Efforts to Improve Programmable Logic Controller Programming Competence and Its Application on Vocational High School

Abstract

The industrial revolution has reached 4.0 by developing automation and cyber systems, but the use of automation in the industrial sector is still not accompanied by appropriate operators. Vocational High School (SMK) graduates who are ready to work to enter the industrial world still do not have the competencies expected by the industry. The required competence is the operation of the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) at SMK YKP Magetan. With the competence of Industrial Electronics Engineering expertise, it is necessary to know the basics of PLC programming. This study aims to improve students' competence using learning media in the form of PLC trainers and determine the level of feasibility of PLC trainers as learning media. The method used in this research is a 4D development model. The stages of 4D development are as follows: (1) Define (Defining), (2) Design (Design), (3) Develop (Development), and Disseminate (Deployment). The research design that is used one group pretest-posttest using paired sample t-test. The test was carried out on students of class X TEI with a total of 35 students. Training at SMKN YKP Magetan which will provide material on PLC, introduction to Trainer KIT, programming, and assembly. Knowing the increase in students' understanding of PLC was given a pretest and posttest. The results showed that the PLC trainer learning media developed was categorized as suitable for use with an average value of 84.47% for media design, 84% for media material, 85.29% for media evaluation, and 84.41% of media motivation. Regarding the increase in competence using the paired sample t-test, a significance value of 0.00 was obtained which was smaller than the significance level of 5% (0.05) so it was stated that there was an effect of student competency signification after being given learning media in the form of class X TEI PLC trainer at SMK YKP Magetan.