International Journal of Conceptions on Computing and Information Technology
Vol. 3, Issue. 3, October’ 2015; ISSN: 2345 - 9808
Guide Tristan
A Mobile Interactive Speech-Language Game Using Rule Based for Childrens with Special
Needs
Mark Louijay S Perez, Abraham Joseph C Ramas, Lester Eric P Panlilio,
Jayson Cabotage and Jennie M Bigomia
Dept.of Computer Science
New Era University
Quezon City, Philippines
{marklouijay_perez, ramasaj23, lepanlilio, jayson_felix015}@yahoo.com and
jennieembigomia@gmail.com
Abstract— Technology nowadays are very advance, people can
have their own gadgets for example smart phones, tablets and
laptops we can now go anywhere with this portable gadgets and
have access to internet wherever we go especially we can also
play games for fun. Games can enhance our creativity, language,
math skills, thinking, improving hand eye coordination and many
more however many children nowadays have their own gadgets
and they loved playing games in this portable devices. Games
especially educational can be beneficial to children with special
needs because it helps them to enhance communication, open the
world in a positive way and help with language and verbal skills.
The aim of this research is to help children with special needs to
enhance their communication, learning and knowledge skills by
developing educational game using Rule Base one of the
structures of Expert System.
Keywords- educational games; mobile learning; children with
special needs; rule based; expert system;
I. INTRODUCTION
The use of mobile phones have many advantages on our
daily lives we can call, text or send text messages, access
internet and playing games, taking some pictures and videos
anywhere we go and many more. Mobile phones are now
advanced through its functionalities and specifications unlike
of its humble beginnings, the first mobile telephones are wired
and the first hand-held cell phone was demonstrated by John
F. Mitchell and Martin Cooper of Motorola in 1973, using a
handset weighing around 4.4 pounds (2 kg)[1]. Through the
evolution of mobile phones we saw how it changes because of
our modern technology now mobile phones has many use
unlike before, the functions are just call and send text
messages
One of the amazing uses of mobile phones nowadays are
games that gives excitement and fun for the users. Because of
the popularity of mobile games mobiles are not completed if
there’s no games installed. There are different kinds of mobile-
based games action, adventure, card, RPG’s, sports, strategy
and especially Game-Based Learning(GBL) the learning
method of using games while teaching a subject. It means that
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Dennis B Gonzales
University of the East
Manila, Philippines
dbgonzales33@gmail.com
the games that are used for this purpose have been designed
with the idea of achieving learning outcomes. Some benefits of
using Game-Based Learning are get students attention, students
get a positive experience about learning, rememorize concepts
or facts, reinforce and consolidate knowledge in a friendly
environment and understand the consequences of our
choices[2].
Game-Based Learning using mobile is applicable for
Children with Special Needs, children with special needs or
special children are people with autism, down syndrome,
dyslexia, blindness, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder), or cystic fibrosis. They have mild learning
disabilities, difficulties in communication, behavioral problems
and speech language problems. The researchers must develop a
educational mobile game for children with special needs to
help them, children love playing games in computer or mobile
so by the use of this application we can gave the fun that they
want and most of all the knowledge. The application is called
Guide Tristan in which the user guide the character Tristan to
complete his missions each stages and levels, we can guide
Tristan by answering questions that relates in Math, Science,
History and etc. The application has Rule-Based one of the
structures of ES (Expert System) for the decisions of the main
character of the game Tristan. The advantages of this game for
Children with Special Needs are academic assistance, help with
language/verbal skills, behavior management, vision,
memorization and sensory needs.
A. Statement of the Problem
Children with Special Needs are people with autism,
down syndrome, dyslexia, ADHD, or cystic fibrosis[3].
Majority of them have problem with communication, language
and verbal skills[4]. This people must help and guide to
enhance their learning skills through education. They earn
learning in school but how about if their outside of school?
What if they were at home? The technology nowadays is
advance, by the use of modern technology we can help them
to learn more.
 International Journal of Conceptions on Computing and Information Technology
B. Objectives
The following objectives of this research are:
1. Use modern technology to help Children with Special
Needs.
2. To enhance their learning skills, communication skills,
memorization, visualization and knowledge by the use of
educational game using mobile.
3. For children have fun playing while learning.
4. To open the world for them in a positive way.
5. To help parents teaching their children with special needs.
C. Significance of Study
The findings of this study is for the benefits of kids with
special needs for example children with autism that has
difficulties in social interaction and communication. Kids with
down syndrome have trouble learning and are slower to learn,
dyslexia that has affect the way information is learned and
processed. The style of educational game that researchers will
develop has kind of stuff that enhancing the different kinds of
difficulties mentioned above.
D. Scope and Limitation
This game “Guide Tristan” is just only in mobile. It
teaches only basic education for kids with special needs like
basics in math, english, science, history, etc. The researchers
knows that there are genius special children but there are no
lessons in this application that suitable in their level, this
application teaches just basic.
