Mochamad Danuadjie Prayogi, Titi Prihatin

Improving Students’ self-directed learning through visual novel games: its effectiveness and potential

Introduction

Improving students’ self-directed learning through visual novel games: its effectiveness and potential. Explore how visual novel games improve primary students' self-directed learning in science (IPAS). This study developed & validated an educational game, showing significant improvement in student engagement.

Abstract

The Merdeka Curriculum introduces Natural and Social Science (NSP)/Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam dan Sosial (IPAS) subjects to improve science literacy among primary school students. However, in one of the public elementary schools in Semarang, teachers still dominantly use the lecture method and textbooks, causing the science understanding of class 5A students in the 2023/2024 school year to remain low, as seen from the unsatisfactory results of daily tests and STS. This study aims to develop learning media through IPAS-based visual novel educational games with a Development Research approach using the ADDIE method and a one-group pretest-posttest research design. The sample consisted of 30 students from class 5A who were selected by purposive sampling. The game media was developed using the Ren'Py application and validated by media and material experts. The validation results showed the game had a very high level of validity. The effectiveness test showed increased self-directed learning with an N-Gain value of 0.73, indicating that the game is quite effective. The visual novel game ‘Earth and Environment’ is expected to help teachers overcome the limitations of digital media in IPAS learning and improve students' self-directed learning ability.

Review

This study presents a timely and relevant exploration into enhancing primary school students' self-directed learning (SDL) in Natural and Social Science (IPAS) through an innovative visual novel educational game. Addressing a common pedagogical challenge in the Merdeka Curriculum, where traditional lecture methods limit student engagement and understanding, the authors have employed a rigorous Development Research approach utilizing the ADDIE model. The one-group pretest-posttest design, complemented by expert validation of the game media, establishes a clear methodological framework for developing and initially assessing the proposed intervention. The clear identification of the problem in a specific school context in Semarang lends strong justification to the research endeavor. The findings indicate promising results, with the developed visual novel game, 'Earth and Environment,' achieving a "very high level of validity" from expert review and demonstrating "quite effective" improvements in students' self-directed learning, evidenced by an N-Gain value of 0.73. This suggests that the game holds significant potential as a digital learning tool to address the identified limitations of conventional teaching methods. While the positive N-Gain is encouraging, the reliance on a one-group pretest-posttest design, though appropriate for development research, inherently limits the ability to draw strong causal inferences about the game's effectiveness compared to alternative interventions or a control group. Further detail on the specific instruments used to measure self-directed learning would also enhance the understanding of this critical outcome. Overall, this study makes a valuable contribution by developing and initially validating an innovative digital learning medium specifically tailored to the IPAS curriculum. The visual novel game offers a creative solution for teachers seeking to integrate digital resources and foster greater student autonomy in learning. To build upon these foundational findings, future research could consider incorporating a control group or quasi-experimental design to strengthen causal claims, evaluate long-term retention of self-directed learning skills, and explore the generalizability of these results across different school settings and student populations. This work lays a strong groundwork for further investigations into the efficacy of game-based learning for primary education.

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