SUMMARY
Learning media can enhance the learning process and can enhance cognitive skills. This research aims to use the Innovative Smart Orbital (ISO) approach to improve the cognitive skills on the concept of heat transfer. ISO is a new development medium which is a modification of the snakes and ladders games. An experimental class and a control class were used in this study. The experimental class learning is done using inquiry with ISO. In the control class, learning is done using inquiry only. Three hundred and four (304) students from 10 classes took part in this study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select them. The posttest score of cognitive skills of students before learning was 18.2 with an ideal score of 60. The posttest score of cognitive skills of students after learning was 49.5. The man normalized gain score <g> of the experimental class was 0.44. Using the ISO medium led to a moderate increase in cognitive skills on the heat transfer concept.https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.5.8