Transforming Science Learning Through Arduino-IoT Integrated 3C-STEMLAB: Skills and Digital Competency
, Menza Hendri, Sofnidar SofnidarContemporary higher education faces critical challenges in simultaneously developing science process skills and digital competency within rapidly evolving technological contexts. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of Arduino-IoT integrated 3C-STEMLAB (Creative, Collaborative, Communicative STEM Laboratory) environments in enhancing dual competency development among undergraduate physics education students.
Despite growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of Arduino and IoT separately in STEM education, limited research examines how integrated Arduino-IoT environments can simultaneously develop science process skills and digital competency through structured pedagogical frameworks, particularly in resource-constrained university contexts in emerging economies.
A 16-week cluster-randomized controlled trial with a convergent-parallel mixed-methods design was conducted involving 60 undergraduate physics education students from four Indonesian public universities in Jambi Province. The experimental group (n=30) engaged with Arduino microcontrollers and Firebase cloud connectivity within a six-phase 3C-STEMLAB framework, while the control group (n=30) received conventional laboratory instruction. Quantitative data were collected using validated Science Process Skills Assessment (α=0.92), Digital Competency Scale (α=0.94), and 3C-STEMLAB Integrated Competency Scale (α=.94). Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and student artifact analysis.
This research provides comprehensive empirical evidence for the development of dual competencies through technology-enhanced collaborative learning environments, offering a validated pedagogical framework for integrating Arduino-IoT technologies with systematic instruction in scientific process skills in resource-constrained higher education settings.
ANCOVA results revealed that experimental participants demonstrated significantly superior performance with large effect sizes across all primary outcomes: science process skills (d=1.31, p<0.001), digital competency (d=1.28, p<0.001), 3C integrated competency (d=1.28), and Arduino-IoT collaboration proficiency (d=1.18, p<0.001). Qualitative analysis identified five interconnected themes: authentic technological mediation of scientific learning, enhanced peer collaboration through IoT connectivity, digital identity formation in STEM research contexts, persistent cloud-based research communities, and integrated mastery through creative problem-solving.
University educators should implement the systematic, six-phase 3C-STEMLAB progression, emphasizing creative foundation-building, collaborative planning, and communicative implementation, while ensuring adequate faculty preparation, technical infrastructure, and institutional support for dual competency development in undergraduate laboratory courses.
Future research should investigate cross-disciplinary 3C-STEMLAB extensions, equity and access considerations across diverse institutional contexts, and the integration of industry partnerships while examining optimal technology integration models for different educational settings and learner populations.
This research demonstrates that Arduino-IoT-integrated 3C-STEMLAB environments can effectively transform undergraduate science laboratory instruction, preparing students for contemporary STEM careers requiring both technological competency and scientific inquiry skills while addressing critical workforce development needs in emerging economies.
Priority directions include cross-cultural replication studies, longitudinal investigations of competency retention, optimization of teacher preparation, and assessment of scalable implementation models across diverse resource contexts.
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