Mobile Game Education for Developing Soft Skill of Elementary
School Students
Cepi Riyana
Education Technology Study Program, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Mobile Game, Character Education, Soft Skill, Edge Animate.
Abstract: One of the proper innovations to develop student’s character (soft skill) is through exploring Mobile Game
Education. It is an online game application that is operated by using mobile communication devices such as
smartphones and tablets. This research aims to develop models of Mobile Game applications that contain
character education teaching about soft skill such as: ability in communicating, cooperating, problem solving,
creative thinking, collaborating and others. The results of this study are (1) The design of computer based
game model by using game format, which aims to provide atmosphere or environment that provides learning
facilities to develop students' abilities in the aspect of attitude / soft skill. This is in accordance with the profile
of mobile game application which was designed by considering aspects and characteristics of objectives,
materials, students and the availability of facilities. (2) The procedure in conducting development of mobile
game media in this research is through the stages of: (a) Conducting need analysis of Mobile Game Model,
(b) Conducting soft skill competence analysis. This activity describes what soft skill competencies are
required by students who will be integrated with mobile games, (c) Product design development, (d) Software
development in the form of program development by using programming language and Edge Animed
software, (e) Software Testing / Validation which is done in stages, they are limited trials involving end users
and expert judgment, (f) Product Dissemination which is conducted through dissemination of research results.
(3) Based on the interviews with the end users, who are teachers in general, there is generally a positive
response to the use of mobile game media as a medium in developing the students’ character and soft skill in
elementary school.
1 BACKGROUND
Entering the era of Asean Economic Community
(MEA), Indonesia is increasingly being confronted by
various challenges. Superior, competitive and
characterized human resources is the key to the
success of the nation in facing the free market era.
MEA is an agreement among countries in Southeast
Asia to open free market opportunities within the
ASEAN region. MEA stands for Masyarakat
Ekonomi Asean or Asean Economic Community. By
the opening of a free market, it makes the commodity
services and goods can enter easily among countries
in Southeast Asia.
The success of a country in the struggle of MEA
is determined by the capacity and ability of human
resources to compete, collaborate, synergize and
achieve a broad market. In general, there are two
required capabilities, namely hard skill and soft skill.
Hard skill here is a master of science, technology, and
technical skills related to the field of science.
Meanwhile, soft skill is a person's skill in dealing with
other people (interpersonal skills) and skills in
managing himself (intrapersonal skills) that are able
to develop maximum performance (Dennis E. Coates,
2006).
Heri (2015) explains that there are many theories
explaining and describing the criteria of a successful
career, almost entirely soft skill elements such as
leadership, attitude, team work, synergy, and others
that dominate the survey results of answers to the key
criteria for success. Many researchers believe that the
key to the success of MEA lies in the mastery of the
soft skill of human resources. Soft skill is referred to
as: foreign language skill, public speaking skill,
leadership skill, negotiation skill, networking ability,
professionalism, humility and others.
In the science paradigm, soft skill education is
seen as the other form of learning outcomes in the
form of attitude. Bloom, et al divide the learning
domain into three, namely cognitive, affective and
psychomotor. Affective domain includes everything
128
Riyana, C.
Mobile Game Education for Developing Soft Skill of Elementary School Students.
In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences (ICES 2017) - Volume 2, pages 128-134
ISBN: 978-989-758-314-8
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

associated with emotions, such as feeling, value,
reward, passion, interest, motivation, and attitude.
The five categories of these realms are sorted from
the simple to the most complex behaviors. Judging
from the characteristics, this realm is crossing with
the current and future soft skills which become the
main thing needed from the human resources of
Indonesia. In the national curriculum, the orientation
of attitude building is positioned more dominantly at
the elementary level of education.
Figure 1: Hard skill Formulation (Knowledge &
Skills) and Soft skill (Attitude) in the National
Curriculum.
