International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) – eISSN: 1865-7923 – Vol 17 No 03 (2023) Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module Beneficial? https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v17i03.34699 Asyti Febliza1, Zul Afdal2(), Jimmi Copriady3 1 Universitas Islam Riau, Riau, Indonesia 2 Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia 3 Universitas Riau, Riau, Indonesia zulafdal@fe.unp.ac.id Abstract—This study compares students' critical thinking skills through in- teractive media based on learning phenomena. The phenomenon of learning- based interactive media used are interactive web modules and interactive videos on the topic of the colloid system. Comparative research with a quantitative ap- proach is the method used. In this study's sample, all chemistry education stu- dents at the University of Riau and the State Islamic University of Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau in the academic year 2020–2021. Saturated sampling is the method that is used. There were a total of 68 students used as samples. Each group had 34 students. The control group used interactive video-based learning phenomena, and the experimental group used interactive web modules based on phenomena learning. The essay test instrument is used to measure students' critical thinking skills. We used paired t-tests and N-gain to analyze the data. The results showed that interactive web modules were better than interactive videos at helping stu- dents improve their critical thinking skills. So, teachers can think of appropriate instructional media used in distance learning as a way to help students improve their critical thinking. Keywords—phenomenon-based learning, interactive video, interactive web module, critical thinking skills 1 Introduction Since learning has become a goal of education in the 21st century, students need to be able to think critically [1]. Education is a means of preparing students to join the workforce who can think analytically, solve problems and critically so that they can become a productive workforce and generate knowledge; be able to exchange infor- mation and encourage progress that helps the development of community welfare [2][3][4]. The peak of critical thinking is the ability to make a decision where it works in the brain; that is, the ability to think convergent because students have to establish what is best [5][6]. Critical thinking has become one of the tools used in everyday life to solve a problem because it involves the ability to reason, interpret, and the ability to 70 http://www.i-jim.org https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v17i03.34699 Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… evaluate information to allow making a valid and trusted decision [7][8][9]. Critical thinking processes can also train students to draw conclusions and synthesize infor- mation [10][11][12]. The current issue is that Indonesian students still need to be rated as having low critical thinking skills. The science scores of Indonesian students are ranked 45th out of 50 countries in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (2018) [13]. This shows that there is room for growth in Indonesian students' capacity to an- swer questions requiring critical thinking [14]. Students are still expected to memorize formulas and answer questions correctly in chemistry class without being encouraged to think critically and creatively [15]. Learning media is less effective, and understand- ing leads to memorization [11]. Students are less motivated to develop their thinking skills using conventional media [10]. Students are more innovative in terms of theory rather than in practical fields [16][9]. Learning is only directed at memorizing and hoarding information, so students' critical thinking skills are difficult to develop [17][18]. The number of students who are weak in critical thinking is a challenge for teachers in teaching students to have necessary thinking skills [19][20]. Referring to the findings above, implementing chemistry learning should direct stu- dents to help the critical thinking process. Research results [21][22] indicate that the student's critical thinking will automatically develop after mastering all the learning materials. It is necessary to emphasize critical thinking skills to obtain fun and more meaningful learning experiences for students [23][24]. If educators routinely model critical thinking at each stage of the teaching and learning process, students are more likely to acquire these abilities and put them to use in their own lives [25]. [26][27][6] says that activities that train students' critical thinking skills should be used in the learn- ing process to give students a chance to improve their critical thinking skills. Students can improve in school if they learn to think critically [28][29]. Learning media can make it easier for teachers to explain lessons, and appealing media designs can get stu- dents to think more critically [30][31][10]. In addition, the learning approach is also the most important component of learning and must be included in learning [32][33][34][35]. Using PhenoBL (Phenomenon-Based Learning) media is another way to help stu- dents improve their critical thinking skills. PhenoBL media is a learning media that uses phenomena as a learning resource [36][37][38]. Through PhenoBL media, students can develop the ability to explain causes and connect components of phenomena to the nat- ural environment [39][40]. Students can also learn 21st-century skills through phenom- enon-based learning, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and working together [41]. PhenoBL media as a digital module can be used as an alternative to strengthening students' necessary thinking skills [42]. Interactive modules can improve students' essential thinking skills [43][87]. Critical thinking and student participation in interactive video classes are much higher than in typical lecture groups [44]. Based on the results of previous studies, it is essential to compare two PhenoBL media—interac- tive web modules and interactive videos—in terms of how well they help students im- prove their critical thinking skills in distance learning. Based on the results of previous studies, it is essential to compare two PhenoBL media—interactive web modules and iJIM ‒ Vol. 17, No. 03, 2023 71 Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… interactive videos—in terms of how well they help students improve their critical think- ing skills in distance learning. The novelty of this study is to compare the effectiveness of the two PhenoBL media presented as interactive web modules and interactive videos in improving students' critical thinking skills. Researchers and teachers can use the re- sults of this study as a guide to choose the right and most effective learning media to help students improve their critical thinking skills using the PhenoBL method. This study aimed to improve student's critical thinking skills using PhenoBL media. The main problem in the study is "Is there a significant improvement in students' criti- cal thinking skills through interactive videos compared to interactive web modules?”