Computer-based animation system for reading literacy in students with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Reading literacy is a central challenge for students with intellectual disabilities, affecting skills such as letter recognition, vocabulary comprehension, and meaning retention. In Indonesian special schools, the problem is exacerbated by limited adaptive computer-based learning media and the lack of quantitatively evaluated digital interventions. To address this, the study designs and evaluates a computer-based digital animation video learning system developed using accessibility-focused human–computer interaction and multimedia learning theory. This system was implemented as a software-based intervention and evaluated with a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involving thirteen students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. Quantitative analysis included validity and reliability testing, paired samples t-test, effect size calculation, and normalized gain (N-gain) analysis. Results show significant improvement in reading literacy after the intervention. The N-gain score was high at 0.7038, and the effect size was very large, demonstrating strong educational effectiveness. These findings highlight the promise of computer-based animated video systems as effective, scalable technologies for inclusive education. The study offers a replicable framework for combining multimedia system design and quantitative evaluation in educational technology for learners with cognitive disabilities.