Government through the formula of National
Curriculum locating attitude education at elementary
level of education. At this stage the attitude educating
is more dominant than the knowledge and skills. This
is in line with the national vision of the nation's
character education. The need for character
education, according to Suyanto (2012) should be
applied since childhood or commonly called by the
psychologists as golden age, because this age is
proven to determine the ability of children in
developing their potential. The results showed that
about 50% of adult intelligence variability has
occurred when the children are 4 years old. The next
30% increasing occurs at the age of 8, and the
remaining of 20% in the middle or end of the second
decade. From here, it is suitable for character
education to be started from an early age through
various appropriate strategies based on the
characteristics of children
Currently we already entered the era of Digital
Native, the generation that was born in a time when
the development of digital technology took place. The
characteristics of this generation are; they are not
clumsy and easy to operate a variety of gadgets today
even though they are using it for the first time, more
media literate, like being in social groups in the
virtual world, and like to update information about
gadgets and upgrade their own gadget (Festiyed,
2010). Thus, the elementary school children have
been accustomed to using digital devices, one of
which is game.
One of the current children habits is playing
computer-based games (online games and mobile
games). According to Komang (2004) the number of
game in video players in Indonesia increased 33%
every year. This indicates the possibility of an
increasing in the number of elementary school
students who play game in Indonesia, so it will impact
on the students’ behavior as an excess of the games.
Research conducted by a well-known University
of Oxford shows that online games, in a proportional
playing time, will actually produce more positive
effects for children. By using nearly 5,000 children,
aged from 10-15 years old as research subjects, from
those who never play games at all to those who spend
hours each day, Oxford University found surprising
results. This study concluded that children who play
games maximum of 1 hour / day or less turned out to
have a happier emotional state and more easily adapt
to the environment. Higher social abilities, less life
satisfaction, less emotional and friendship issues, and
not being hyperactive are some of the positive things
found out.
Some experts explain about some of the benefits
of online gaming: (1) training problem-solving and
logic (Perrone 1996), (2) increasing attention and
motivation (Rosas, 2003); (3) training coordination,
motor and spatial skills (Beck 2003) 4) teaching
children resources and skill management, (5) training
in making quick analysis and decisions, (6) training
in thinking in depth (Liu 2003), (7) honing teamwork
and (8) with Simulations, training to adapt to real-
world situations.
However, the phenomenon in Indonesia, online
games are generally entertainment, even have a
tendency to teach violence. Among the enormous
benefits of gaming and becoming a magic for kids
especially elementary school, a new breakthrough is
required to provide more games with educational
content that teach soft skill which is then called
education games.
The existence of educational games in Indonesia
is still rare. In general, games used by Indonesian
children are made by foreigners with characters,
content and spirit that comes out of the ideology,
culture and spirit of Indonesian culture. The latest
data released by the NPD Group titled Mobile
Gaming 2015 shows mobile gaming players, those
who play on smartphones, iPod touch or tablets play
more and they more often played in a longer time than
two years ago. Average time spent playing games on
a typical day has increased 57 percent to more than
two hours per day by 2014 compared to one hour and
Mobile Game Education for Developing Soft Skill of Elementary School Students
129

20 minutes in 2013 ago. Mostly if a long time is used
by Indonesian children to access educational games
in which create educational content loaded with soft
skill content and character education, of course the
impact will be more Indonesian children grow up
with better character.
Based on the importance of character education
with soft skill-based required the right strategy to
internalize the students. On the other hand, the
interest of children especially in elementary school to
mobile games is very large and will continue to
increase, so if it is combined into a masterpiece and
has a great value that is educational game containing
soft skill educational content. The foundation of the
research team is interested in conducting research on
"Development of Edge Animated Edge-based Mobile
Games Education to improve students’ soft skill in
Elementary School in West Java".
Referring to the background of the above
problems, it can be drawn that the need for the media
that facilitate the students especially at the elementary
school level that is able to hone and develop the
superior characters especially the soft skill field.
Digital media especially Mobile Games become one
of the alternatives that can be used. In general, the
problem in this research is "How to develop Mobile
Game Education that can strengthen Soft Skill of
Elementary School Students?". Specifically, the
problems in this research can be described as follows:
1. How is the design of Mobile Game Education as
a medium for the soft skill development of
Elementary School Students?
2. How is the Design Development Procedure of
Mobile Game Education as a medium for the
development of students’ Softskill in
Elementary School?
3. How is the Design Validity of Mobile Game
Education as a medium for the development of
students’ Softskill in Elementary School?
4. What is the response of Students and Teachers
of the design of Mobile Game Education as a
medium for the development of students’
Softskill in Elementary School?
