"Pendekar VR is a community of educators who actively share good practices related to VR implementation education. Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. uses MilleaLab to gain first rank in the Innovative Teacher Competition about Islamic Religious Education."
There is always an exciting story behind the progress and development of education, especially when we talk about educational technology. MilleaLab, an education technology (EdTech) platform that relies on Virtual Reality (VR) technology, constantly strives to encourage harmonization between educational stakeholders. Pendekar VR is a community of educators who actively implement VR in the classroom and share good practices. In addition, Pendekar VR moves under the auspices of MilleaLab. Through VR Pendekar and MilleaLab, Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. won 1st rank in the Innovative Teacher Competition.
Before discussing the good practices in the form of competition activities, let's first get to know Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. is an educator from Central Java, SMP Negeri 2 Patimuan school. At the end of 2023, Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. participated in an activity organized by the Cilacap Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs as an innovative teacher competition, especially for educators who teach Islamic Religious Education subjects. "Everyone can participate in the competition. The requirement is to submit Best Practices, including the complete script from Chapters 1 to 4. There is also a learning video, and then the applicants are selected," said Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd.
Furthermore, Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. said she presented the Best Practice implemented in her school. "Incidentally, I did the Best Practice, namely VR, implemented at school. Then, the judges are all Islamic Education supervisors in Cilacap Regency," said Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. Furthermore, Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd., who represented SMPN 2 Patimuan, made it to the top 6 and presented at the Cilacap Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs office. Interestingly, she was motivated to participate in the competition until she won 1st rank because she was determined to disseminate the excellent impact of VR implementation in education, especially in Central Java province.
"In Central Java, the implementation of VR technology is still minimal; schools are still unfamiliar. In fact, at the junior high school level, it still doesn't exist. This is one of my steps as a Pendekar VR to introduce VR technology," said Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. A motivation that departed from her introduction to MilleaLab has led her to impact education positively. Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. herself, said that she had known MilleaLab since 2020 and joined when MilleaLab held the ‘1000 VR Pioneer Teachers' activity. However, she did teach at one SMAN in Surabaya, East Java.Â
In addition, implementing MilleaLab VR technology at SMPN 2 Patimuan has significantly contributed to students and Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. herself. "The students are thrilled because VR is new in the classroom. Before me, they had never had a realistic learning experience in the 3D world. They enjoy it; no one is sleepy and joking with other students," said Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd., who added, "The impact for myself is more challenged to continue to innovate. That is, learning in the classroom must continue to be varied. Teaching using VR continues to innovate because the same learning content will make students bored."
Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. needs to implement better practices through the innovative teacher competition held by the Cilacap Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs. She has socialized and conducted in-house training in several schools around her. The objective evidence of the story of Novia Elga Rizqiya, S. Pd. with MilleaLab, has provided a new atmosphere for Indonesian education. On the other hand, MilleaLab will continue to strive for the quality of its application features for the ease and convenience of educators and students throughout Indonesia.