ENHANCING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COMPUTATIONAL THINKING THROUGH SCRATCH-BASED ANIMATION IN INTRODUCTORY PROGRAMMING LEARNING CASE STUDY: AL HARAKI ISLAMIC SCHOOL DEPOK

Zaqi KURNIAWAN; Rizka TIAHARYADINI; Windhy WIDHYANTY

doi:10.33068/iccd.v7i1.877

Zaqi KURNIAWAN Budi Luhur University
Rizka TIAHARYADINI Universitas Budi Luhur
Windhy WIDHYANTY Universitas Budi Luhur

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33068/iccd.v7i1.877

Keywords: Animation, Computational Thinking, Middle School, Programming Education, Scratch

Abstract

This community service project investigates how middle school students at Al Haraki Islamic School in Depok might improve their computational thinking (CT) skills by incorporating Scratch-based animation into introductory programming. The community service program was carried out in phases, which included planning, conducting workshops, assessing participants, and concluding the program. Through interactive animation projects, students learned about pattern recognition, abstraction, algorithmic design, and problem decomposition. Data from the pre- and post-tests demonstrate a notable improvement in CT skills: algorithmic design rose from 58.4 to 82.1, issue decomposition from 61.2 to 79.5, pattern identification from 64.8 to 81.0, and abstraction from 59.7 to 77.3. During workshop sessions, the progressive learning process was reinforced. The average skill level increased from 2.0 at the beginning to 4.86 by the end, with abstraction demonstrating the most gain (+3.3). Surveys of feedback also showed significant motivation (mean = 4.5) and engagement (mean = 4.3) on a 5-point scale, demonstrating that Scratch-based animation promoted creativity and group learning in addition to enhancing cognitive abilities. Student confidence and the necessity of consistent teacher support to guarantee program sustainability were brought to light during reflection sessions. Overall, this strategy worked well to connect middle school students' abstract CT concepts with interesting, actual-life situations.

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