The general purpose of this research is to produce
Mobile Game Education as a medium for the soft skill
development of Elementary School Students. This
research produces excellent products that will greatly
contribute in helping character education through the
utilization of digital gadgets that have become the
children’s daily stuff in Indonesia. To get as much
benefit as possible from this product, a massive
product implementation strategy is required. The
application can use three patterns, namely:
1. Integrated learning. This pattern makes mobile
game education products incorporated into the
school curriculum. The teacher systematically
integrates this product in the learning process as
well as in the assignment (resitation).
2. In-Direct. This pattern makes mobile game
education not only utilized by school in
learning, but disseminated on target through
general distribution patterns and become the
current trend. The researcher will endeavor in
various ways so that this product can be
disseminated optimally. Efforts that are made
such as: (1) promotion through web / youtube,
(2) installation of applications on playstore, I-
tune and other media markets, (3) dissemination
through social media netwok.
3. Efforts to apply the results of research can also
be done by providing seminar/workshop to the
targets both local, national and regional,
including in the form of scientific publications.
2 METHODS
The method used in this research is Design and
Development, referring to Richey and Klein's (2004)
'Design & Development Research' book by D&D
Research is “the systematic study of design,
development and evaluation processes with the aim
of establishing an empirical basis for creation of
instructional and non-instructional products and tools
and new or enhanced models that govern their
development.
Referring to the above definition, there are some
major points we can conclude:
1. Design and Development Research is a
systematic study (which includes the process of
design, development and evaluation). It means
that, similar to other studies, this study has
certain rules that must be well designed and
planned.
2. The goal is to create both instructional and non-
learning product and tool. Thus, the output of
design and development research can be in the
form of products and tools.
3. The resulted products and tools can be either new
or improvement from the existing ones.
4. The products / models that are produced have
been through a series of validation so as to have
the feasibility of aspects of technology and
education.
The procedure of research implementation that
refers to Hevner et al. (2004) developed through 6
steps, namely: a) identify problems, (b) describe the
objectives; c) design and develop products / models
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
130

d) model testing, (e) evaluation of test results, (f)
communicate the resulting.
Figure 2: Research Procedure.
From the picture above, it can be integrated into
specific procedures in accordance with the context of
this research aimed at developing computer-based
competency test. Specifically, the steps to be taken
are:
a) Identify problems related to basic teaching skill
problems Teachers who are the subject of
research, to be developed through the utilization
of Digital Media (Video)
b) Setting the program objectives, namely the final
achievement to be obtained in connection Digital
Media development to improve the ability of
teachers related pedagogic competence
c) Create a design (Storyboard / Script) and develop
a drum Model in the form of Digital Media
(Video);
d) Test / Test Model Try the system
e) Evaluation of the Digital Media test that has been
previously created in step 4 above and revise the
existing entries.
f) Socializing Digital Media Models to a wider
range of things and to end users (End Users)
Subjects in this study are teachers who will follow
the Video product and will be a tester of the product
made samples to be determined then with purposive
sampling. The research location in Bandung, the
school laboratory research UPI. Instrument used,
such as (1) The study documentation, (2) Study of
Literature, (3) Interviews (4) Observation.
3 RESULTS
3.1 The Design of Mobile Game
Education as a Medium for the
Development of Soft Skill
Elementary School Students
Design of computer-based Games Model using game
format, which aims to provide an atmosphere or
environment that provides learning facilities to
enhance students' abilities. For learning games better
known as Instructional Games has a Basic
Component as a generator of motivation by raising a
way to compete to achieve the expected learning
objectives.
Nowadays more games are used as a means of
playing for children, games on the market are not
enough to have the educational content, but the
interest of children to play games is very high.
Instructional games attempt to present a game that
remains attractive for students but also has a high
learning element. Instructional Games is quite
developed in developed countries, for example:
Decimal dart, How the west was on, Ordeal of Hang
Man, Rocky Boot, Archaeology search. From the
examples of instructional games, the characteristic of
the games model is illustrated.
This game model has several principles that are
different from other models such as Drill, Tutorial
and Simulation. There are several principles of this
Design Model Games:
a) Purpose Clarity. The model games have a clear
purpose from the early students playing.
Objectives have been explicitly stated so that
students know the purpose of the game. Goals are
not solely for entertainment, but the learning
objectives drawn from the curriculum are used.
