Augmented Reality Model to Aid Al-Quran

Memorization for Hearing Impaired

Students

Hayatunnufus Ahmad1, Norziha Megat Mohd. Zainuddin1*, Rasimah Che Mohd Yusoff1, Nurulhuda Firdaus Mohd Azmi1, and

Wan Azlan Wan Hassan2

1Razak School of Technology and

Advance Informatics,Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan

Yahya Petra, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, 2Faculty of Communication, Visual Art & Computing, UNISEL, 45600

Bestari Jaya,Selangor hayatunnufusahmad@graduate.utm.my{norziha,rasimah}

.kl@utm.my,huda@utm.my,wanazlan@unisel.edu.my

Abstract. Industrial Revolution 4.0 becomes the driver of innovation like Augmented Reality. Nowadays, Augmented Reality is applied in the education area to prompt and enhance students’ learning ability. Islamic education is not spared from this; innovations in Islamic educational materials should be enhanced so that students are able to learn better, especially among the special needs students. Hence, this research work is aimed at developing an integrated software model which can assist the Quran memorization among the hearing impaired students. This proposed prototyped model is based on Augmented Reality Based Content (ARBC). It is called mAR-Quran and it meets the Augmented Reality environmental development requirement. It enables the students to arrange the sequence verses of surahs in the correct order so that eventually, they memorize verses of Quran better and easier.

Keywords: Augmented Reality, Hearing Impaired, Al-Quran Memorization.

1 Introduction

Industrial Revolution 4.0 has changed the direction of an organization in achieving its goal[1]. It has also introduced new innovation such as Augmented Reality (AR) in the education sector. Thus, this has attracted many researchers and industrial players to deeply discover the potential of AR technology toward students learning environment[2]. The same goes with Islamic education, there is a need for Islamic teaching materials and approaches to be integrated with technology especially among the Hearing Impaired (HI) students[3]. The Quran is a book that is compulsory for each Muslim to learn including the disabled. Nevertheless, Al-Quran education is less common among the HI[4]–[6] as many people believe that HI community is being given the exception to learn Al-Quran. This belief has made learning Quran among the HI children to be less important and to a certain extent, taken for granted.

2

A memorization method called Tahfz Akhyar has been introduced to enable HI children to learn Al-Quran[7]. However, these students faced difficulty in arranging the verses of surahs in a correct sequence and made mistakes while arranging the verses of surahs[8]. Thus, the use of technology can help HI students to learn Al-Quran better and eventually improve the students learnability[9] as well as the memorization quality[10]. Therefore, the objective of this article is to develop the software development model to aid the HI students to memorize Al-Quran based on AR technology.

1.1 Industry 4.0

Since the early 19th century, the world has experienced several modernizations in the way things were done and now, the world is experiencing the Industrial Revolution 4.0 [11]. The term Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) and Industry 4.0 refer to the same concept, in which many industries choose FIR as it more familiar than Industry 4.0 [11], [12]. Industry 4.0 is considered as the next phase in the digitalization of manufacturing sector and it is driven by four changes which are: i) the astonishing rise in data volumes, ii) computational power, iii) connectivity, especially new low power wide-area network and new forms of human-machine interaction such as touch interface and AR system and iv) improvement in transferring digital instructions to the physical world, such as the use of advanced robotics and 3-D painting[12]. Fig. 1 shows the digital compass for Industry 4.0 that consists of new technologies with their value drivers.

Fig. 1. Digital compass of Industry 4.0 Levers with its Value Drivers (Source: Sung,2017)

3

Based on Fig. 1, we can see that Industry 4.0 paradigms are becoming the driver in the development of a new generation of digital technical instructions, such as AR and Virtual Reality(VR) that exploit more graphical and visual elements[13]. Indeed, the implantation of AR technology has been adopted in SmartFactory Lab hosted by German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence(DFKI), in which they used mobile devices and AR to demonstrate the visual computing visualization for accessing and analyzing the information generated in an integrated intelligent factory[14]. Not only that, AR technology also has been used in other factory to support workers in the rapid changing production environment[11].

1.2 Augmented Reality (AR) Technology

AR refers to the augmentation or meditate a digital information like graphics, video, GPS into the real environment by utilizing the device camera[15]. [16] states that AR refer to the mixed reality that combines the real environment and virtual environment that is in a single display. Fig. 2 show the reality-virtuality continuum, AR is known as Mixed Reality (MR) that can be an interchange between the real environment and virtual environment.

