Publicação
Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy
| Resumo: | Speech therapy aims to help individuals improve their communication and speech skills, but the exercises can often feel repetitive and tiring for children. Serious Games, which are games developed with purposes beyond entertainment, can make these exercises more engaging and enjoyable. This dissertation looks at how the design of such games can be improved so that children stay motivated and participate more actively during therapy sessions. The work uses Fanima, a multi-platform prototype created to assess the pronunciation of European Portuguese phonemes, as a case study. By analysing literature, collecting feedback from Speech-Language Pathologists, and observing children’s interactions with the game through questionnaires and testing sessions, the study identifies which game elements help children stay engaged and which distract them from the tasks. Results showed that animated and interactive features captured children’s attention and improved motivation, while some visual elements caused distraction. Therapists valued the game as a useful complement to their practice but suggested improvements in personalization and feedback. The main contributions of this dissertation are an updated version of Fanima that better supports children’s engagement, a framework with design guidelines for future games, and insights into child–game interaction that can be useful for both researchers and practitioners. The testing is not yet complete, but the first results are promising and show potential for these games to support therapy in a meaningful way. Future work will continue with more testing involving a larger and more diverse group of children, further refine the guidelines, and explore new features for Fanima such as character selection and automatic speech recognition to allow more independent use. These steps can help strengthen the role of serious games in clinical practice. |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| Assunto: | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| _version_ | 1868984213953314816 |
|---|---|
| author | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| author_facet | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| author_role | author |
| contributor_name_str_mv | Madeira, Rui Nóbrega, Rui RUN |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes\"}] |
| datacite.contributors.contributor.contributorName.fl_str_mv | Madeira, Rui Nóbrega, Rui RUN |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| datacite.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-19T00:00:00Z |
| datacite.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2026-02-10T15:27:09Z |
| datacite.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2026-02-10T15:27:09Z |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv | Madeira, Rui Nóbrega, Rui RUN |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| dc.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-12-19T00:00:00Z |
| dc.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2026-02-10T15:27:09Z |
| dc.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2026-02-10T15:27:09Z |
| dc.description.none.fl_str_mv | A terapia da fala tem como objetivo ajudar os indivíduos a melhorar as suas competências de comunicação e de fala, mas os exercícios podem muitas vezes parecer repetitivos e cansativos para as crianças. Os Jogos Sérios, desenvolvidos com finalidades para além do entretenimento, podem tornar estes exercícios mais envolventes e agradáveis. Esta dissertação analisa como o design destes jogos pode ser melhorado para que as crianças se mantenham motivadas e participem de forma mais ativa durante as sessões de terapia. O trabalho utiliza o Fanima, um protótipo multiplataforma criado para avaliar a pronúncia de fonemas do português europeu, como caso de estudo. Através da análise da literatura, da recolha de feedback de Terapeutas da Fala e da observação das interações das crianças com o jogo, por meio de questionários e sessões de teste, o estudo identifica quais os elementos do jogo que ajudam as crianças a manter-se envolvidas e quais os que as distraem das tarefas. Os resultados mostraram que elementos animados e interativos captaram a atenção das crianças e aumentaram a motivação, enquanto alguns elementos visuais causaram distração. Os terapeutas valorizaram o jogo como um complemento útil à sua prática, mas sugeriram melhorias ao nível da personalização e do feedback. As principais contribuições desta dissertação são uma versão atualizada do Fanima que apoia melhor o envolvimento das crianças, um framework com diretrizes de design para futuros jogos e conhecimentos sobre a interação criança–jogo que podem ser úteis tanto para investigadores como para profissionais. Embora os testes ainda não estejam concluídos, os primeiros resultados são promissores e revelam potencial para que estes jogos apoiem de forma significativa a terapia. O trabalho futuro continuará com mais testes envolvendo um grupo maior e mais diversificado de crianças, permitirá refinar as diretrizes e explorará novas funcionalidades para o Fanima, como a seleção de personagens e o reconhecimento automático de fala, de forma a possibilitar uma utilização mais autónoma. Estes passos podem contribuir para reforçar o papel dos jogos sérios na prática clínica. |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/200212 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.rights.cclincense.fl_str_mv | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdcc |
| description | Speech therapy aims to help individuals improve their communication and speech skills, but the exercises can often feel repetitive and tiring for children. Serious Games, which are games developed with purposes beyond entertainment, can make these exercises more engaging and enjoyable. This dissertation looks at how the design of such games can be improved so that children stay motivated and participate more actively during therapy sessions. The work uses Fanima, a multi-platform prototype created to assess the pronunciation of European Portuguese phonemes, as a case study. By analysing literature, collecting feedback from Speech-Language Pathologists, and observing children’s interactions with the game through questionnaires and testing sessions, the study identifies which game elements help children stay engaged and which distract them from the tasks. Results showed that animated and interactive features captured children’s attention and improved motivation, while some visual elements caused distraction. Therapists valued the game as a useful complement to their practice but suggested improvements in personalization and feedback. The main contributions of this dissertation are an updated version of Fanima that better supports children’s engagement, a framework with design guidelines for future games, and insights into child–game interaction that can be useful for both researchers and practitioners. The testing is not yet complete, but the first results are promising and show potential for these games to support therapy in a meaningful way. Future work will continue with more testing involving a larger and more diverse group of children, further refine the guidelines, and explore new features for Fanima such as character selection and automatic speech recognition to allow more independent use. These steps can help strengthen the role of serious games in clinical practice. |
