INTERNATIONAL SMART KIDS PROGRAM: INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS AND SCRATCHES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

KEDAH, MALAYSIA – Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) through the Faculty of Computer Science has succeeded in holding a program to increase digital literacy for elementary school students in Kedah,Malaysia. The program entitled "International Smart Kids: Introduction to Robotics and Scratch forElementary School Children” was attended by students from 13 elementary schools and was officially opened byTypical Employee YB Minister of Education Malaysia on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.

This activity took place at the Ulu Sedaka National School, Yan, Kedahintroduces the concept of visual programming using the Scratch application and robotics
educational for students in grades 4-6. This program is a form of educational collaborationinternational program which aims to improve students' digital skills from an early age.

“Programs like this are very useful for students in Malaysia because they can afford itincrease enthusiasm for learning and interest in technology. Initiatives like this are also includedsupports the Malaysian Ministry of Education's efforts to strengthen digital skillsand expanding the international cooperation network in the field of education," said PJK PegawaiTypical YB Minister of Education Malaysia when opening the activity.

The head of the program, Ir. Lukman Syafie, S.Si., M.Sc., MTA explained that this programInitially it was only targeted at the Ulu Sedaka National School as the main partner. However,considering the importance of digital literacy for elementary school students, this activity is developing withinvited 12 other schools in the Kedah area.

“The extraordinary enthusiasm of the students shows that they are very interestedwith technology. It's just that, so far they haven't had the opportunity tolearn it directly. Through this program, we want to introduce the conceptprogramming in a way that is fun and easy for children to understand," explained LukmanSyafie.

This program uses a hands-on learning approach or direct learning withpractice. Students not only hear theory, but immediately practice making animationsand simple games using Scratch, a visual programming applicationdeveloped by MIT and has been used by millions of children around the world.

Anita Badriah Binti Abd Rahman, Professor at the Ulu Sedaka National School who washost of the activity, expressed his hope to establish sustainable cooperationwith UMI. “We really appreciate the initiative of the Lecturers from the Muslim UniversityIndonesia has brought this international digital literacy program to Malaysia.Building technological skills is an important aspect in preparing the next generationyoung people face the challenges of today's digital era. We hope that an initiative like this can be achievedcontinued and implemented periodically in the future," he said.

The principals of the 13 participating schools also expressed high appreciation forprogram implementation. They assess that this program provides a good learning experiencedifferent and helps students develop 21st century skills such as logical thinking,creativity, and problem solving.

The program implementation team consists of three lecturers from the UMI Faculty of Computer Science, namely Ir. LukmanSyafie, S.Si., M.Si., MTA as chairman, as well as Herman, S.Kom., M.Cs., MTA and Dr. IhwanaAs'ad, S.Ag., M.Sc., MTA as member.

As an output of this program, the UMI team also developed Scratch and learning modules
robotics specially designed for elementary school students. This module has been submitted to 13participating schools as a reference for continuous learning in their respective schools.

Dean of the UMI Faculty of Computer Science, Ir. Purnawansyah, M.Kom., MTA stated thatThis program is part of UMI's commitment to developing collaborationinternationally and make a real contribution to improving the quality of education in the regionASEAN.

"UMI has a responsibility not only to educate students, but also to contributefor the wider community. International service programs like this strengthen UMI's networkat the global level while bringing direct benefits to children's education," he said.

The International Smart Kids program is funded by the Indonesian Muslim University throughCommunity Service Institution (LPkM). This activity will also be published inaccredited national service journal as a form of dissemination of program results.

With the success of this initial program, UMI plans to develop the programsimilar to more diverse material, such as an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) andmobile application development for high school students, as well as expanding reach toother ASEAN countries.