Ministry: Digital Interactive Boards Help Papua Pupils Understand Abstract Concepts

Jakarta (ANTARA) — The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) says Digital Interactive Boards (PID) are helping pupils at SMA Negeri 2 in Jayapura, Papua, understand abstract learning concepts through visualisations, animations and educational games, making lessons more interactive.

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti said the boards had received a positive response because they helped teachers present material in a more engaging way and supported the implementation of deep learning.

“We hope that the use of learning technology through PID will sustain pupils’ enthusiasm and increase their motivation to learn at school,” Abdul Mu’ti said in a written statement in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.

Chemistry teacher Hardianti said the boards helped her explain material that was difficult to observe directly, including through the Virtual Stoichiometry Laboratory on the Rumah Pendidikan platform.

“When I learned about PID, I felt greatly helped. Subjects include abstract material that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Pupils sometimes ask what it looks like in practice. With PID, I can find and show animations that help them understand things that were previously difficult to imagine,” Hardianti said.

She said the boards not only made it easier for teachers to present material, but also encouraged them to develop creative teaching methods suited to pupils’ needs.

The devices have also changed classroom dynamics. Hardianti said pupils found it easier to work together on teacher-designed assignments, making learning less centred on delivering material and involving pupils more actively.

She added that the use of technology needed to be matched by teacher innovation to make lessons more engaging and boost pupils’ motivation to understand the material.

The benefits of PID have also been felt by Nelson Mariadu, a Year 11 pupil at SMA Negeri 2 Jayapura. He said visual presentations helped him understand chemistry concepts that had previously been difficult to imagine.

Nelson cited electron configurations and molecular shapes as topics he could study through visualisations and educational games on the devices. He could also practise balancing chemical equations and identifying electron configurations through interactive activities with his classmates.

“Educational games, such as exercises on balancing chemical equations and identifying electron configurations, have also been a memorable experience for me. Through these activities, my friends and I can learn the concepts step by step and understand chemistry in a broader context,” Nelson said.

In 2026, Kemendikdasmen distributed 2,688 PID units to 1,409 schools in Papua, with a total budget of more than Rp83 billion.

In Jayapura city alone, 410 units were distributed to 144 schools, with a budget of more than Rp12 billion.