The development addresses a persistent challenge in Japanese-language education: learning kanji. Unlike alphabetic writing systems, Japanese kanji characters can have multiple readings and require learners to remember complex shapes, meanings, and stroke orders.
For students in Indonesia, these characteristics can make kanji particularly difficult to retain. The article cites previous research showing that 77.6 percent of Japanese Literature students at three private universities experienced difficulties understanding kanji. A preliminary survey conducted among second- and fourth-semester students in the Japanese Language Education Study Program at UNNES also found that 60 percent had difficulty recalling previously learned kanji, while 48.9 percent struggled to distinguish visually similar characters.
The UNNES researchers saw interactive digital learning as one possible response to these difficulties. Their preliminary findings showed that 60 percent of surveyed students wanted an interactive medium for learning kanji, while more than 90 percent preferred learning media that could be accessed flexibly through personal devices. Kanji related to the theme of time was selected because students identified this vocabulary as particularly difficult to memorize.
Turning Roblox Into a Japanese-Language Learning Environment
Instead of using Roblox solely for entertainment, Kulsum and Diner adapted the platform into a three-dimensional educational environment.
The resulting “Kanji No Gakuen” game combines exploration with several kanji-learning activities. Students can interact with kanji objects, access vocabulary materials, practice readings, and complete quizzes while navigating the virtual environment.
The game includes:
- Kanji vocabulary quizzes
- On’yomi and kun’yomi reading exercises
- Kakikata or stroke-order practice
- A kanji index
- A guide character
- A virtual shop
- Coin-based rewards and progressive challenges
The game flow presented in the article shows how players move through different sections of the virtual environment and access learning materials, practice activities, and quizzes. The design places kanji learning inside an interactive three-dimensional setting rather than relying solely on conventional memorization or static flashcards.
Study Involved 107 UNNES Students
Kulsum and Diner used a Design and Development approach based on three stages: Planning, Production, and Evaluation.
During the planning stage, the researchers analyzed students’ needs through observation and questionnaires and selected N5 kanji materials related to time. During production, they built the game using Roblox Studio and incorporated the learning features into the virtual environment.
The study population consisted of 107 second- and fourth-semester students in the Japanese Language Education Study Program at UNNES. A sample of 50 students was selected for the needs-analysis questionnaire. The completed learning product was then evaluated by one media expert and one material expert using a four-point assessment scale.
The needs analysis revealed strong demand for interactive learning features. Eleven of 13 indicators were classified as “Very High.”
Among the strongest preferences were:
- 94.4 percent for matching exercises
- 92.5 percent for on’yomi and kun’yomi practice
- 92.5 percent for color cues showing stroke order
- 91.6 percent for simple animation
Instructional videos and role-playing features were also rated highly, although they fell into the “High” rather than “Very High” category.
Expert Validation Produces 90.83 Percent Feasibility Score
The completed “Kanji No Gakuen” product received strong evaluations from both experts.
Media and design expert Yanuar Lutfi Rohman, S.Pd., M.Pd., gave the product a feasibility score of 90.00 percent. Material expert Dyah Prasetiani, S.S., M.Pd., awarded 91.67 percent.
The combined average was 90.83 percent, placing the Roblox-based learning media in the Very Feasible category.
The experts nevertheless recommended improvements before wider use. Rohman suggested nine revisions involving aspects such as quiz mechanics, the addition of a health bar, and reward placement. Prasetiani recommended four changes, including improvements to guide-character narration, terminology consistency, the presentation of kun’yomi readings, and corrections to three practice items.
The researchers said the combination of game mechanics and instructional content creates a more immersive learning experience. According to Kulsum and Diner of Universitas Negeri Semarang, the three-dimensional environment allows students to interact directly with kanji objects, while rewards and progressive challenges can support motivation. Cross-platform access also provides opportunities for independent practice beyond classroom hours.
Potential Benefits and Remaining Limitations
For Japanese-language education, “Kanji No Gakuen” could provide lecturers with an alternative tool for classroom activities and students with a flexible option for independent practice. The game can bring together several aspects of kanji learning—form, meaning, reading, and writing practice—in one environment.
However, the research does not establish that the game definitively improves students’ learning outcomes. Its main evidence concerns product feasibility based on expert validation. The researchers recommend future experimental studies using a control class to measure the game’s actual effect on learning achievement.
Technical limitations also remain. The game depends on a stable internet connection and sufficiently capable devices. New users may need to divide their attention between navigating the avatar and reading quiz content. In addition, the current kakikata feature uses straight-line approximations and cannot yet accurately recognize natural curved handwriting strokes.
Future development could add learning-progress records, improve handwriting recognition, and expand the content from N5 to higher levels such as N4 and N3.
Author Profiles
Adinda Shafa Umi Kulsum is a researcher from the Japanese Language Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang. The article does not state her academic degree. Her work in this article focuses on the development of digital, game-based media for Japanese kanji learning.
Lispridona Diner is a lecturer and coordinator of the Japanese Language Education Study Program at Universitas Negeri Semarang. She served as the corresponding author and supervising lecturer for the study.
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