VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR DIAGNOSING DYSLEXIC CHILDREN’ VISUAL SPATIAL POTENTIAL

The International Journal of Multimedia & Its Applications (IJMA) Vol.9, No.4/5/6, December 2017
DOI: 10.5121/ijma.2017.9609 97
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT FOR DIAGNOSING
DYSLEXIC CHILDREN’ VISUAL SPATIAL
POTENTIAL
Jamilah Hamid, Nor Hasbiah Ubaidullah and Aslina Saad
Department of Computing, Faculty of Art, Computing & Creative Industry, Sultan Idris
Education University, Tg Malim, Perak, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This paper discusses the design of a non-immersive virtual environment for diagnosing dyslexic children’s
visual-spatial potential called D-Potensi and the diagnostic testing of the prototype. The design of the
virtual environment is based on the adaption of Sutcliffe's VR development methodology, comprising four
activities: (i) determining type of VR, (ii) selecting modalities and interaction devices, (iii) creating and
modelling 3D objects, and (iv)creating terrains. For the diagnostic testing, a qualitative approach using
semi-structured interview and an observation technique were used to identify the potential problems of D-
Potensi. Participants of the diagnostic test comprised the president of Malaysian Dyslexia Association
(MDA), a dyslexic teacher, the father of a dyslexic child, and five dyslexic children. The results of the test
suggest that the design of D-Potensi virtual environment needs further improvement to enhance its
usability. As such, the researchers propose a number of suggestions to improve the design of D-Potensi
virtual environment.
KEYWORDS
Goal-directed exploration, web-based virtual environment, non-immersive VR, dyslexic children’s visual-
spatial potential
1. INTRODUCTION
The statistics released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) show that there has
been a dramatic increase in worldwide Internet use, indicating that about 47 per cent of the
world's population are using the Internet in 2016 compared to a mere one per cent before 1995
[1]. Such an increase might be due to the various types of Internet use, which had originally
served as an information-sharing site but has now turned into a one-stop center for various
activities, such as education, training, commerce, and entertainment, spurred by the social media.
Of late, according to Mennecke et al., virtual reality (VR) Internet applications have become
popular among users [2]. However, studies of related literature have shown that most web-based
VR applications are largely focused on normal individuals only[3-7]. In fact, web-based VR
applications for people with disabilities are limited, despite efforts of various parties to help such
users to gain greater access to such VR sites [8,9]. In this regard, UNESCO has included disabled
and dyslexic individuals as individuals with learning disabilities [8]. The number of dyslexics,
including those exhibiting dyslexic symptoms, is increasingly growing, topping 15–20% of the
world population [10].
Given this sizable number of such individuals, many web-based applications have been
developed to cater to their needs. Generally, a majority of the web applications are used for
reading remedy and diagnosis of dyslexic symptoms of such individuals, and only a handful are
dedicated to help determine the potentials or talents of dyslexics. Such a lack of dedicated

