Development of Comic Strip Based Learning MediaFor Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Teachers

The integration of digital technology into teacher professional development is a strategic need in Indonesian education, particularly for Madrasah Ibtidaiyah teachers who often face limitations in designing engaging and interactive learning media. Many teachers still rely on conventional instructional materials, resulting in less optimal student engagement. This community service program aimed to improve teachers’ conceptual understanding and technical skills in developing digital learning media through the use of comic strips, which were selected for their pedagogical value, visual appeal, and relevance to character-based education at the elementary level. The program employed a workshop-based approach conducted in two stages: online and offline. The online sessions introduced fundamental concepts of comic strip-based learning media, digital literacy, and the use of supporting applications and websites. The offline sessions were held at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Nahdlatul Ulama Wadung and focused on hands-on practice through collaborative group work. Teachers were organized into three groups and guided through structured activities, including developing simple comic scripts, taking instructional photos, converting photos into cartoon images, removing backgrounds, and designing comic panels using digital applications. Program effectiveness was evaluated using pre-test and post-test surveys. The results showed a significant increase in teachers’ competencies, with conceptual understanding of comic strip-based learning media improving from 4% in the pre-test to 74.67% in the post-test. Teachers also demonstrated substantial improvement in technical skills related to digital media production. These findings indicate that structured, practice-oriented training can effectively enhance teacher digital competence. This program provides practical and educational implications by equipping teachers with sustainable skills to develop innovative, character-based digital learning media that support student engagement and digital literacy in Islamic primary education.