Fig. 2. Reality-Virtuality Continuum (Source: Milgram et al., 1994)

The Industry 4.0 is more than just a change in a technology-driven environment. The innovations that are due to Industry 4.0 positively impact our core industries and sectors such as education, health and business. It has changed the focus and direction of the educational sector by redefining conventional learning methods and teaching by bringing new technologies into classrooms[1]. According to [17] the quality of teaching and learning in the future year of 2025 in Malaysia can be achieved through the use of virtual learning and creation of virtual university. Fig. 3 shows the four future scenarios of teaching and learning in 2025 based on the anticipatory workshop attended by over 50 lectures and deans and conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

Fig. 3. The Futures of Teaching and Leaning in 2025, Malaysia (Source: S. Inayatullah and I. Milojević,2014)

4

The establishment of VR and AR universities will enable lectures doing their work from anywhere and at anytime. Moreover, it has been proven that AR can help to increase motivation among students[18], [19] enhance students’ learning satisfaction[20], increase students’ retention of knowledge[18], [19], and provide ubiquitous learning experience[2].

1.3 Background of Problem

The use of AR in the education system from preschool to tertiary can be seen from the implementation in classrooms such as in pre-school science subject[21], science subject in secondary school[22], [23],astronomy[24], arithmetic[25], geometry[26] and computer science[27]. However, according to [3], there is a need for Islamic learning materials to be incorporated with modern methods and technologies.

Learning the book of Quran is compulsory for all Muslims. It is a gift from Allah to all Muslims as it has explanations, warnings, and guidelines for Muslims and others on how to live life here and in the world hereafter. All Muslims regardless of age, gender, race, ability or wealth are required to learn Quran. However, the method in learning Quran among HI students needs to be improved[4]–[6]. This is due to the notion that many people believe that having hearing impairment is an acceptable excuse to not read the Quran[9]. Moreover, people with hearing problem have difficulty to hear and utter sounds as Quran is usually taught by reading repeatedly and hearing how the word is pronounced with good makhraj and tajweed[9]. Not only that, they also use sign language, writing, and gesture acts as the communication medium[4], [28] that requires all words to be translated into the sign language. However, many of HI are not able to understand or grasp something abstract and some of the Islamic terms [29]. Therefore, Tahfiz Akhyar, the Al-Quran memorization method was introduced by Hj Norakyairee Hj Raus and Zaharatul Sophia Mohamed Amir Abas in 2014 that is based on Prophet Muhammad’s teaching method to memorize doa, zikr, selawat and solah[7]. The method is based on arranging the pieces verses of surah in Al-Quran in the correct sequence. However according to [8] HI students faced difficulty in arranging the verses of surah in the correct order and made mistakes when arranging the verses of surah. Thus, the use of technology can help the HI students to learn Al-Quran better and eventually can improve the students’ learnability[9] as well as the memorization quality[10].

2 Methodology

There are many software development methodologies that have been developed. In this research work, the prototyped model which is based on AR Based Content (ARBC) Model is discussed.

2.1 Prototype Model

A prototype model is a software that is developed and partially produced and it is examined by both user and developer[30]. Fig. 4 depicts the prototype model that consists of sequence phases, in which the next phase can be executed after the current phase has been completed[31]. The four main phases are: i. Determining the basic requirement. ii. Developing the initial prototype. iii. Reviewing the prototype by users. iv. Revising and enhancing the prototype by developers.

5

Fig. 4. The Sequence Prototype Model (Source: Mat Amin,2007)

Fig. 5 shows the process of the prototype model. It is iterative in which the version of the proposed prototype will be updated based on the users’ feedback until all the requirement has been fulfilled[30]. Once the proposed prototype has met the users’ satisfaction, the iterative cycle will be stopped as it has already achieved the development objective.

Fig. 5. Prototype Model Process (Source: Ubaidullah, 2007)[32]

This prototype model has several advantages. It takes less time to be developed. Hence, it is economical and takes a shorter time to be delivered. In addition, it is able to satisfy users’ learning and it also helps developers to define and refine the system requirement. Moreover, it can be integrated with other model and the training would then start earlier in the life cycle[30].

2.2 AR Based Content ARBC model was introduced by[33] specifically for AR development process that consists of five phases which are analyse, determine, produce, use and evaluate as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6. AR Based Content (ARBC) Model (Source: Aqel, 2017)

6

A brief explanation on each step is given in the following paragraphs: i. Analyse

In this step, a problem needs to be identified and the system requirements need to be gathered to understand the purpose of employing AR technology

ii. Determine Developers need to clearly define the objectives of the content in order to understand the purpose of AR development, determine teachers’ or students’ role in using the application. In addition, the application’s interface such as the object and its colors, dimension and the movement in the system needs to be described. Besides, soft-ware and hardware requirement need to be determined in order to produce the objects that are needed for the application, the type of software authoring (Adobe Illustrator, 3DMax, AR builder and Aurasma or Unity) and the types of hardware needed (personal computer, tablet, projector, High-Definition camera or Kinect camera) should be well clarified. Moreover, the learning environment that includes the lighting, electricity supply, safety features and ventilation should also be described.

