SUPPORTING AUTISTIC CHILDREN REACHING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL THROUGH ICT: THE USE OF COURSEWARE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Parallel to the effort by the Ministry of Education Malaysia in providing support for Special Education Program in Malaysian Schools and promoting ICT skills among Special Educational Need (SEN) learners in Malaysia (MDEC, 2009), this study explored the use of courseware among autistic children which is known as Let's Learn English (L2E). The study focus on the design, development and evaluation of the effectiveness of this courseware which is tailored for mild autistic children. The courseware was developed based on ADDIE model and topics covered in the courseware are based on the curriculum of Year 1 in primary school. Learning through play was applied in the courseware to support the children learning basic knowledge about animals, fruits and numbers. In addition, elements of entertainment are also included in the courseware to increase the children's engagement. The research design of this study is qualitative and based on case study methodology. Research data were obtained from triangulation concept which is based on observation, interview and field notes with the respondents from primary schools in the states of Penang and Sarawak. The findings showed that the respondents are positive towards this courseware. The lessons introduced in this courseware were successfully mastered by the respondents. As there is a gap in the development of courseware for special need children in Malaysia, therefore, it is envisaged that this courseware will be regarded as a groundbreaking effort in the development of learning tool tailored for autistic children in Malaysian context.