Comic Assisted by Augmented Reality: Its Use to Empower Students’ Critical Thinking Skill

Abstract

The pandemic is ongoing, and teachers must continue to transfer knowledge to their students. Students' frustration during the pandemic caused their thinking ability and performance to decline. The purpose of our research is to empower students’ Critical Thinking Skills (CTS) using comic media assisted by augmented learning (AR). Research has used a one-group pre-test – post-test design. This research was conducted on nineteen students of class XI science in a public high school senior during online learning. Thirty multiple-choice items measured students’ CTS. Data were analyzed by determining the average, n-gain, and significant changes in CTS using paired t-test. The results of the study revealed that the average CTS of students was 80.95, n-gain = 0.74 and P = 0.00 < 0.05. This research found that AR-assisted comic learning media can have a significant impact on the CTS of students. The increase in student CTS is in the high category with outstanding CTS achievements. Comic and AR media are combined as a form of innovation to strengthen students' CTS. This study concludes that comics and AR media can empower students’ CTS. The combination of comics and AR becomes a medium to empower students’ CTS and can be used by teachers to meet the needs of learning resources during the pandemic era.