. 2 Literature review 2.1 The importance of critical thinking skills for students Critical thinking is one of the higher-level skills that students need to learn [45]. Critical thinking skills are fundamental in learning in the disruption era [25][46]. Crit- ical thinking skills include accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information that can be taught and mastered [47][48]. In order to understand the learning process, students must develop deep and high-level thinking skills. In order to understand the learning process, students must develop deep and high-level thinking skills [49]. Critical think- ing skills become essential for students to have because they can help students make decisions [50][1][51]. Training students to acquire critical thinking skills can be done on campus through the learning process because critical thinking can be trained by choosing the right learn- ing strategies [52]. Without practice and habituation, critical thinking skills can only be acquired slowly [27]. Student-centered and problem-solving-oriented learning pro- cesses can help improve critical thinking skills in students [53]. According to [54][29], several steps need to be taken in developing critical thinking skills, including (a) rec- ognizing the problem; (b) finding ways you can deal with your problem; (c) collecting and compiling the necessary information for problem-solving; (d) identify assumptions and values that are not stated; (e) Talk about an issue or something it accepts in a way that is clear and easy to understand; (f) evaluate the facts and statements and the data; (g) figuring out how the problems and answers fit together logically; (h) draw conclu- sions or form opinions about the topic or topics being talked about. Thus, critical thinking skills can be learned and developed according to the indicators of critical thinking skills [55][56][57]. Include: a) provide a simple explanation (ele- mentary clarification) which includes activities to focus questions, analyze arguments, ask and answer questions and classify challenging questions; b) building essential sup- port includes considering whether sources are reliable or not, observing and considering observation results; c) making inferences related to the activities of deducting and con- sidering deductions and reviewing the values of the results of consideration; d) making further explanations (advanced clarification) refers to the activities of defining terms and considering definitions, identifying assumptions; e) strategies and tactics include activities to decide on an action and the ability to interact with others. 72 http://www.i-jim.org Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… 2.2 Interactive media based on phenomenon learning Phenomenon-based interactive media is a media designed based on learning built on observing phenomena that we often encounter in everyday life [58]—phenomenon- based learning media (PhenoBL) in the form of interactive videos and digital modules. The use of this interactive medium aims to overcome the limitations of traditional learn- ing by exploring natural phenomena from different points of view as a complex process [59][60][61]. There are five parts to a phenomenon-based education: the whole, the real, the context, problem-based inquiry learning, and the learning process [62][63]. Holistic education is based on real-world phenomena and looks at them from many angles [38][64]. Authenticity means using the methods, tools, and materials needed in real life to solve problems related to student life and the learning community [65][66]. The conceptuality dimension refers to phenomenon-based learning as a systematic unit in which meaningful learning in a natural context [42][59]. The phenomenon cannot be determined simply as something vague and ambiguous that the student must have in observing the broader context [67]. Problem-based inquiry learning is a way for students to learn by asking questions and building knowledge together. This is a planned way for students to develop hypotheses and theories of work [68]. Learning tasks help students learn and make them more aware of what they are learning (knowledge) [69][70]. At the next stage, the student plans the learning process by creating his tasks and learning tools [71][72]. The learning process framework is essential for students to acquire knowledge beyond what they currently know and know what they need to know [73][74]. 3 Methods 3.1 Type of study This is a comparison study that uses quantitative methods [75]. This study will com- pare how two different phenomenon-based learning media help students improve their critical thinking skills. The first is an interactive web module based on a phenomenon, and the second is an interactive video based on a phenomenon. Critical thinking is the dependent variable, and the two media are independent variables. The research design is presented in Table 1. Table 1. Research design Pretest Learning Process Posttest O1 Phenomenon Based learning with interactive video O2 O3 Phenomenon-Based learning with the interactive web module O4 iJIM ‒ Vol. 17, No. 03, 2023 73 Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… 3.2 Participants All chemistry education students at the University of Riau and the State Islamic Uni- versity of Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau during the 2020–2021 school year were included in this study. Saturated sampling is used, where the number of samples equals the num- ber of people in the population [76][77]. Sixty-eight students were used as samples. There were four boys and 64 girls. The sample was split into two groups of 34 students each. The control group used interactive videos to learn about phenomena, while the experimental group used interactive web modules to learn about phenomena. All re- spondents had enrolled in introductory chemistry courses and were taught by female lecturers with more than 14 years of teaching experience in chemistry education. 