From Expert Refinement to Real-World Use: User-Informed Refinement of a Malay Early Reading Module for Children with Dyslexia

Educational module development does not necessarily end when content and design have been reviewed and refined by experts. Expert evaluation and user evaluation address complementary questions, and real-world use may reveal implementation difficulties that are not fully visible before use. This study examined user-informed refinement needs for BACAdys, a structured Malay early reading module designed to support parents in guiding children with dyslexia at home. The study reports a focused qualitative analysis from Phase 3 of a broader Design and Development Research (DDR) project. Six purposively selected parents used the expert-refined BACAdys prototype with their children at home for two weeks and subsequently participated in semi-structured interviews. The original Phase 3 thematic analysis produced six usability themes; the present paper focuses specifically on evidence related to refinement and product development. Four refinement areas were identified. First, additional practice was required selectively for reading patterns that remained unstable, particularly more complex sound combinations. Second, instructional videos were valued but required shorter, topic-specific and slower demonstrations at points of difficulty. Third, visual and manipulative activities needed controlled adaptation because the same activities produced different responses across children. Fourth, requests for higher-level reading materials were better interpreted as future product expansion rather than deficiencies in the current early reading module. The findings indicate that post-use refinement should be targeted rather than additive. User feedback was most useful when it identified a specific implementation difficulty and supported a corresponding design decision rather than simply increasing the amount of content, visual material or digital support. By distinguishing targeted refinement, conditional refinement and future product expansion, the study offers a decision-oriented approach to post-use refinement and highlights real-world user evaluation as a complementary stage after expert refinement in educational product development.

dyslexia, Malay language, parent-mediated literacy, module refinement, user feedback

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