic Conferences International , 2025-10-01) Perim, Claudilene; Sousa, Carla; Damásio, Manuel; CICANT - Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies
    In an era where digital proficiency is increasingly vital for full societal participation, older adults remain disproportionately underserved by digital literacy initiatives. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the impact of NetSmart, a custom-designed analogue board game aimed at improving digital literacy among older adults. Developed through a participatory approach, NetSmart engages players in collaborative gameplay centred around digital safety, mobile device usage, and online interaction. The study employed a quasi-experimental pre-post design involving 42 participants aged 60 to 89, all previously introduced to foundational digital skills through local lifelong learning programs in Lisbon, Portugal. Participants attended a six-week intervention comprising guided gameplay sessions structured to promote reflective learning, skill reinforcement, and social interaction. Digital literacy was assessed through a 22-item questionnaire administered before and after the intervention. Quantitative analysis using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed significant improvements in key areas: the ability to download and install applications (p = .015), update operating systems (p = .037), and understand the role of games in learning (p = .020). Additionally, post-intervention responses showed increased selfefficacy in educating others on digital safety and greater engagement with online gaming (p = .033 and p = .013, respectively). These findings underscore the potential of analogue Game-Based Learning (GBL) not only as a tool for developing digital competencies, but also as a means of enhancing older adults' autonomy, social engagement, and confidence in navigating digital environments. This aligns with a broader recognition of play as a dynamic and effective medium for adult learning— especially when educational approaches are sensitively adapted to the cognitive and emotional dimensions of aging. While the case study’s context-specific nature and absence of a control group limit generalizability, the results nonetheless offer meaningful insights into how GBL can inform digital inclusion strategies for older populations. To build on these insights, future research should incorporate performance-based assessments alongside self-reported data and explore diverse settings to strengthen external validity.
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    Research in serious games for people with intellectual disability : a meta-analysis study
    (Universidade Lusófona, 2021-09-09) SOUSA, CARLA; Neves, José Carlos; Damásio, Manuel; Gamito, Pedro; Brown, David; Koenig, Sebastian; CICANT - Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies
    Currently, the potential of games as an intervention tool in a broad range of areas has been increasingly explored by researchers. Notwithstanding, and when considering individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID), the need for more data emerges, as well as the need to systematize and summarize such data, allowing evidence-based decisions to all the stakeholders in this field. The present study aimed to systematize the existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of serious games in the promotion of life skills in people with ID. Several scientific databases were consulted, as well as researchers' social networks to obtain a sample as wide as possible. Through a process composed of different phases, several inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the initial search results. The obtained sample of studies (N = 8) was then systematically analyzed, including a meta-analysis procedure, to summarize the quantitative data on the effectiveness of serious game based interventions for people with ID. Results from the meta-analysis study emphasize larger effect-sizes than conventional methods (non game-based) interventions with people with ID (fixed-effects, g = 0.417; 95% CI [0.169, 0.666]; Z = 3.293, SE = 0.127, p = .001) , in the promotion of a broad range of variables associated with well-being, from cognitive abilities to psychotherapy related skills. Such results can frame the discussion regarding serious games as a relevant and feasible strategy to promote skills in people with ID, allowing evidence-based decisions in this field, aimed at supporting an increasing and enhanced inclusion of games in their daily lives.