Learning Literacy Using Augmented Reality (LiTAR): An Application of Learning Through Expository, Social and Technical-Scientific using Augmented Reality as Learning Strategy

Augmented reality has been used in various ways to support children’s learning. This study aims to develop and to test the validity and reliability of the Learning Literacy using Augmented Reality (LitAR) Module as a self-learning strategy for students with special needs, especially the slow learners, students with learning disabilities, remedial students, students in LINUS Program, preschoolers, Orang Asli students and students with low achievement. There were two groups of participant in the study, namely 136 Level One students in eight primary schools in Selangor and Perak were involved in the experimental research and eight expert participants valued the content validity of the module. Experimental study was undertaken for three months period among participants whom comprised seven categories of students, namely students with learning disabilities (n=22), under achiever students (n=14), remedial students (18), slow learners (16), students in LINUS Program (23), preschoolers (19), dyslexia (16) and Orang Asli students (8). All participants show the characteristics for not mastering reading and writing skills. The findings highlight that in the module content validity, experts agrees that 96.3 percent of the module does not contain any sensitive, negative and subversive elements and two statements shared same percentage of 90 percent on the activities in reading and writing CVCVC words are sufficient, interesting and easy to follow and topics in the modules meet the requirements of teaching reading and writing skills. The findings also show that the LitAR Activity Book's content validity is high at 88.9 with item Lets Color in Activity 1 for CVCV, CVCVCV, CVC and CVCVC scored the highest percentage at 93.8 percent. The findings also show that overall data on content validity by experts on teachers guideline of the module is high at 87.4 percent. In addition, the findings revealed that after using LitAR module during treatment sessions, the score increase with slow learner (95.0), dyslexia (90.2), LINUS Program (86.3), remedial student (74.5), Orang Asli (69.0), learning disabilities (57.3), preschooler (42.6) and low achiever (33.1). This shows that slow learners, dyslexic students, LINUS Program students and remedial students are most prominent among the eight categories of participants after undergoing treatment session using LitAR module. Thus, this study suggests that the LitAR module is most suitable for these four categories of students with special needs to increase their reading skills. It is also recommended that LitAR module to be use nationally as an alternative way to teach reading skills among students with special needs.