II. RELATED WORKS
Millions of students across the United States cannot
benefit fully from a traditional educational program because
they have a disability that impairs their ability to participate in
a typical classroom environment. For these students,
computer-based technologies can play an especially important
role. Not only can computer technology facilitate a broader
range of educational activities to meet a variety of needs for
students with mild learning disorders, but adaptive technology
now exists than can enable even those students with severe
disabilities to become active learners in the classroom
alongside their peers who do not have disabilities. This article
provides an overview of the role computer technology can
play in promoting the education of children with special needs
within the regular classroom. For example, use of computer
technology for word processing, communication, research, and
multimedia projects can help the three million students with
specific learning and emotional disorders keep up with their
nondisabled peers. Computer technology has also enhanced
the development of sophisticated devices that can assist the
two million students with more severe disabilities in
overcoming a wide range of limitations that hinder classroom
participation––from speech and hearing impairments to
blindness and severe physical disabilities. However, many
teachers are not adequately trained on how to use technology
effectively in their classrooms, and the cost of the technology
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is a serious consideration for all schools. Thus, although
computer technology has the potential to act as an equalizer by
freeing many students from their disabilities, the barriers of
inadequate training and cost must first be overcome before
more widespread use can become a reality[10]. (USE OF
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO HELP STUDENTS
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS by Ted S. Hasselbring and
Candyce H. Williams Glaser)
In this paper, we describe an in situ study that examined
the diverse design features and effects of three pre-algebra
games for middle school children who have either challenges
with learning or different language backgrounds. Data were
collected through in-field observation, artifact analysis, school
performance report and knowledge test during 15 one-hour
gaming sessions over a period of 3 weeks. A list of key design
features related to creating engagement and learning for
students with special learning needs emerged from the data.
The findings and discussions will inform educational designers
and practitioners on successful educational game design and
implementation for learners with diverse characteristics and
needs[11].(Games for engaged learning of middle school
children with special learning needs by Fengfeng Ke and
Tatiana Abras)
III. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The system will run as you seen in figure below, user will
input some data by the use of answering questions and etc.
The system will process data and outputs information or
knowledge.
Figure 3
IV. METHODOLOGY
In this research the researchers will use Rule Based one of
the structures of ES. Expert System is an Intelligent System
that emulates the decision making ability of a human
expert[5], it has several structures and this are the rule base,
working memory, inference engine, user interference,
knowledge base editor and explanation system. The
researchers will be focused on Rule Base because this is the
ES structure that we will use for our research. Rule base stores
knowledge as rules, knowledge represented in rules having the
form:
IF <condition> THEN <conclusion>
This knowledge has two parts the left hand side is called
the antecedent and the right hand side is called the consequent.
For example:
 International Journal of Conceptions on Computing and Information Technology
IF raining THEN advice is “bring an umbrella”
A rule can have more than one proposition on its
antecedent or consequence[6].
IF you have sick AND you have a class THEN advice is “don’t
attend”.
By the use of Rule Base Expert System it will help the
decision makings for the character Tristan.
V. RESULTS
A research by Michael Cohen group said that 60% of kids
play on a touch screen gadgets often while 38% play very
often. Gadgets become the most popular toy of kids[7]. This
proves that many childrens has portable gadgets.
Figure 1. Frequence of Play Type
VI. ASSUMPTIONS
Some children with special needs are not comfortable in the
school environment because of their condition. By the use of
technology we can help those kids to learn even though they
are not in school. Mobile or computer based technology can
have an important role in this situation by the use of
educational games or applications that will help to learn this
kind of students. Because of this portable devices wherever
they go while playing this stuff they learn compare to
traditional way of learning that goes to school in a 4 to 5 hours
(for children with special needs students).
VII. DISCUSSIONS
According to The National Survey of Children with
Special Health Care Needs in United States the percentage of
pre-school children with special needs ages 0 – 5 is 7.8%
while the percentage of children with special needs ages 6 –
11 is 14.6% see the graph below[8].
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Vol. 3, Issue. 3, October’ 2015; ISSN: 2345 - 9808
Figure 2. Prevalence of Children with Special Health Care Needs: Age
If the graph in fig. 1 in results section says that 60% of
children uses portable devices for playing while in this graph
said that children with special needs ages 0 – 11 is 21%. So we
have no problem to bring the game to the kids especially
children with special needs because according to the research
of Michael Cohen and his group 60% of children uses portable
gadgets for playing.
VIII. CONCLUSION
Now we have concluded that modern technologies has
many advantages on our daily lives, because of this
technologies our works become easier but this are not just the
purpose of modernization, gaining knowledge and creating
something new for those who are in need are also included.
We’re not saying because of this application where they can
gain knowledge means they will not attending their classes in
school anymore, the reason why the researchers conduct this
research or study is to help kids with special needs to learn
more.
REFERENCES
[1] “Mobile Phones,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone
[2] “Benefits of using Game Based Learning in Education,”
http://www.educatornetwork.com/HotTopics/gamesbasedlearning/benefi
ts
[3] “Special Needs,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_needs
[4] S.McGee, “Downloadble Games for Special Needs Children,”
http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Downloadable_Games_for_Special_Ne
eds_Children
[5] “Expert System,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system
[6] ICT619 Intelligent Systems Topic 2: Expert Systems
[7] Elena, “Kids & Gadget: Development or Disaster?”
http://www.freemake.com/blog/kids-and-gadgets/
[8] The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs in
United States http://mchb.hrsa.gov/chscn/pages/prevalence.htm#income
[9] “Areas of Difficulty,” https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/content/areas-
difficulty
[10] USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO HELP STUDENTS WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS by Ted S. Hasselbring and Candyce H. Williams
Glaser http://familiestogetherinc.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/COMPUTERTECHNEEDS.pdf
[11] Games for engaged learning of middle school children with special
learning needs by Fengfeng Ke and Tatiana Abras
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-
8535.2012.01326.x/abstract