Enhancing Cognitive and Character Growth in Early Childhood: The Impact of the AI Edugame 'Si Robot Pintar' in Islamic Boarding Schools

(1) * Jauharotur Rihlah Mail (Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia)
(2) Afib Rulyansah Mail (Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia)
(3) Andini Hardiningrum Mail (Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya, Indonesia)
*corresponding author

Abstract


The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities for early childhood education. However, many Islamic boarding schools (Pondok Pesantren) in Indonesia still face limitations in utilizing digital media for learning. This community service project aimed to develop and implement an AI-based educational game, “Si Robot Pintar,” designed to improve children’s critical thinking and foster positive character traits through Islamic values. The research used the ADDIE development model, involving needs analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The program was carried out in three pesantren in East Java, engaging early childhood students, teachers, and parents. Results showed significant improvements in children’s problem-solving ability, creativity, and character building, especially in honesty, cooperation, and responsibility. Teachers and parents also reported greater engagement and easier facilitation of learning. This project demonstrates that integrating AI technology with Islamic education can provide an effective and innovative approach to strengthening early childhood education in pesantren.

Keywords


Artificial Intelligence; Character Education; Critical Thinking; Edugame; Pesantren

   

DOI

https://doi.org/10.47679/ib.20261293
      

Article metrics

Read: 64 | Download: 93

   

Cite

   

Full Text

Download

References


Ahmed, Q. W., Rönkä, A., Perälä-Littunen, S., & Eerola, P. (2024). Parents’ involvement in their children’s education: Narratives from rural Pakistan. Educational Research, 66(1), 34–50.

Barmpakas, A., & Xinogalos, S. (2023). Designing and evaluating a serious game for learning artificial intelligence algorithms: SpAI War as a case study. Applied Sciences, 13(10), 5828.

Debrenti, E. (2024). Game-based learning experiences in primary mathematics education. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1331312.

Gerlich, M. (2025). AI tools in society: Impacts on cognitive offloading and the future of critical thinking. Societies. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15020001

Jovanović, M., & Campbell, M. (2025). Self-directing AI: The road to fully autonomous AI agents. Computer, 58(2), 71–77.

Li, Y., Chen, D., & Deng, X. (2024). The impact of digital educational games on student’s motivation for learning: The mediating effect of learning engagement and the moderating effect of the digital environment. PLoS ONE, 19(1), e0294350.

Lin, C.-C., Huang, A. Y., & Lu, O. H. (2023). Artificial intelligence in intelligent tutoring systems toward sustainable education: A systematic review. Smart Learning Environments, 10(1), 41.

Nguyen, K. V. (2025). The use of generative AI tools in higher education: Ethical and pedagogical principles. Journal of Academic Ethics, 1–21.

Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A., et al. (2023). Is elementary AI education possible? In SIGCSE 2023 – Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (Vol. 2, p. 1364). Association for Computing Machinery.

Pardamean, B., Suparyanto, T., Cenggoro, T. W., Sudigyo, D., & Anugrahana, A. (2022). AI-based learning style prediction in online learning for primary education. IEEE Access, 10, 35725–35735.

Pramanik, P., & Jana, R. K. (2025). A consumer acceptance model in the artificial intelligence era. Management Decision.

Rihlah, J., Rulyansah, A., Hardiningrum, A., & Shari, D. (2024). Pelatihan media digital edugame untuk mengembangkan multiple intelligence anak usia 5–6 tahun pada era revolusi industri 4.0. Indonesia Berdaya, 5(2), 483–488.

Rihlah, J., Shari, D., & Hardiningrum, A. (2022). Penerapan media digital library untuk mengembangkan kemampuan literasi anak usia dini. Early Childhood: Jurnal Pendidikan, 6(2), 116–124.

Shi, L., Ding, A.-C., & Choi, I. (2024). Investigating teachers’ use of an AI-enabled system and their perceptions of AI integration in science classrooms: A case study. Education Sciences, 14(11), 1187.

Swargiary, K. (2024). The impact of AI-driven personalized learning and intelligent tutoring systems on student engagement and academic achievement: Ethical implications and the digital divide. SSRN.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2026 Jauharotur Rihlah, Afib Rulyansah, Andini Hardiningrum

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Indonesia Berdaya Published By 
Utan Kayu Publishing
 
Lucky Arya Residence 2 No.18.
Jalan HOS. Cokroaminoto Kabupaten Pringsewu
Lampung-Indonesia 35373