When Ancient Epistemology Meets Augmented Reality: Designing a STEM–Catur Pramana Digital Pop-Up Book for Elementary Science

In classrooms across Indonesia, science lessons often rely heavily on textbooks filled with words and flat, two-dimensional pictures. While this approach teaches facts, it can struggle to make abstract concepts feel real or to show students how scientific thinking actually works. At the same time, educators are increasingly interested in how local culture can help students connect with school subjects. In the island of Bali, where Hindu philosophy shapes daily life, there is a traditional way of understanding how we know what is true. This system, known as Catur Pramana, breaks down knowledge into four distinct paths: direct observation through the senses, logical inference, comparison with what is already known, and trusting reliable testimony from experts or texts. The question researchers asked was whether these ancient ways of knowing could do more than just serve as interesting cultural content; could they actually structure the way children learn modern science?

A team of researchers from universities in Bali and Indonesia set out to answer this by building a new kind of learning tool. They designed a digital pop-up book that combines science, technology, engineering, and math with the four traditional Balinese ways of knowing. Instead of treating culture as a separate topic to be memorized, they used the philosophy as the skeleton for the entire lesson. For instance, when students learn about plant growth, they are guided to observe the plants directly, which aligns with the traditional path of direct perception. When they build a small greenhouse model, they are practicing engineering by comparing their work to a visual guide, mirroring the path of comparison. When they use tools to measure growth or draw conclusions about why a sprout leans in a certain direction, they are engaging in technology and inference. Finally, the book provides clear explanations and videos from trusted sources, representing the path of testimony. To make these lessons come alive, the team added augmented reality, a technology that lets students point a device at the page to see three-dimensional objects float in front of them, allowing them to examine things like seeds or forces from every angle.

The researchers followed a careful process to create and test this book. They first built a prototype without the augmented reality features and tested it in four public elementary schools in Bali. Eighty-six students and fifteen teachers used the book during regular lessons, where the teacher projected the pages onto a screen and led the class through the activities. After this trial, the team gathered feedback to improve the design, adding the three-dimensional augmented reality elements and unifying the visual style with a consistent mascot dressed in traditional Balinese attire. This final version was then reviewed by six experts: three specialists in science education and curriculum, and three experts in digital media and technology. The experts checked if the science was accurate, if the book fit the school curriculum, and if the technology worked smoothly. They also looked at how well the book integrated the four traditional ways of knowing with the four main subjects of STEM.

The results showed that the design was a promising success, though not without areas needing improvement. The experts rated the final book as moderately valid, meaning it was a solid, usable product. They were particularly impressed with the visual design, noting that the colors, layout, and text were easy to read and attractive. The teachers and students who tested the earlier prototype also found it practical and engaging. Most students reported that they enjoyed using the book and felt motivated to learn, while teachers found it easy to deliver the lessons. However, the experts did point out specific weaknesses. They felt the book did not align perfectly with the official curriculum structure, and the parts of the book that asked students to do engineering design or work with mathematical patterns were the least developed. Additionally, the stability of the three-dimensional augmented reality objects was rated lower than other features, suggesting that the technology sometimes struggled to stay steady on the devices used in the schools.

The study concludes that it is possible to use a local, ancient system of knowledge to organize how children learn modern science, rather than just using it as a story or a background fact. The researchers found that pairing the four Balinese ways of knowing with science, technology, engineering, and math created a coherent learning experience that teachers and students found useful. However, they are careful to note that this study only proved the design was feasible and practical; it did not measure whether the book actually improved student test scores or deepened their understanding of science concepts. The augmented reality features, which were the most novel part of the project, were not fully tested with students in the classroom because the trial happened before they were added. The researchers suggest that future work should focus on refining the engineering and math activities, ensuring the technology works reliably on school devices, and testing the book with students who can operate it themselves in small groups. Ultimately, this work offers a new path for education, showing that the way a culture understands truth can help shape the very structure of a science lesson.