Evaluation of user experience and cognitive load of a gamified cognitive training application for children with learning disabilities

Abstract

This study presents a gamified application for children with learning disabilities, designed to train and improve working memory. The application takes the form of a treasure hunt, and is designed according to a framework incorporating guidelines derived from accessibility, usability and cognitive load theory, and from gamification techniques. The aim is to exploit working memory capacity, motivate and engage the child in working memory training activities. The main focus of this study is the evaluation of the user experience and the cognitive load level of this gamified application. A sample of 12 Egyptian children with learning disabilities completed a five-week training period using the application, followed by an evaluation process. The evaluation took the form of a simple usability survey, an unstructured observation, and a cognitive load measurement scale. The purpose was to evaluate the children's perceived experience and assess the level of cognitive load experienced in each of the activities. The results revealed that all the children enjoyed playing the gamified application, were eager to participate in the daily training, and the cognitive load experienced during the training was found to be generally appropriate - although some areas for improvement were identified. Finally, the experiments identified a correlation between user experience, cognitive load and training performance.