Inspired by Jumanji, IPB Students Create Yokawan

Five students Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) creates game innovation inspired by Jumanji, they call them Yokawan. They are Hilma Rosmy Naziah, Huky Arvi Loany, Fanisya Febrianti Hernada, Sukma Dewi Heidy Santoso, and Sri Wulan.

“We are very concerned about children not knowing original and endemic animals in Indonesia even they do not ever hear them,” Hilma says, The Mastermind of Yokawan.

Yokawan is a game containing various Indonesian endemic animals. With learning by doing method, Yokawan tries to introduce Indonesian endemic animals begin with local name, origin, and spread in Indonesia.

Through Yokawan game, the students are succeed on creating new atmosphere in learning Indonesian endemic animals by finishing the mission in the game. The mission is to reach the center of Yokawan together. The players are four people have to cooperate and help solving the challenge inside the game. If a player can not solve the challenge, then they will get punishment by loosing one live and passed one turn to the next game.

“Yokawan has been played in SDN Cihideung Ilir Bogor and accepted by students enthusiastically. The students are faster in learning and memorizing Indonesian endemic animal names,” she says.

Yokawan also has been played in Ciampea and very accepted by the children. Now Yokawan is being promoted in many original regions of team, there are Bandung, Ciawi, Cianjur, and Indramayu.

Now, Yokawan is one of the Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa Pengabdian Masyarakat (PKMM) teams. Yokawan is not alone doing the project, they are under guidance of Dr. Martua Sihaloho, M.Si as the guide lecturer.

In the future, Yokawan game will be completed better to be applied in community. (NR)