| dirty | 0 |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | masterThesis |
| fulltext.url.fl_str_mv | https://run.unl.pt/bitstreams/246d7f5b-1387-4d2b-8f33-b5857ba0dd0f/download |
| id | run_62c1915bc532d9d9cfe3de04cbbe4d38 |
| identifier.url.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/200212 |
| inst_facet_str | urn:organizationAcronym:unl{{{_:::_}}}Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| instacron_str | unl |
| institution | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| instname_str | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| language | eng |
| network_acronym_str | run |
| network_name_str | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:run.unl.pt:10362/200212 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:unl |
| person_str_mv | Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| repo_facet_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:run{{{_:::_}}}Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| reponame_str | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| repository_id_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:run |
| service_str_mv | urn:repositoryAcronym:run |
| spelling | engengSpeech therapy aims to help individuals improve their communication and speech skills, but the exercises can often feel repetitive and tiring for children. Serious Games, which are games developed with purposes beyond entertainment, can make these exercises more engaging and enjoyable. This dissertation looks at how the design of such games can be improved so that children stay motivated and participate more actively during therapy sessions. The work uses Fanima, a multi-platform prototype created to assess the pronunciation of European Portuguese phonemes, as a case study. By analysing literature, collecting feedback from Speech-Language Pathologists, and observing children’s interactions with the game through questionnaires and testing sessions, the study identifies which game elements help children stay engaged and which distract them from the tasks. Results showed that animated and interactive features captured children’s attention and improved motivation, while some visual elements caused distraction. Therapists valued the game as a useful complement to their practice but suggested improvements in personalization and feedback. The main contributions of this dissertation are an updated version of Fanima that better supports children’s engagement, a framework with design guidelines for future games, and insights into child–game interaction that can be useful for both researchers and practitioners. The testing is not yet complete, but the first results are promising and show potential for these games to support therapy in a meaningful way. Future work will continue with more testing involving a larger and more diverse group of children, further refine the guidelines, and explore new features for Fanima such as character selection and automatic speech recognition to allow more independent use. These steps can help strengthen the role of serious games in clinical practice.porA terapia da fala tem como objetivo ajudar os indivíduos a melhorar as suas competências de comunicação e de fala, mas os exercícios podem muitas vezes parecer repetitivos e cansativos para as crianças. Os Jogos Sérios, desenvolvidos com finalidades para além do entretenimento, podem tornar estes exercícios mais envolventes e agradáveis. Esta dissertação analisa como o design destes jogos pode ser melhorado para que as crianças se mantenham motivadas e participem de forma mais ativa durante as sessões de terapia. O trabalho utiliza o Fanima, um protótipo multiplataforma criado para avaliar a pronúncia de fonemas do português europeu, como caso de estudo. Através da análise da literatura, da recolha de feedback de Terapeutas da Fala e da observação das interações das crianças com o jogo, por meio de questionários e sessões de teste, o estudo identifica quais os elementos do jogo que ajudam as crianças a manter-se envolvidas e quais os que as distraem das tarefas. Os resultados mostraram que elementos animados e interativos captaram a atenção das crianças e aumentaram a motivação, enquanto alguns elementos visuais causaram distração. Os terapeutas valorizaram o jogo como um complemento útil à sua prática, mas sugeriram melhorias ao nível da personalização e do feedback. As principais contribuições desta dissertação são uma versão atualizada do Fanima que apoia melhor o envolvimento das crianças, um framework com diretrizes de design para futuros jogos e conhecimentos sobre a interação criança–jogo que podem ser úteis tanto para investigadores como para profissionais. Embora os testes ainda não estejam concluídos, os primeiros resultados são promissores e revelam potencial para que estes jogos apoiem de forma significativa a terapia. O trabalho futuro continuará com mais testes envolvendo um grupo maior e mais diversificado de crianças, permitirá refinar as diretrizes e explorará novas funcionalidades para o Fanima, como a seleção de personagens e o reconhecimento automático de fala, de forma a possibilitar uma utilização mais autónoma. Estes passos podem contribuir para reforçar o papel dos jogos sérios na prática clínica.application/pdfengInvestigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech TherapyAlmeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes MendesMadeira, RuiNóbrega, RuiHostingInstitutionOrganizationalRUNe-mailmailto:run@unl.ptrun@unl.pt2026-02-10T15:27:09Z2025-12-192025-12-19T00:00:00ZHandlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10362/200212http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2open accessSerious GamesSpeech DisordersSpeech TherapyInteraction Design and ChildrenChild-Computer InteractionGamification10211393 bytesliteraturehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccmaster thesis2025-12-19http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2application/pdffulltexthttps://run.unl.pt/bitstreams/246d7f5b-1387-4d2b-8f33-b5857ba0dd0f/download |
| spellingShingle | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy Almeida, Mayra Alexandra Lopes Mendes Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| status | SINGLETON |
| subject.fl_str_mv | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| title | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| title_full | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| title_fullStr | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| title_short | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| title_sort | Investigating Child-Game Interaction toward Improved Engagement in Serious Games for Speech Therapy |
| topic | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| topic_facet | Serious Games Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Interaction Design and Children Child-Computer Interaction Gamification |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/200212 |
| visible | 1 |