iii. Produce In this step, the AR objects will be produced to develop the AR application. The objects can be in either 3-Dimension (3D) or 2-Dimension (2D). They need to be designed by using the suitable software that has been identified. Also, in this phase there is a need to design the marker which is related to the objects and this is done by employing suitable software to connect both marker and objects.

iv. Use The developed application is applied in classroom to measure or observe students’ improvement in their learning. Teachers then need to train students to use the application, observe their interactions, monitor their learning strategies, do a lot of reinforcements and provide ample motivations to students.

v. Evaluate

The evaluation or feedback from users is taken into account in evaluating the effectiveness of the software application and its implementation. In this step, the AR evaluation needs to be carried out to determine whether it runs smoothly without an error or bug, the objects appear in correct manner and students understand the whole content or otherwise.

3 Findings

Based on the process of that the prototype model went through, the findings are presented in this section. Fig. 7 below illustrates the development process of this prototyped model, and the findings are discussed in the following paragraphs.

7

Fig. 7. Propose Model, mAR-Quran Model

In this mAR-Quran model, the ARBC model was adapted according to name of phases and four phases were employed which were analysis, determine, produce and use. While for the evaluation phase, the prototype model was assessed to determine users’ satisfaction in using the model. It also follows the prototyping model where each phase is in the sequential order, in which the coming phase can only be executed after the present phase has been completed.

Furthermore, the iterative cycle is embedded in this model to allow the process to repeat. This enables the developers to make changes easily and in accordance with the user requirement. The feedback for users was prepared by using smiley and sad icons. When users were arranging the verses of surahs, they would get the feedback. If the arrangement was in the right order, they would get a smiley icon and if the arrangement was in the wrong order, they would receive a sad icon. The use of icons would definitely help users to identify whether they had the correct order of verses and surahs. This would make their learning easier, fresher and more effective. Fig. 8a. and Fig. 8b show the mentioned feedback. Therefore, we can say that this mAR-Quran model can be used to fully develop the AR application to aid the Al-Quran memorization for HI students.

Fig. 8a. Feedback answer for correct arrangement.

8

Fig. 8b. Feedback answer for wrong arrangement.

4 Conclusion and Future Works

Revolution Industry 4.0 has brought about great innovations in technology and the education sector is also experiencing the benefit of these innovations. In line with the birth of these innovations, a new learning approach is needed in order to help students to learn better. Therefore, this research work has developed a prototype model using the AR technology to assist the special need students to learn Quran. It has been discovered that this prototype model can be further developed in producing software to aid Al-Quran memorization among the hearing impaired students.

For future work, the proposed model will be evaluated using heuristics evaluation and end-user testing. The scaffolding learning approach will also be embedded in the application to enable the students to have a rough idea on AR technology before they can start with the content. Moreover, reward and punishment learning approach can also be employed in improving their level of motivation and the quality of their memorization.

Acknowledgment This work is financially supported under Research University Grant, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Q.K 130000.2538.15H95)

References

1. M. Xu, J. M.David, and S. H. Kim (2018) The Fourth Industrial Revolution  : Opportunities and Challenges. Int. Journal Financ. Res 9:90–95.

2. M. E. C. Santos et al. (2016) Augmented reality as multimedia  : the case for situated vocabulary learning. Res. Pract. Technol. Enhanc. Learn 11:1–23.

3. A. M. Yasin, M. Ali, M. Isa, and N. A. Endut (2016) Interactive Prophet ’ s Storybook using Augmented Reality. In International Conference on e-Learning 2015, pp. 391–399.

4. A. Hussain, N. Jomhari, F. M. Kamal, and N. Mohamad (2014) mFakih  : Modelling Mobile Learning Game to Recite Quran for deaf Children. Int. J. Islam. Appl. Comput. Sci. Technol 2:8–15.

5. N. Jaafar et al. (2014) Quran Education for Special Children  : Teacher as Murabbi. Creat. Educ. 5: 435–444.

6. Sabdan, Muhamad Sayuti, Alias, Norlidah, Mohd Yusof, Mohd Yakub @ Zulkifli, Jomhari, Nazean, Mohd Daud, Nor Aziah (2016) Tinjauan Pelaksanaan Pendidikan al-Quran Bagi Golongan Pekak Di Malaysia. J. al-Turath 1:43–51.

9

7. S. M. Mohd Rashid (2017) Kemahiran Asas Serta Kaedah Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Al-Quran Kepada Golongan Istimewa. J-QSS – J. Quran Sunnah Educ. Spec. Needs, no. June.

8. H. Ahmad, N. M. M. Zainuddin, R. Ali, N. Maarop, R. C. M. Yusoff, and W. A. A. W. Hassan (2018) Augmented Reality to Memorize Al-Quran for Hearing Impaired Students: A Preliminary Analysis. J. Fundam. Appl. Sci. 10:91–102.

