Carrying Gamification of Indonesian Map to Improve Mental Map in Gen Z, FMIPA UI Geophysics Student Team Wins Excellence Award ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023

The 2021 Geophysics Study Program student team from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) made a proud achievement at the international event, the ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023. This was announced online at the Geo Connect Asia 2023 event on March 16, 2023.

The team, named ArtemiS, carried the idea of ​​gamifying the Indonesian map as a cutting-edge technology to improve public understanding, especially Gen Z, about the standard map of Indonesia and as an acceleration of digital tourism.

For their idea, the team consisting of Adnan Hasyim Wibowo, Abimanyu Dharma Kamanungasan, Azhari Ramadhani, and Stella Eulia Andoko won the Excellence Award.

For information, gamification is a method or concept of online learning that uses mechanics based on elements in a game as a learning approach. game sebagai pendekatan pembelajaran.

Team leader Adnan Hasyim Wibowo, or Hasyim as he is familiarly known, explained to the FMIPA UI public relations team that his team was carrying the idea Gamification of the Indonesian Standard Map as an Advanced Tool for Improvinf the Indonesian Society’s Mental Map and Accelerating Digital Tourism to Realize Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN.

"In our opinion, this gamification can make online learning more fun. Because there is a kind of satisfaction when the user succeeds in achieving certain things in the gamification," said Hasyim explaining the background of the team choosing the idea of ​​gamification in their project to the FMIPA UI public relations.

This project, he continued, converts Digital Elevation Model Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (DEM SRTM) data from standard Indonesian maps, then combines it with land cover maps from geospatial information institutions that are processed into the Minecraft game.

Election background game minecraft in this Geospatial Information System (GIS) project, because the team considered Minecraft to be able to hone creativity. Minecraft itself is a sandbox game developed by Swedish game developer Mojang Studios.

Game This is one of the game options that has been widely used as a gamification medium. Its popularity supported by its creative community makes Minecraft have unlimited exploration potential.

"Minecraft, which has a feature to create maps based on our imagination and creativity, allows players to duplicate various landscapes that exist in real life," said Hasyim.

However, unfortunately, according to the team, there are still few parties who look at the potential for Minecraft gamification to be applied as a learning medium and digital tourism.

The results of the gamification are tools to realize sustainable development goals, especially points 4, 9, 16, and 17.

"This project combines conventional spatial data with instruments that are more relevant, interesting, and in line with current trends," he said.

He added that this project utilizes geospatial data processing software, namely MicroDem and WorldPainter, to recreate the map of Indonesia in the Minecraft game.

"This project has very significant implementation feasibility and development potential, which can be proven through several trials that have been and will be carried out by the project initiator," he said explaining the advantages of the project.

The initial steps of Hasyim and the team began in February 2023. The team shared tasks between a fairly busy lecture schedule. Hasyim, the team leader is tasked with conducting feasibility and potential tests and as the overall editor, while Abimanyu is tasked with calibrating the virtual space in Minecraft and testing the virtual space, Azhari is tasked with analyzing the novelty that is carried and ensuring its relevance to the SDGs, and Stella plays a role in processing DEM SRTM data, namely data that displays the topography or shape of the earth's surface based on satellite height data that will be used as the Minecraft world (virtual space).

ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023: Geospatial Youth Edition is a competition that promotes the use of geospatial technology and information in order to support Southeast Asian countries in achieving the SDGs set by the UN. This competition is targeted at students from Higher Education Institutions (IHL) in the ASEAN region.

ASEAN Geospatial Challenge 2023 is organized by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) Geoworks and supported by the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) at the national level. The national level competition was held on January 16 - February 13, 2023, while the international level competition was held on February 12 - March 16, 2023.

News source : https://sci.ui.ac.id/