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applications is regrettable, given that many researchers agree that dyslexic individuals have
unique visual-spatial (VS) skill that needs to be recognized so that they can lead a better life [11-
18]. Furthermore, a group of researchers has highlighted that the process of diagnosing dyslexic
children’ potentials or skills in their early childhood is important to ensure their innate talents can
identified and nurtured, which can then be tailored to appropriate courses or programs to help
maximize their learning [11,19, 20- 22].
Currently, most websites that offer psychometric or aptitude testing only focus on general users
and use a two-dimensional (2D) approach, which may not suitable for the assessment of specific
abilities such as VS skill. Arguably, the 2D approach is not only ineffective but also inaccurate
due to its inherent limitations such as less interactivity and diversity of functions. Thus, several
researcher have suggested the use of the VR approach in the development of psychometric testing
tools [23-25]. For example, Cohen and Hegarty [23] strongly recommended the use of the VR
approach in web-based psychometric testing tools for children. In fact, a few researchers [26, 27]
emphasized the needs for dedicated websites for children with dyslexia as nearly 33% of internet
users are dyslexic individuals, including those exhibiting mild dyslexia. According to these
researchers, the problems most often encountered by such users when browsing the internet are
due to the following factors: (i) misleading display layout, (ii) unclear navigation, (iii)
inappropriate color selection, (iv) graphs and texts that are too small, and (v) use of complex
language. As such, from the navigation aspect, VR websites need to focus not only on navigation
between pages but also on exploration in a virtual environment. For the exploration elements,
Sutcliffe [28] proposed specific guidelines for two types of exploration application, namely goal
directed exploration application and navigation exploration application. For legibility and
readability of text for dyslexic people, Smythe and Draffan [29] recommended several criteria
for website development, such as typeface, font size, spacing, and color of text, background, and
scrolling. Thus, the design and development of VR websites for dyslexic children needs to focus
on all these elements such that they can surf the websites with greater ease.
Premised on the above background, this study was carried out with the main aim to develop a VR
prototype of a Web-based Non-immersive Virtual Environment Application, called D-Potensi, to
help diagnose virtual-spatial potential among dyslexic children. This paper consists of two parts,
with the first part elaborating the design of D-Potensi and the second discussing the diagnostic
testing of D-Potensi prototype.
1. DESIGNING VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT OF D-POTENSI
Clearly, VR applications development is more complex compared to the development of 2D or
3D multimedia applications. This is because VR applications have unique features, such as
realism, latency, physical factor, frame rate per second and others, with which developers have to
deal. After reviewing several specific methodologies for VR development, the researcher chose
the VR development methodology proposed by Sutcliffe [28]. Specifically, the goal directed
exploration guideline was used in the development of D-Potensi such as to help motivate such
children in performing several given tasks. This methodology consists of five (5) phases as
follows: (i) requirement analysis, (ii) task and domain analysis, (iii) virtual environment design,
(iv) prototype development, and (v) evaluation. However, for this paper, only the third phase of
the methodology for the virtual environment design is discussed. The design phase of the virtual
environment consists of four activities as follows: (i) determining the type of VR, (ii) selecting
modalities and interaction devices, (iii) creating and modeling 3D objects, and (iv) creating
terrain.

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2.1 DETERMINING THE TYPE OF VR
Currently, there are various VR definitions and VR classifications. As such, to avoid confusion of
such terminologies, several researchers have proposed three (3) VR categories based on the
immersive level of such applications as follows: (i) immersive VR applications, (ii) semi-
immersive VR applications, and (iii) non-immersive VR applications. Such categorization can
certainly help facilitate the development of a specific VR application [30]. Among the three types
of VR applications, non-immersive (desktop) VR applications are the most affordable and
practical, as such applications can be readily implemented using a set of desktops as opposed to
immersive and semi-immersive VR applications that require expensive special equipment, such
as screen stereoscopes, head-mounted displays, special glove, and a cave (specific place for the
environment). Obviously, this specialized equipment is not only prohibitively expensive but also
difficult to acquire and use. In fact, using such hardware entails detailed planning and training to
suit individual users’ needs, which naturally incurs high cost. Such concern is best exemplified by
Gosselin and Andriot’s [31] assertion that in designing a haptic device, developers need to take
into account many important elements, such as positioning, grip type, static capacity, and type of
force that is appropriate for the user, which complicates the implementation of web-based VR
applications.
Apart from cost and equipment constraint, users’ capabilities must be taken into consideration as
well, as the operation of a VR application is different from those of other computer applications.
For instance, in immersive and semi immersive VR applications, the view, position, and
movement of the user’ body are important for immersive experience in a virtual world. According
to Coquillart, Fuchs, Grosjean and Hachet [32], physical movements in the virtual world can be
complex due to several factors, such as gravity, speed, virtual space, and technique used. As such,
Reis, Duarte and Rebelo [33] assert that features that can immerse and engage user should be
carefully considered in the development of VR applications. Without careful considerations of
such features, users can inevitably experience discomfort, disorientation, and cyber sickness,
especially in navigating and exploring immersive virtual environments using cumbersome
specialized equipment or hardware [34-36]. In contrast, according to Polcar and Horejsi [37],
such problems are virtually eliminated with the use of non-immersive VR applications.
Hence, in view of the potential problems highlighted above, the researchers chose non-immersive
(desktop) VR technology for the development of D-Potensi. This novel application was
implemented on the desktop platform, enabling children with dyslexia to diagnose the VS
potential more readily. Admittedly, the aspect of realism of non-immersive VR applications is
less than that of the immersive and semi-immersive VR applications; however, some studies [37,
38] have found that the former technology was equally effective in helping users to achieve the
objectives of certain tasks in the non-immersive environment.
2.2 SELECTING MODALITIES AND INTERACTION DEVICES
The modalities for human-computer interaction in immersive environment are mainly visual,
audio, haptic, motor, and olfaction [28]. Given that D-Potensi is a non-immersive VR application,
the main input devices used for this application consisted of a keyboard and a mouse. To improve
the application's usability, audio instructions were produced and delivered through a pair of
speakers. The main reason for using audio instructions was to reduce written instructions, with
which dyslexic children would have problems reading them [11, 14]. Effectively, these audio
instructions helped reduce dyslexic children’s problems during navigation, allowing them to
perform the required task or test more effectively. In addition to the speakers as an output device,