Indicators of goal achievement can be seen from
the success of students to pass all the challenges
in the game is also from the score obtained.
b) There are rules. namely the determination of
every action that can be done and which cannot
be done by the player. The rules may change as
long as it is to avoid the weaknesses that occur
with those rules and to make the game more
interesting.
c) The existence of the Competition, the program
must provide facilities where students compete
with other parties to be the best, such as attacking
the opponent, against yourself, against the
opportunity or time set. Students will be happy if
it has been a winner, and that's what makes the
model games become interesting for students.
d) A Challenge. Games provide several levels of
play from the easy medium to the difficult level
of a challenge for students.
Here's the design of the resulting game model:
identify
problems,
Describe the
objectives
Design and
develop
product/
model
Model
Testing
Evaluation
of test
result
Communicate
the resulting
product
1 2 3 4 5 6
Mobile Game Education for Developing Soft Skill of Elementary School Students
131

Figure 3: Game Design.
3.2 Procedure of Design Development
of Mobile Game Education as the
Media of Development Students’
Soft Skill in Elementary School.
The activities to be undertaken in this research can
generally be described as follows:
a) Conducting Need Analysis of Mobile Game
Education Model. At this stage some principles
analyse are concerned with: (1) Analysis of
government policies related to character
education and the use of IT in the community, (2)
Situation analysis, (3) Analysis of end users in
this case are elementary, and (4) Analysis of
social condition of society.
b) This activity describes about what soft skill
competencies are needed by students who will be
integrated with mobile games. Also supported
from the perspective of learning 21st century
(21st Century Learning). Developing the
competence indicators of Soft skill.
c) Product Design Development. At this stage some
activities are done, namely: GBPM
Development, SKPL Making, Storyboard
Making and Mobile Architecture Making.
d) Software Development. Activities in this phase is
in the form of program development using
program language and Edge Animed software, in
addition to the production of animated games
using 3D animation software. And then Sound
Recording and the last is Testing.
e) Software Testing / Validation. Applications that
have been made further in the trial before used in
a broad scale. The trial is done in stages, i.e.
limited trials involving end users and expert
judgment.
f) Product Dissemination. After the product is
considered final, then the researcher’s job is
doing dissemination of research result.
Dissemination is done in the form of: national
seminars, Worksop and promotion through web
application (Web Promotion).
g) Scientific Publication. Publication is an
obligation for the researcher, as a consequence of
the result of the research. Publications planned in
this research include: the creation of national
journals and publications in the form of
International Journals.
The activity of this model is generally described
in the figure 4:
Figure 4: Research Flowchart.
The results of this research that resulted in "Edge
Animed Edge-based Mobile Game Education"
contain novelty elements, with the consideration that
the games circulating in the community are generally
just for entertainment not for education. Thus, the
release of the game in education into a new
breakthrough. In addition, the current software
technology has led to an application that is Edge
Animed that not many people know, although the
power is able to make mobile games very
sophisticated.
3.3 Teacher's Response to Mobile
Game Education Design as a
Medium for the Development of
Students’ Soft Skill in Elementary
School
The results of interviews with elementary school
teachers in the area of Bandung City can be analysed
as follows: (1) This media has the usefulness as
Media Game Budi Pekerti in developing Character
Education at Basic Education Level, it is recognized
System Need Analysis
- Policy analysis,
- Contect analysi s,
- Learner analysis,
- Social analysis
Soft skill Competency
Analysis
- Curriculum analysi s,
- 21Century skill analysi s,
- Competency indicator
Product Design
Development
- GBPM development,
- SKPL Making,
- Storyboard Making and
- Mobile Architecture
Making
SoftwareDevelopment
- Coding
- Animating
- Sound recording
-Testing
SoftwareValidation
- Limited trial
- Expert judgement
- User response
Product Dissemination
- National seminar,
-Workshop,
-Web promotion
HKI
HKI handling on the
related party
Scientific Publication
- National journal
- International journal
ICES 2017 - 1st International Conference on Educational Sciences
132

by all respondents, (2) Media is interesting or students
(3) It is easy to use by the target users of Primary
Education level students, (4) This media has a visual
display quality (Interfacing), visual clarity and quality
of image, (5) This media has sound quality (Music &
Sound Effect), clearly heard by the user, and right in
the selection of his voice, (6) There are facilities
(Tool Navigation) that can be used well, there is no
operation problem, (7) on the asset of interactivity
(program response to user activity), (8) There is a
conformity of this Game with the Character
Education Content (9) There is an authenticity aspect
of the program (Originality) and (10 Substance games
have conformity with the education and not deviate
from the rules and elements of SARA.
