CommIT (Communication & Information Technology) Journal 12(2), 73–86, 2018 Development of Word Game Algorithm for Learning Javanese Script Ozzi Suria Program Studi Sistem Informasi, Fakultas Teknologi Informasi, Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta 55501, Indonesia Email: [email protected] Abstract—The students consider learning Javanese of the local language and already included in school script to be difficult particularly in distinguishing and curriculum in Central Java, East Java, and Yogyakarta. memorizing Carakan, and memorizing Sandangan and Hence, it is essential to understand that Javanese script Pasangan with its writing rules. This work intends to develop a supporting medium for learning Javanese should be learned and preserved as local cultural script. The development process is started by defining heritage [7]. Learning process of Javanese script con- the game functionalities by using the use case diagrams, sists of highly repetitive reading and writing. At the and then, the activity diagram is created to describe beginning of the reading process, students must master the workflow of the game algorithm. The database to the basic twenty scripts called Aksara Carakan [8]. support the game is also created and displayed by using the physical data model. Afterward, the game algorithm After that, they can continue to learn other scripts script is created using JavaScript so that the game can be like Sandangan, Pasangan, Aksara Wilangan, Aksara played through a web browser. There are 27 respondents Swara, Aksara Rekan, and Aksara Murda [9]. With the requested to fill questionnaires about the web application traditional method of teaching in the class, Javanese and to test the game. The results suggest that 100% of script is considered difficult to learn by students even respondents agree that the web application is necessary and useful to learn Javanese script. The application though they have been learning it since elementary provides positive benefit to the users such as students grade [10]. The things that make the learning difficult who still need to learn Javanese script in schools with are: 97% average success rate to run the game 1) distinguishing and memorizing Carakan scripts Index Terms—Javanese Script, Word Game, Web when reading because they look similar to one Learning, Multimedia Application another, 2) memorizing Sandangan and the rules to write it I. INTRODUCTION in words that have e` or e´ sound, or words with OWADAYS, there are many forms of word syllable re,´ le,´ ra, kre,´ and others, and N games. Those are used for language learning such 3) memorizing Pasangan and the rules to write it as online games of English proficiency test for young in words that have the double consonant in the learners in Japan [1], a game based tasks for foreign middle, last, and others. language instruction [2], online vocabulary games for Referring to those three problems, the objective learning Arabic [3], andIn an augmented realityPress mo- of this research is to develop Javanese script word bile learning tool for learning French [4]. Using the game to make students easier and enjoy learning word game as a helper tool for language learning can Javanese script. The game is developed in the web improve learners’ vocabulary and motivate them on platform. Based on the previous research on vocabulary learning language [5]. It also makes learners interested learning [11], one of the benefits of developing an in engaging more in the learning process [6]. Since application in a web platform is to make it easy to use word games are proven to be effective in enhancing for students. Additionally, using web-based multimedia language learning process, it will be utilized as a combined with the conventional method of teaching medium to learn Javanese script in this research. in class is more effective and can increase students’ Javanese script is a part of Javanese language ma- cognitive learning [12]. The utilization of web-based terial learned by students in elementary, junior, and learning application is also more useful compared to a senior high schools. It has been acknowledged as part mobile application that makes learner have to deal with Received: Jun. 4, 2018; received in revised form: Jul. 25, 2018; the real world and digital world at the same time [13]. accepted: Jul. 25, 2018; available online: Oct. 25, 2018. The uniqueness of this game is that the question Cite this article as: O. Suria, “Development of Word Game Algorithm for Learning Javanese Script”, CommIT (Communication & Information Technology) Journal 12(2), 73–86, 2018. should be answered by inputting the translation of the method described to develop the algorithm inside the word in Javanese script by using a custom keyboard game. The algorithm of the game was not written on the screen. This research discusses more the game although there was a step to gather the requirement in workflow, the interface, and its algorithm which are the first development phase. Compared to the previous used to run the game. Before starting the game, play- research, the current research tries to model the system ers can select the level and duration. The level and functionalities and the game algorithm which later can duration preferences are used as a challenge to make be used in the development process. The UML dia- the learning process become more effective [14] and grams are combined with Waterfall method to produce also to make players excited to get a higher score a robust game algorithm. It can be developed later in before the time runs out [15]. Players interact with the the future. game using custom Javanese script keyboard on the The main contribution of this research is to develop screen. The keyboard uses Javanese script typeface so a web application and game algorithm for learning that players can learn to memorize the letter and get Javanese script through a game by using UML dia- used to Javanese script. grams. It models the algorithm functionalities which The game algorithm is built using JavaScript lan- are presented as use case and activity diagram and guage. It works with PHP script and AJAX to com- Waterfall method during the development process. This municate with the database server asynchronously. web application is expected to be useful for students JavaScript is used as a base to develop the algorithm who want to keep learning Javanese script and give because it is natively supported by the browser [16– a positive benefit to them in competing with other 18]. It can also be used as a resource for future students to get the highest score in the game. The development because most of app development tools performance of the algorithm is tested to make sure use JavaScript as part of its programming code [19– that the algorithm can work well during the game. 21]. In general, the algorithm handles all functions to II. RESEARCH METHOD control the game elements such as level, time, scores, question, custom keyboard, inputted answer, and result The word game uses a word as the object to be from the submitted answer. These elements work to- guessed, arranged, or sorted based on the predefined gether simultaneously to run the game and to handle rules to play. The Latin alphabets are commonly used users interaction with the game. For example, before in most of the word games. For example, Latin al- submitting the answer, users can interact with Javanese phabets are used on the word game to learn Italian script keyboard to input the answer. Afterward, the [23, 24], help users to increase their vocabulary, and algorithm checks the submitted answer. If it is correct, improve their lexical accuracy of Italian. In this re- the algorithm will tell the time controller to add more search, the type of word game is guess-word game. time and the score controller to add the score. However, This game is usually played by answering the question before adding the score, the algorithm checks the level using the correct word or spelling in Latin alphabets. preference to add score based on it. In this case, the game is modified by using Javanese Compared to the previous research [9], this research script to answer the question that is displayed in Latin presents a different view to make learning Javanese alphabets. To support the case, a word game algorithm script more interesting. The previous research dis- is required. cussed a game to learn Javanese script by matching a A word game algorithm is an algorithm to run the picture with paragraphs which wereIn written in Javanese Presswhole process of the game. In this case, it is specifi- script. However, it was more focused on analyzing the cally used to support the Javanese script characters in result of implementing the game and only presented a the word game. In the application, the algorithm works few details about the game. The game was also played as a part of the main layer to run the whole process traditionally without using technology. On the other of the word game and to support layer to handle the hand, the present research discusses the making of input answer in Javanese script character. Hence, the the game algorithm from a technical perspective by development of this algorithm supports the Javanese using Unified Modelling Language (UML) diagrams to script word game. model the system requirement and evaluate the result The research flow is displayed in Fig. 1. There are of system implementation. three phases: design phase, development phase, and This previous research [22] also presented a game evaluation phase. The first phase focuses on designing which focused on introducing the Javanese script. It the fundamental needs for the system. It starts with was developed using Construct 2 and used Waterfall analyzing system requirement.