Immersive Application for Fostering Children’s Artistic Development and Environmental Awareness
Wandah Wibawanto, Rahina Nugrahani · Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in social science, education and humanities research · 2024
This study aims to develop a novel immersive application, named "ECOCIA," an innovative immersive application designed to enhance children's artistic development through coloring activities while promoting environmental awareness.Ecocia's combining conventional coloring activities with interactive animations, the application motivates children to actively participate in environmental problem-solving scenarios, nurturing a sense of agency and responsibility for the environment.Utilizing the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method, the application underwent iterative stages of analysis, design, development, testing, and implementation to ensure its effectiveness in engaging children with environmental themes.In this research, 20 grade 3 and grade 4 children from a private elementary school in Semarang participated in the pilot study.The results of the pilot study reveal compelling insights into Ecocia's impact on children's engagement and environmental consciousness.The data collected were measured on a Likert scale, capturing the duration of coloring, number of colors used, interactions with virtual objects, responses to environmental challenges, and the ability to sort virtual garbage.The majority of participants demonstrated high engagement with the interactive virtual objects and displayed positive responses towards environmental issuesFurthermore, the gamified elements stimulate children's critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, promoting a deeper understanding of the significance of environmental preservation.The immersive learning experience created by Ecocia empowers children to perceive art as a vehicle for environmental advocacy, encouraging them to take on active roles in caring for the planet.While the pilot study provided promising results, further research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to validate Ecocia's effectiveness in different educational settings.Longitudinal studies tracking the long-term impact of the application on children's environmental attitudes and behaviors would offer valuable insights into its lasting effects.In conclusion, Ecocia presents an innovative and effective tool for combining art education with environmental awareness.By creating a dynamic and interactive learning experience, Ecocia instills in children a strong sense of environmental responsibility, preparing them to become proactive stewards of our planet.As we strive towards a sustainable future, educational tools like Ecocia offer a promising pathway to nurturing environmentally conscious and socially responsible citizens who can make a positive impact on the world..