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D-Potensi used a monitor to display the virtual surroundings in which the children could explore
interactively.
2.3 CREATING AND MODELING 3D OBJECTS
One of the main challenges in developing VR applications is to create an environment that looks
realistic and interesting. To simulate such an environment, related objects must be generated in
3D. In the production of these objects, critical elements, such as size, texture, surface type, and
lighting of the object, need to be carefully considered. Hence, in this study involving three
simulated virtual environments, all relevant objects identified in the domain phase were designed
and modeled accordingly. In this respect, there are several techniques that can be used in creating
and modeling 3D objects; however, the technique of modeling polygons is the most widely used
technique in game application development [39]. In this technique, a 3D model is generated
through a combination of multiple polygon surfaces, and the number of these polygons
determines the realism of an object – the more polygons used, the more realistic the object is.
However, large numbers of polygons require intensive rendering processes that usually result in
long delay in running the application [40]. Thus, developers need to take into account this factor
in the creation of 3D objects.
In a VR application, real-time rendering is required to display all contents of the virtual
environment. Typically, the proportionality required for a smooth display without latency for a
monoscopic screen is 50 to 60 frames per second. To reduce rendering rates to this level, some
optimization techniques can be applied during the 3D modeling process, namely by reducing the
polygon size and by using appropriate texture mapping. Such techniques were deemed
appropriate to model the 3D objects of D-Potensi application, given that it was implemented on
the online platform. Most 3D models of this application were created and edited using several
software, such as 3D Max Studio, Crazy Bump, Z-Brusher, and 3D Coat. Additionally, in this sub
phase, several possible and impossible figures (for impossible figure task) were created and added
to the virtual world, as such figures have been shown to be suitable test items in diagnosing
dyslexic children’s potential [12, 41, 42]. Alexeev [43] defined an impossible figures as a 2D
image that could not exist in a 3D world. Therefore, creating these figures in 3D space entailed
the researchers to make several modifications to the normal steps of objects creation. Figure 1 and
Figure 2 show the steps of impossible figures creation and an example of an impossible figure,
respectively.
2.4 CREATING TERRAINS
In the domain model phase, the researcher created three (3) environmental themes, namely Pulau
Awan, Taman Cokelat, and Istana Pelangi. These environments were deemed appropriate based
on the unique characteristics of dyslexic children, who typically have vivid and creative
imagination [11, 14, 18, 44]. To engender a sense of immersion, the three environments were
created with 3D terrains using Unity software as depicted in Figure 3.

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Figure 3. Terrain creation using Unity
The implementation of the D-Potentsi application started with the main menu display before
children were allowed to explore the VR environment to perform a given task. The development
of this main menu was based on a combination of several website usability and dyslexia usability
features. The websites usability features, which were proposed by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services [45], used for the main menu were a clear headline, meaningful link
labeling, use of text for links, and black text on a blank background. For dyslexia usability
features, the researchers used beige color and Arial fonts for the background, as suggested by the
British Dyslexia Association (BDA) for readability and legibility [29].
The main menu also contained a brief audio instruction to highlight the application's
functionalities. Without such audio instruction, dyslexic children would have to rely on text to
read the required instructions of the application, which would be problematic as they generally

