Designing robot-assisted instructional tools to introduce coding concepts to young children

This study aims to develop an educational robot medium as a learning tool for coding among early childhood using a tangible programming approach that aligns with the cognitive and motor development characteristics of children. The development addresses the need for interactive, safe coding learning media capable of integrating foundational skills such as sequencing, pattern recognition, and problem solving. The research employs a research and development (R&D) method, adapting the Borg & Gall model integrated with the Waterfall Model for hardware and software development of the robot. The research process encompasses needs analysis, product design, prototype development, limited trial, revision, field trial, and validation by content and media experts. The results indicate that the developed robot exhibits excellent performance based on black-box testing, with all input-output functions operating consistently, responsively, and safely for early childhood use. Content expert validation yields a feasibility level of 89.3%, whereas media expert validation achieves 90.4%, both categorized as highly feasible. Furthermore, the robot enhances children's engagement and provides concrete learning experiences in understanding basic coding concepts. Thus, this robot medium is deemed effective and feasible for use as a supplementary tool in coding instruction within early childhood education (PAUD) settings, with potential to bolster digital literacy and computational thinking skills from an early age.