Another outstanding national achievement has been recorded by students of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). The BlockSpire Team secured First Place in the Digital Learning Innovation in Education (IPDP) category at the 2025 Student Digital Innovation Competition (LIDM). The prestigious competition was organized by Belmawa and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology through BPTI and Puspresnas, and was held at Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya from 1 to 3 December 2025.
The BlockSpire Team is a cross-disciplinary collaboration of UNY students led by Dhimas Satria Wicaksono from the Department of Mechatronics Engineering Education, with team members Yuliana Habibah (Electrical Engineering Education), Septa Bagas Setyawan (Electronics Engineering Education), and Mulisa Kusuma Wardani (Information Technology). In a highly competitive final round, the team outperformed 19 finalist teams from leading universities across Indonesia.
The team’s success was driven by their flagship innovation, BlockDuino, an interactive and inclusive digital learning medium designed to support the teaching of coding and artificial intelligence (AI). The innovation responds to the demands of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and current curriculum requirements that emphasize early mastery of programming skills.
BlockDuino features a dual-mode programming system, allowing learners to code using both drag-and-drop block programming and the Python programming language. It is also integrated with an offline AI Voice Assistant based on voice recognition technology, which functions as a learning companion to guide students through coding activities. In addition, BlockDuino adopts a multisensory learning approach, combining visual learning through the Makeblock platform, auditory guidance via instructional audio and the AI Voice Assistant, and kinesthetic learning through hands-on electronic circuit assembly using the BlockDuino board.
Beyond its technical features, BlockDuino delivers a broad transformative impact on technology education in Indonesia. From an educational perspective, it enhances conceptual understanding and practical skills through an integrative learning approach that bridges theory and real-world application. Socially, BlockDuino promotes inclusivity by reaching areas with limited infrastructure while empowering teachers to act as more effective learning facilitators. Economically, the innovation improves cost efficiency in learning and contributes to preparing a skilled workforce ready for the digital era.
Furthermore, BlockDuino aligns with national and global development agendas by supporting the Merdeka Curriculum, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the vision of Indonesia Emas 2045, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable and future-oriented technology education ecosystem.
The team’s achievement was made possible through the guidance of their academic supervisor, Eko Prianto, S.Pd.T., M.Eng., who provided strategic direction from the proposal development stage through to the final presentation, including system refinement and effective presentation techniques before the judging panel.