4 DISCUSSION
The Games Model is a computer-based learning
model using game formats, which aims to provide an
atmosphere or environment that provides learning
facilities to enhance students' abilities. For learning
games, it is better known as Instructional Games has
a Basic Component as a generator of motivation by
raising a way to compete to achieve the expected
learning objectives.
Nowadays more games are used as a means of
playing for children, games on the market are not
enough to have the educational content, but the
interest of children to play games is very high.
Instructional games attempt to present a game that
remains attractive for students but also has a high
learning element. Instructional Games is quite
developed in developed countries, for example:
Decimal dart, How the west was on, Ordeal of Hang
Man, Rocky Boot, Archaeology search and others.
From the examples of instructional games, the
characteristic of the games model is illustrated.
Soft skills can be interpreted as a person's
performance in interpersonal skills and intra-personal
skills that can maximize one's performance. Here are
some examples that included in the skill set up its own
are: (a) transforming character, (b) transforming
beliefs, (c) change management, (d) stress
management, (e) time management, (f) creative
thinking processes, (h) goal setting and life purpose,
(i) accelerated learning techniques, etc. Examples of
skills in dealing with others include: (a)
communication skill, (b) relationship building, (c)
motivation skills, (d) leadership skills, (e) self-
marketing skills, (f) negotiation skills, (g)
presentation skills, (h) public speaking skills.
According to Bloom, et al. Learning outcomes are
grouped into three: cognitive, motoric, and affective.
Affective is associated with "feelings, emotions,
value systems, and attitude." This affective goal can
be detailed from a simple "pay attention to a
phenomenon" to a complex that is an internal factor
of a person like personality and conscience. Affective
taxonomy was developed by Krathwohhl, et al. They
develop affective taxonomies in five levels ranging
from (a) recognition, (b) response, (c) respect for
value, (d) organizing and up to (e) practice.
At the highest level the attributive (characterization)
of attributes (i.e. value of honesty, discipline, etc.) has
become an inseparable part of a person, or has
become his character. At a high rate of change such
as respect for value (valuing), organizing and
characterization of behaviors that are indicators of
achievable goals are overlapped, and cannot be
separated expressly. This suggests that although
conceptually these levels can be separated, the
formulation of objectives cannot be clearly
distinguished. It is precisely this that makes affective
goals difficult to evaluate whether or not to achieve.
Personal development is broader than the system of
values, morals, ethics, motivation and social
competence (all of which are attributes of affective
competence). Even expressed personal development
(self-development) is the culmination of affective
competence. The attributes of affective competence
according to Martin and Briggs include: values,
morals and ethics, attitudes, social competence,
motivation, interests, and emotions and feelings.
Many lecturers have recognized the affective domain
learning objectives (most of them are obtained
through.
5 CONCLUSION
This research can be summarized as follows: (1)
Design of computer-based Games Model using game
format, which aims to provide atmosphere or
environment that provides learning facility to develop
student's ability in attitude / soft skill aspect, is in
accordance with the profile of mobile game
application which is designed by considering aspects
and characteristics of objectives, materials, students
and the availability of facilities. (2) Procedures in
performing mobile media development in this
research through stages: (a) Conducting Need
Analysis of Mobile Game Model, (b) Conducting
Soft Skill Competence analysis. This activity
describes what soft skill competencies are needed by
the students who will be integrated with mobile
games, (c) Product Design Development, (d)
Software Development, such as programming
language and Edge Animed software, (e) Software
Testing / Validation done in stages, i.e. limited trials
involving end users and expert judgment, (f) Product
Mobile Game Education for Developing Soft Skill of Elementary School Students
133

Dissemination conducted through dissemination of
research results. (3) From the interviews with
teachers as the end users, there is generally a positive
response to the use of mobile game media as a
medium in developing the students’ character and soft
skill in elementary school.
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