3.3 Data collection instrument The instrument used in this study was an essay test to measure critical thinking skills consisting of 10 items with assessment indicators, namely a) inducing and considering the results of induction, b) identifying assumptions, c) concluding and evaluating de- duction results, d) interacting with other people, e) observing and considering observa- tion reports, f) analyzing arguments [10]. Critical thinking skills assessment instru- ments are presented in Table 2. Table 2. Indicators of critical thinking skills Learning Indicators Critical Thinking Indicator Items Distinguishing colloidal systems Inducing and considering the results of induc-tion 1 Explain the characteristics of colloids Identify assumptions 2 Identify the colloidal phase Deduce and evaluate the results of the deduction 3 Analyzing colloidal properties Interacting with other people 4 Explain the benefits of colloid systems in everyday life Identify assumptions 5 Applying colloidal principles in daily life Observing and considering observation reports 6 Analyzing colloid creation Analyzing argument 7 Analyze colloid properties Identify assumptions 8 Making colloid system products with several types of colloids Identify assumptions 9 Apply the application of colloids in everyday life Identify assumptions 10 With the help of SPSS 26, this study verifies the tools used to test students' critical thinking skills. As shown in Table 3, the validation test results show that the ten items are the valid criteria. 74 http://www.i-jim.org Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… Table 3. The instrument validity from critical thinking skills Item-Total Statistics Items Scale Mean if Item Deleted Scale Variance if Item Deleted Corrected Item- Total Correlation Squared Multiple Correlation Cronbach's Alpha if Item Deleted Item_1 22.94 29.809 .686 .707 .844 Item _2 23.00 29.375 .697 .783 .843 Item _3 22.82 32.278 .473 .589 .862 Item _4 22.67 33.042 .569 .568 .856 Item _5 22.70 32.155 .624 .592 .851 Item _6 23.06 31.559 .439 .354 .867 Item _7 23.30 31.093 .541 .496 .857 Item _8 23.00 31.625 .639 .603 .850 Item _9 23.24 30.689 .597 .531 .852 Item _10 23.45 30.256 .614 .552 .851 Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient was found to be 0.866, which is very high. This is shown in Table 4. Table 4. The instrument reliability from critical thinking skills Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Alpha Based on Standardized Items N of Items .866 .871 10 3.4 Procedure The treatment was carried out for six meetings (6 x 50 minutes = 400 minutes), in- cluding two sessions for the pretest and posttest and four meetings to study the material on the colloid system. The media used in this research is a phenomenon-based learning media presented in two types: interactive videos and web modules. The description of the media used in the study is shown in Table 5. Table 5. Phenomenon-based learning media description PhenoBL Media Description Interactive Video Content: Environmental and industry phenomena relating colloid with 3D vid- eos, namely; the red sky phenomenon during a forest fire, the process of pearl formation, the process of cloud formation, the movement of milk solution par- ticles visible under a microscope, and the appearance of dust particles when ex- posed to sunlight ht, the process of paint formation, manufacture whipped cream, making brass sculptures, making latex mattresses, the phenomenon of sky colour differences, the process of absorption of body lotion on the skin, formation of deltas, filtering systems on masks, DNA identification, blood fil- tering processes and how soap works in killing the covid-19 virus. Practical simulation video about the concept of colloid material. iJIM ‒ Vol. 17, No. 03, 2023 75 Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… PhenoBL Media Description Interactivity: A quiz with direct feedback during the video (screencast), ques- tions that help students find personal meaning, and quiz grading sent to the lec- turer via email. Presentation: Published in Camtasia screencast. Interactive Web Module Content: Environmental and daily life phenomena relating to colloids, such as the phenomenon of differences in the properties of the types of solutions, pro- jectors in cinemas, the phenomenon of disagreements in sky colour, the manu- facture of jelly, the movement of particles of milk solution visible under a mi- croscope, the process of separating metals, adsorption processes, how deter- gents and water cleaning process—practical simulation video about the con- cept of colloid material with user control. Interactivity: simulation with user control, questions that help students to find personal meaning, and quizzes with direct feedback (Moodle quiz). Presentation: Learning source of Moodle. The appearance of the two media is presented in Figures 1(a,b) and 2 (a,b). a b Fig. 1. (a,b). Interactive video-based learning phenomena a b Fig. 2. (a,b). Interactive web module-based learning phenomena 76 http://www.i-jim.org Paper—Improving Students' Critical Thinking Skills: Is Interactive Video and Interactive Web Module… 3.5 Data analysis The normality test was used to see if the distribution of the data to be analyzed was expected, and the homogeneity test was used to see how similar normally distributed population variants were. A significant value (p=0.08) > 0.05 from the Kolmogorov- Smirnov test means that the data is normally distributed. On the other hand, the homo- geneity test uses the Levene test, and a significant value (p =0.336) > 0.05 means that the data is homogeneous. The average score on the pretest differs from the average score on the posttest. The N-gain test measures how much the students' critical thinking skills scores improve before and after the intervention. The results of the calculations are then broken down into three groups, which are: Table 6. Gain value classification[76] Average Gain Criteria 0.00