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had a reading problem [11, 14]. To attract dyslexic children’s attention, the three environments
used a screen background image that could be rotated to give different views of the user’s
location. Figure 4 and Figure 5 show the main menu screen of the D-Potensi application based on
the first view and second view of the user’s location, respectively.
Figure 4. Main menu with first view Figure 5. Main menu with second view
In addition to the main menu screen, the application has two more screens, with the first showing
the required instructions and the second depicting some examples of impossible and possible
figures. The first screen consists of key descriptions of how to use the D-Potensi application. The
format or design of text on this screen is based on the usability features of websites and dyslexic
characteristics. In addition, this screen contains audio instructions to explain the use of each key.
Effectively, the audio instructions helped the dyslexic children to follow the instructions without
having to read written instructions, with which they would have some difficulties in doing so. The
second screen contains some examples of impossible and possible figures to allow the dyslexic
children to distinguish between these two types of figures before performing the required tasks.
The application provided ample time for the dyslexic children to familiarize with the features of
impossible figures such that they would have sufficient knowledge to perform the required tasks.
For the development of the three virtual environments, the researchers used Sutcliffe’s [28] goal
directed exploration guideline to develop the tasks together with the relevant elements, such as
skies, trees, grasses, and flowers. This use of the guideline was carried out in two stages. First, the
exploration paths to be navigated by users were identified and constructed in each environment,
such as the path shown in Figure 6. Second, 10 questions related to visual-spatial tasks were
identified and positioned at strategic locations along this route in each environment. Overall,
there were 30 questions strategically located along the three navigation routes in the three
environments. Answering the questions helped the dyslexic children to diagnose their VS
potential. To help the children to view such locations of the questions with ease, the researchers
placed a flagpole at each location.

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Figure 6. A bird view of the exploration path
To make the dyslexic children captivated by the tasks, each environment uses different design
concepts. For example, a stump is used in the Pulau Awan environment. Meanwhile, a lollypop
and a hut are used in the Taman Cokelat and Istana Pelangi environments, respectively. In order
to perform the required tasks, the children were required to stop at each location to answer a
given question related to a given figure. To do this, they needed to view the figure carefully and
then press ‘Y’ for a possible figure or ‘T’ for an impossible figure. The letters ‘Y’ and ‘T’ stand
for ‘Ya’ (meaning ‘Yes’) and ‘Tidak’ (meaning ‘No’), respectively. Each child was given only
one chance to answer each question. Figure 7 shows three flagpoles highlighting three different
objects in the three environments.
Figure 7. Three flagpoles highlighting three different objects in the three environments
The next elements considered and modeled in the virtual environment were the physical attributes
of the objects, such as object movement, speed, and gravity, to which they must adhere to ensure
they would not only look real but also behave realistically according to the physical law. In this
respect, Sutcliffe [28] contends that the compliance levels of the physical law can be changed to
suit the application’s objectives. In D-Potentsi, the researchers took into account these factors by
applying the law of physics at an appropriate level during the development of objects and terrains
of the environments. To prevent users from moving through objects, such as trees or stones, a
collider was applied to each object. In addition, several colliders were placed around the island to
prevent users from falling off the virtual edges as shown in Figure 8.

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Figure 8. A collider around the island
3. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
The main aim of D-Potensi diagnostic testing was to identify potential problems in the application
such that improvements could be carried out prior to its implementation. Qualitative methods
based on the observation technique and a semi-structured interview were used to collect relevant
data.
3.1 Material and Methods
3.1.1 Participants
Eight (8) participants consisting of five (5) dyslexic children and three (3) adults were selected
through a purposeful sampling technique. According to Johnson and Christense [46], this
technique is suitable for research that involves a population that has unique characteristics such as
those of the dyslexia children. In addition to testing the relevant children, the three adults
(comprising the president of the Malaysian Dyslexia Association, a teacher, and a father) were
selected because they had extensive and direct experience in dealing with dyslexic children. The
MDA president and dyslexic teacher had more than 20 years and 10 years of working experience,
respectively; the parent of one of the children had eight years of experience in managing his
dyslexic child. Table 1 summarizes the demographics of the participants.
Table 1: Participants’ demographics
3.1.2 Instrument

