Increasing Awareness of Cow Manure Processing Technology through Virtual Reality-Based Educational Media Training in Kuripan Village, Demak

The use of cow dung as raw material for renewable energy and organic fertilizer has great potential to improve the welfare of livestock farmers and reduce environmental impacts. However, community knowledge about cow dung processing technology is often limited. This study aims to improve the awareness and skills of the Kuripan Village community, Demak, in processing cow dung through training using Virtual Reality (VR)-based educational media. VR was chosen as a technology that can provide an interactive and realistic learning experience, so it is expected to significantly improve participants’ understanding. The research employed a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design. Participants consisted of 30 local cattle farmers in Kuripan Village who participated in this training for one week. Data were collected through questionnaires to measure the level of knowledge of participants before and after training, as well as through observation and interviews to evaluate participant involvement and response to VR media. The results showed a significant increase in participants’ knowledge about cow dung processing technology, with an average increase in knowledge score of 45% from the pretest to the posttest value. Participants also showed a positive response to the use of VR, with the majority finding it easier to understand the material and more motivated to apply this technology. This study concludes that VR-based training is effective in improving knowledge and skills in cow dung processing, and has the potential to be applied in various regions as an innovative learning method in the field of renewable energy.