The Writing Skills Gap and the Potential of Augmented Reality for Students with Special Educational Needs (Learning Disabilities)

This study evaluates three types of existing learning materials, namely the Special Education Standard Based Curriculum for Primary School Standard Curriculum textbooks (KSSRPK), the KSSRPK activity book and the 3M Basic Standards-Based Curriculum and Assessment Document (DSKP) used to support the teaching of writing skills among students with learning disabilities in Special Education Integration Programme (PPKI) primary schools. The use of Bengtsson's (2016) qualitative content analysis framework helped identify five gaps in writing skills, such as limited support in fine motor skills training, syllable recognition, punctuation, grammar, and creative writing. Existing learning materials also rely heavily on traditional teaching methods, lacking interactive elements needed to meet the diverse learning needs of today’s students. To address this gap, this study suggests the potential of innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR) to complement existing materials. AR offers interactive and visually appealing solutions to constraints such as providing instant feedback, increasing engagement, and offering appropriate exercises to reinforce understanding. This technology aligns with the needs of students and enables teachers to modernize their teaching approach. These findings emphasize the need to adapt teaching resources to evolving student requirements. While current learning materials are appropriate, incorporating an interactive approach can help bridge the gap and create a more effective and relevant learning environment. This study highlights the importance of implementing innovative teaching strategies and resources to support the growing needs of students.