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The instrument used for the diagnostic testing consists of a series of observation questions, which
were adapted from Sutcliffe’s [28] goal-directed exploration guideline for children and adult
participants. With the adapted instrument, the participants were asked to comment on the
application based on their experience in dealing with dyslexic children with unique
characteristics.
3.1.3 Procedure
The diagnostic testing was conducted at two different locations, t the Ampang Dyslexia Center
and the MaiKidz Learning Center, Ampang. The interviews and observations were carried out
according to the Johnson and Christense’s [46] guidelines consisting of two phases.
Phase 1
This phase was carried out by first providing the children with a brief description of the D-Potensi
and the tasks that they were required to perform. Subsequently, they were allowed to use D-
Potensi to perform the given tasks, the activities of which were recorded accordingly. The
researchers were also present throughout the testing session to help some of the children who
were in need of some assistance.
Phase 2
In the second phase, the adult participants were briefed about D-Potensi before allowing them to
use and explore the application. As they were exploring the functionalities of the application, the
researchers prompted the participants to comment on the application with regard to its usability
for dyslexic children.
3.1.4 Results and Discussion
From the observations, all the children were observed to extremely excited in exploring the
environments and performing the given tasks. Such excitement was evident as they eagerly
navigated to the next location after answering a question at a previous location. As previously
mentioned, using the D-Potensi application would entail the children to use the main menu to
start an audio file that briefly describes the main purpose and the steps of the VR game. However,
all the children were observed to only remember a small part of the audio descriptions, seemingly
making them uncertain in what they were supposed do. For example, when asked about what they
were required to do in the game, most of them only gave a vague reply such as "I'm going to
Istana Pelangi, looking for a treasure". Obviously, they had forgotten the most important part of
the descriptions of the game. Arguably, such a problem was attributed to their poor working
memory – a common trait among dyslexic children – thus disenabling them to remember the
sequence of instructions [47- 49]. As for the second part of the audio instruction (that prompted
the children to answer a particular question at a specific location), all of them managed to listen to
the complete instruction before attempting to answer the question. Such action occurred as the
figure related to the question only appeared after the audio instruction was completely delivered.
For the exploration of the environment and the performance of the task, four (4) out of five (5)
dyslexic children were observed did not know their location in the environment. In addition, they
were noticed to be always disoriented, as the rapid movement or rotation of the mouse in 3600
might have induced such a feeling. Despite such discomfort, they could easily explore the virtual
environments by using the arrow keys to navigate to the answer locations by following the paths
to the respective flagpoles. However, only two (2) dyslexic children seemed to lack the skills in

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using the mouse for such navigation, because they constantly required some assistance from the
researchers compared to the rest of the children. As such, this particular finding suggests that the
paths and flagpoles created based on Sutcliffe’s [28] goal-directed exploration guidelines can
serve as spatial cues to guide inexperienced users, especially dyslexic children with poor
navigation skills, to effectively explore and seek figures in the virtual world. In contrast, skilful
dyslexic children were noticed to be excessively overexcited, making them less attentive to the
given tasks, with a few bypassing the answer locations that effectively prevented them from
answering the questions at such locations. Table 2 summarizes the results of observation on the
five (5) dyslexic children during the exploration in virtual world.
Furthermore, the three (3) adult participants stated that the three environments (i.e., Pulau Awan,
Taman Cokelat, and Istana Pelangi) were very appealing and interesting, thus reinforcing the
appropriate use of such environments for dyslexic children. In fact, they agreed that the virtual
paths were clearly visible, the locations at which questions were asked and answered were
strategically placed, and the keys for answering questions were appropriate. However, they were
quite concerned with some issues that might adversely affect the performance of the VR
application. For example, the first participant commented that the audio description of the menu
was too long for the dyslexic children to listen to. This comment is consistent with the above
finding that shows most children only listened to the last sentence. Hence, she suggested that the
duration of audio instruction be shortened. Furthermore, she suggested that the volume of the
background music had to be lowered to ensure dyslexic children would not be distracted when
answering the questions.
Table 2. Observation data of dyslexic children’s exploration and performance in the virtual environments

