Developing Problem-Based Learning Using VBA-Based PowerPoint Media to Improve Science Understanding and Collaboration Skills of Fifth-Grade Primary School Students

Science learning in elementary schools is frequently dominated by memorization and minimal visualization, which limits students’ ability to understand ecological relationships, particularly the interaction between biotic and abiotic components. This study aims to develop, validate, and evaluate the effectiveness of a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)-based learning media integrated with the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model to improve students’ conceptual understanding and collaboration skills. Employing the ADDIE development model, the study involved the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, followed by expert validation and classroom trials with 30 fifth-grade students at SDN Batujajar 2. The expert validation results placed the media in the “highly feasible” category with an average score of 85%, indicating strong suitability for classroom use. The implementation stage demonstrated substantial improvements in student learning outcomes, reflected in the increase of the average score from 54.3 to 85.7 and an N-Gain value of 0.68, categorized as moderate–high. Students’ collaboration skills also increased significantly from 61.2% (“adequate”) to 86.4% (“excellent”). These findings show that the integration of VBA-based media within the PBL framework successfully supports interactive learning through simulations, automated exercises, and clear visual representations that help students identify problems, analyze information, and construct solutions collaboratively. In conclusion, VBA-based PBL learning media is effective in enhancing both conceptual understanding and collaboration skills and holds strong potential as an innovative approach to improving science learning in primary education.