Evaluasi Gamifikasi Berbasis Educandy untuk Meningkatkan Keterampilan Membaca dan Menulis Siswa Sekolah Dasar

Abstract

Reading and writing literacy in primary education requires instruction that is not only interactive but also explicitly aligned with literacy competencies. This study evaluates Educandy-based gamification as a digital medium for supporting reading and writing skills, addressing the limited evidence on Educandy beyond language practice and general learning outcomes. A quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Participants were 20 fifth-grade students at SD Janjimanaon, South Tapanuli, who received two 60-minute intervention sessions. Data were collected through pretests and posttests and analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, paired-samples t-test, Cohen’s d, and N-gain. Mean reading scores increased from 62.05 to 70.95, while writing scores increased from 61.90 to 69.85. The changes were significant for reading, t(19) = 4.541, p < .001, d = 1.02, and writing, t(19) = 3.910, p < .001, d = 0.87. However, N-gain values of 0.23 and 0.21 indicated low gains. The study provides initial evidence of simultaneous changes in reading and writing through Educandy-based gamification, while demonstrating that statistical significance does not necessarily indicate substantial improvement. The findings underscore the importance of aligning game design with literacy objectives. The absence of a control group limits causal attribution and warrants further testing with larger samples and longer interventions.