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On the other hand, the second adult participant commented that the D-Potensi application did not
have the extrinsic motivational element that otherwise would have provided positive
reinforcement for the dyslexic children when they had given a correct answer. According to her,
the star symbol that appeared on the screen every time the children got the correct answer was not
impactful enough to reward them. She suggested that sound elements could be added to attract
children attention. In addition, she recommended that more explanations and examples were
needed to help children to understand the concept of impossible and possible figures. Likewise,
the third adult participant also highlighted the need to include a more forceful motivational
element in the VR application. He even suggested that firecrackers animation should be included
to greet and acknowledge children’ successful attempt in a particular task, such that they would
be motivated to continue exploring the virtual environments until all the prescribed tasks were
completed.
Based on the results of the diagnostic test, the researchers propose a number of suggestions to
improve the usability of D-Potensi as follows:
i. An audio describing the application’s functionalities and usage instructions should be
brief or concise.
ii. A tutorial video should be included in the menu section to explain the characteristics of
impossible and possible figures.
iii. A collider should be placed at every answer location to prevent users who have not
answered a given question from going to the next location.
iv. A collider should be placed around users as they reach a particular answer location to
prevent them from moving away until they have answered a given question.
v. Any unanswered questions should be clearly and visually highlighted or flagged.
vi. More creative and interesting features, such as animation of stars, should be included to
highlight and acknowledge users’ correct answers.
vii. Firecracker animation should be added to highlight users’ successful attempts at the
various levels of the game.
viii. An arrow symbol for the first control agent should be embedded to show a user’s position
in the virtual environment to help him or her explores and perform a task.
ix. A mini map should be placed at the upper corner of the screen to indicate a user's position
in the environment.
x. The orientation of the user’s view should be limited to only 1800
to minimize the effect of
disorientation.
xi. The interface should be redesigned to make it more structured or organized.
4. CONCLUSION
In this paper, the researchers discuss four (4) main activities in designing the virtual environment
for diagnosing dyslexic children’s potential, namely the determination of VR types, selection of
modalities and interaction devices, creation and modeling of 3D objects, and creation of terrains.
The determination of the VR type was governed by several practical, safety factors, namely
affordability, ease of use, and accessibility. The choice of modalities and interaction devices was
based on the ability and knowledge of dyslexic children. For the creation of 3D objects and

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terrains, the unique characteristic of dyslexic children and goal-directed exploration guideline
were respectively examined and used. Although the design of D-Potensi virtual environment
mainly focuses on two main features, namely dyslexic children’s characteristics and Sutcliffe [28]
goal-directed exploration principles, the findings of diagnostic test shows that these two elements
are not sufficient to make the application more impactful. In fact, more elements are needed, such
as orientation, position, and movement of the user in the virtual environment. As such, the
researchers propose a number of suggestions to improve the usability of D-Potensi.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded by the Skim Latihan Akademik IPTA (SLAI) scholarship of the
Malaysia’s Ministry of Education.
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Authors
Dr. Jamilah Hamid is as a Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative
Industry. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education (Hons.) majoring in
Mathematics and Master of Science (Information Technology). She obtained her PhD in
Internet and Web Computing from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia She has
been teaching in high education institutions since 1991 in several subjects such as
Programming, Methodology in Courseware Development, Educational Technology and

111
Teaching Methodology. Her research interests are on Virtual Reality, Educational Technology, Educational
Software and Teaching Methodology in Programming. Currently, she is attached to Universiti Pendidikan
Sultan Idris and teaching Methodology in Courseware Development.
Dr. Nor Hasbiah Ubaidullah is working as an Associate Professor at Universiti
Pendidikan Sultan Idris. She received degree in Computer Science from Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia and master of Science inInformation System from University of
Salford. She obtained her PhD degree in Information Technology from Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research areas include Courseware Engineering, DSS,
Learning Disability Children, Systems/ Product Development, Programming C++ and
JAVA..
Dr. Aslina Saad is a Senior Lecturer in Faculty of Art, Computing and Creative Industry.
She is a graduate in Bachelor of Information Technology (Science and System
Management) and Master of Science (Information Technology). She received her PhD in
Computer Science (Information Systems) from University of Loughborough and is
currently attached to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. Her research interests are on
Computer in Education, Management Information System, Artificial Intelligence and
Knowledge Management. Currently, she is teaching system analysis and design and
object oriented analysis and design subject.

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