A Review of Virtual Reality Gameplay Mechanisms for Adaptive Dyscalculia Screening

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects children’s mathematical abilities and is often underdiagnosed due to limitations in conventional screening approaches. Traditional assessment methods are typically static, test-based, and may not effectively capture the diverse cognitive processes underlying mathematical difficulties, particularly in young learners. Recent advancements in virtual reality (VR) and adaptive gameplay offer promising opportunities to develop immersive, engaging, and data-rich screening environments that align with key cognitive constructs associated with dyscalculia. study presents a scoping review of VR-based and game-based tools to identify gameplay mechanisms that can support adaptive dyscalculia screening among early learners. The review is guided by the Malaysian Dyscalculia Instrument (MDI), which defines four core constructs: simple reaction time, short-term memory, arithmetic, and numerosity, including subconstructs such as number sense, dot enumeration, matching items, and number comparison. A structured literature search was conducted across major academic databases, and selected studies were analysed based on platform type, gameplay mechanics, adaptive features, and alignment with these constructs. The findings indicate that while existing tools demonstrate strong potential in enhancing engagement and embedding assessment within interactive gameplay, most focus primarily on intervention rather than diagnostic screening. Additionally, construct coverage is often incomplete, with limited integration of reaction time and fine-grained numerosity skills. Adaptivity is commonly implemented through level-based progression rather than real-time, construct-driven adjustment. This study contributes by proposing a conceptual mapping framework that aligns gameplay mechanics with validated cognitive constructs and highlights design considerations for developing adaptive VR-based dyscalculia screening tools. The findings provide direction for future research toward more comprehensive, engaging, and diagnostically robust screening solutions.

Dyscalculia, virtual reality, MDI constructs

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