Augmented Reality: The Improvement of Computational Thinking Based on Students' Initial Mathematical Ability

Abstract

This study's impetus comes from two factors: students' poor computational thinking (CT) skills in mathematics and the rapid development of information technology in the digital era. Through the use of Augmented Reality (AR)-based educational content powered by Unity 3D, which can be used for both online and offline learning based on Initial Mathematical Ability (IMA), this research explicitly intended to increase students' mathematical computational thinking ability. Augmented reality is the use of three-dimensional virtual objects that are displayed in real time onto a real environment. Students' initial mathematical proficiency, where each student has a distinct learning style, is one of the defining variables in the success of mathematics learning. In this case, students' initial mathematical ability is ability that students possess prior to participating in the learning that will be provided. This study focuses on assessing the fundamental level of mathematical skills that determine a student's readiness to learn under the guidance of a teacher. A total of 30 students were randomly selected from each seventh-grade class at a state junior high school in Pekanbaru to partake in this quasi-experimental study throughout the academic year 2022-2023. The subject matter of this study was flat shapes, particularly triangles and quadrilaterals. The methods employed for data collection included two approaches: (1) administering a test to assess mathematical computational thinking ability and (2) conducting interviews. The interview and documentation data were analyzed in a descriptive manner, while statistical tests were employed to analyze the results of the test. The results indicated that utilizing augmented reality media with Unity 3D to enhance students' mathematical computational thinking ability yielded better outcomes compared to traditional learning methods, particularly for students with lower initial mathematical ability levels.