Development and Effectiveness of eBizmate: A Project-Based Digital Simulation for Enhancing Business Opportunity Analysis Competence in Vocational Education

Background – Business opportunity analysis is a fundamental yet cognitively critical demanding competency in the Entrepreneurship and Crafts (PKWU) subject. Prior studies indicate that students often struggle with abstract financial nature and risk analysis due to limited interactive scaffoldding and lack of contextualized leearning media.
Research Objective – This study aims to develop and provide preliminary evidence that examining the effectiveness of eBizmate, a digital based learning medium integrated with Project-Based Learning (PjBL) to enhance students’ business analysis competence.
Research Method – Employing the ADDIE model, this Research and Development study developed a web-based prototype featuring AI-driven market simulations and automated feedback systems. The prototype was evaluateed through expert review (n=3) and a limiteed user trial (n=15) to assess feasibility and usability. Effectiveness was examined using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design involving 60 vocational students (experimental n=30: control n=30). Data were analyzed using N-gain scores and independent t-tests. Assumptions of normality and homogeneity were tested prior to analysis. Research Findings – Expert appraisal (M= 4.47/5.0) and limited trial results suggest that eBizmate is feasible and usable as a learning medium, although these findings should be interpreted as a preliminary due to the small sample sizes. The experimental group demonstrated higher posttest performance (M= 82.7, SD= 5.9) compared to the control group (M= 68.4, SD= 6.3), with a statistically significant difference (t(58)= 4.78, p < 0.001). The magnitude of the effect depends on the calculation approach: using posttestt pooled standard deviation yields a very large effect (Cohen’s d ≈ 2.33), whereas the reported effect size (d = 1.21) likely reflects gain-score standardization; The most substantial gains occurred in financial and risk analysis. However, this requires further clarification. Confidence intervals were not estimated and should be included in future analyses.
Research Conclusion – The findings provide preliminary evidence that eBizmate may support students’ business analysis competence within a PjBL environment. However, due to the quasi-experimental design, limited validation procedures and incomplete statistical reporting, conclusions regarding effectiveness should be interpreted cautiously.
Research Novelty/Contribution – This study contributes an empirically validated model for integrating simulation-based digital scaffolding within a project-based framework to master complex entrepreneurship competencies in vocational education.(This study contributes an exploratory design of a digital simulation tool that integrates multiple aspects of business analysis (market, financcial, and risk) within a structured PjBL sccaffold. Future studies should employ stronger experimental controls, transparent effect size reporting, and comprehensive validation procedures).