Play & Fun Portal to Support “Steam” Learning Method in Early Childhood

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced learning to change. As stipulated by the government, students of all levels of education, from early childhood to higher education, must eventually study from home through online learning. The online learning process would be effective if it is supported by media and applications that suit the needs of the students. Currently, the e-learning portals seem to be relatively limited, such as Rumah Belajar, sekolah.mu, Zenius, and Ruang Guru. Online learning particularly for early childhood is unique because in this period children learn new things that will shape themselves. One of the most popular and important methods to apply is the STEAM method (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). This method aims to stimulate these five aspects in children. Within this framework, a learning portal that is specifically used for early childhood was made. The output of this research is a learning portal specially used for early age children named the "Play & Fun" portal. In this portal, two main contents are intended to support STEAM learning, namely learning videos of scientific themes and animation-based learning media applications.