Dyscalculia refers to persistent difficulty in learning Mathematics without being aware of the condition. Such a condition is not easily detected and most of them would be left undetected, apart from being labelled as lazy or slow learners. Early delay places them behind in acquiring other fundamental areas of Mathematics. As such, this study identified learners suffering from dyscalculia (also known as acalculia) through screening tests for early intervention. The methodology used in this study was based on two screening tests (ST1 and ST2) conducted on learners to identify ‘student areas’ or their specific type of dyscalculia using the Dyscalculia Screening Test Instrument (DSTI) and verification of the specific types made by selected expert teachers, respectively. An early identification study on suitable assistive learning technology for these learners was performed. Prior studies reported that suitable assistive technological tools can improve the learning process of those with learning disability (LD). The findings displayed the effectiveness of the screening tests (ST1 and ST2) in detecting learners with dyscalculia, particularly in areas related to memory, abstraction, sequencing processing, motor, and visual perception. The results derived from plausible assistive digital technology revealed that visual-based fusion technology, such as Augmented Reality (AR), exposed the dyscalculia learners to experiential learning approach that made learning Mathematics meaningful.
The rapid growth in technology have affected processes in various domains such as business, healthcare, agriculture and education. Computer related applications used in these domains are available so easily, that it is impossible to imagine a situation without them. Technologies that were available but hardly commonly used a few decades ago such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) have now become technologies that are fast gaining interests in most fields including service related1 fields such as healthcare and education. The basic idea of AR is to superimpose sense enhancements over a real-world environment. It is a perfect solution for learners with learning difficulties as it combines the advantages of multi senses of the learners, helps them to understand learning better when the integration of both virtuality and reality is embedded in their learning applications. AR is mostly effectively used when computer generated visual enhancements are integrated into real life applications. Thus, this paper highlights the evaluation of the visual-based AR learning application to investigate its plausible assistive functions that can help dyscalculia learners learn Mathematics in a more meaningful way. Findings of the study showed that the students who had difficulties on memory, abstraction, sequencing processing, motor and visual perception, found the visual-based Augmented Reality (AR) technology embedded in an application, a positive assistive learning application that can help dyscalculia learners learn mathematics more effectively.
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