9. N. Ghadim, N. Jomhari, and N. Alias (2013) Mother’s Perspective Toward al-Quran Education for Hearing Impaired Children in Malaysia. Malaysian Online J. Educ. Technol. 1:26–30.

10. M. J. Azmil Hashim, Ab. Halim Tamuri (2013) Latar Belakang Guru Tahfiz Dan Amalan Kaedah. Online J. Islam. Educ. 1:28–39.

11. Y. Lu (2017) Industry 4. 0: A survey on technologies , applications and open research issues. J. Ind. Inf. Integr., vol. 6:1–10.

12. T. K. Sung (2017) Industry 4.0: A Korea perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change.

13. G. Wally, M. Gattullo, M. Fiorentino, F. Ferrise, M. Bordegoni, and A. Emmanuele (2018) Converting maintenance actions into standard symbols for Augmented Reality applications in Industry 4.0. Comput. Ind. 98:68–79.

14. J. Posada et al. (2015) Visual Computing as a Key Enabling Technology for Industrie 4.0 and Industrial Internet. Visual Computing Challenges, pp. 26–40.

15. A. Agarwal et al. (2014) Mobile Application Development with Augmented Reality. Int. J. Comput. Sci. 5: 20–25.

16. P. Milgram, H. Takemura, A. Utsumi, and F. Kishino (1994) Mixed Reality ( MR ) Reality-Virtuality ( RV ) Continuum, Syst. Res. 2351:282–292.

17. S. Inayatullah and I. Milojević (2014) Augmented reality, the Murabbi and the democratization of higher education: alternative futures of higher education in Malaysia. Horiz. 22:110–126.

18. I. Radu (2014) Augmented reality in education: a meta-review and cross-media analysis. In Pers Ubiquit Comput, pp. 1533–1543.

19. P. Diegmann, M. Schmidt-kraepelin, S. Van Den Eynden, and D. Basten (2015) Benefits of Augmented Reality in Educational Environments – A Systematic Literature Review. In 12th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, pp. 1542–1556.

20. M. Akcayir and G. Akcayir (2017) Advantages and challenges associated with augmented reality for education  : A systematic review of the literature. In Educational Research Review 20:1–11.

21. E. Trnova and J. Trna (2015) Formation of Science Concepts in Pre-school Science Education. In 7th World Conference on Educational Sciences, (WCES-2015), pp. 2339–2346.

22. V. Gopalan, A. N. Zulkifli, and J. A. Abu Bakar (2016) A study of students’ motivation using the augmented reality science textbook. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Science and Technology, pp. 20040-1-20040–6.

23. K.-H. Cheng and C.-C. Tsai (2013) Affordances of Augmented Reality in Science Learning: Suggestions for Future Research. J. Sci. Educ. Technol. 22:449–462.

24. J.-C. Yen, C.-H. Tsai, and M. Wu (2013) Augmented Reality in the Higher Education: Students’ Science Concept Learning and Academic Achievement in Astronomy. In 13th International Educational Technology Conference Augmented, pp.165–173.

25. J. C. Young, M. B. Kristanda, and S. Hansun (2016) ARmatika: 3D game for arithmetic learning with Augmented Reality technology. In international Conference on Informatics and Computing, ICIC 2016, pp. 355–360.

26. K. Olalde, B. García, and A. Seco (2013) The importance of geometry combined with new techniques for augmented reality. In International Conference on Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education 25:136–143.

10

27. U. Kose, D. Koc, and S. A. Yucesoy (2013) An augmented reality based mobile software to support learning experiences in computer science courses. In International Conference on Virtual and Augmented Reality in Education 25:370–374.

28. L. Hidayat and F. Hidayatulloh (2017) Multimedia Based Learning Materials. Eur. J. Spec. Educ. Res 2: 77–87.

29. M. H. Awang, H. B. Zakaria, B. H. Mohd Shafie, N. H. F. Talib, and N. Kassim (2010) Persepsi Pelajar Bermasalah Pendengaran terhadap Pembelajaran Fardu Ain: Cabaran terhadap Guru. Proc. 4th Int. Conf. Teach. Educ., pp. 240–250.

30. M. A. Ben-zahia and I. Jaluta (2014) Criteria for Selecting Software Development Models, pp. 1–6.

31. R. E. M. Amin (2007) Perisian Kursus Multimedia Pembacaan Awal bagi Kanak-kanak Sindrom Down (MEL SindDown). Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

32. N. H. Ubaidullah (2007) Perisian Kursus Multimedia dalam Literasi Matematik (D-Matematika) untuk Pelajar Disleksia. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

33. M. S. Aqel (2017) A New Model for an Augmented Reality Based Content ( ARBC ) ( A Case Study on the Palestinian Curriculum ). IOSR J. Res. Method Educ.