The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) has been implementing Service Learning (SL) since September 2016 as part of its commitment to experiential learning and community engagement.
Service Learning is integrated into the TMF4034 Technopreneurship and Product Development course, aligning with Malaysia’s Education Blueprint 2015-2025 and addressing the need for real-world problem-solving skills among computer science graduates.
In the latest academic Semester 2 2023/2024, FCSIT is undertaking a significant project titled “Mentoring Raspberry Pi Innovation Project at Primary Schools in Sarawak via Service Learning.
This initiative aims to mentor Raspberry Pi projects in 10 selected primary schools around Kuching and Kota Samarahan, leveraging the Raspberry Pi sets provided by the Ministry of Education, Innovation, and Talent Development Sarawak to boost computer literacy among primary school students.
The project involves 10 primary schools, each with 5 groups of 3 students, totaling 150 primary school participants.
Ten community supervisors/collaborators, primarily teachers from the participating schools, are working alongside FCSIT lecturers and students to implement the project.
The schools involved from Kuching are SK Lumba Kuda, SK Tabuan Hilir, SK Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, SJK(C) Chung Hua Stapok, and SJK(C) Chung Hua Rantau Panjang. Schools from Kota Samarahan are SK Muhibbah, SKA Ibnu Khaldun, SK Merdang Gayam, SK Tambay, and SK Atas. One school from Bau, SK Atas, is also involved.
The Service Learning team, consisting of one supervisor (lecturer) and ten FCSIT students, conducts three structured visits to each school.
These visits aim to introduce Raspberry Pi, form student groups, brainstorm project ideas, and guide the implementation process.
The initiatives across the schools include diverse Raspberry Pi integrated projects such as Scratch programming projects (e.g., Drug Dodger, Mathematician, Sorcerer RPG), MIT App Inventor applications (e.g., To-do List App), Web development (e.g., Movie Intro Website using HTML & CSS) and Educational games (e.g., MathSpeed Racer Challenge, Tic Tac Toe).
The project aims to enhance computer literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among primary school students.
This Service Learning initiative represents a significant effort by FCSIT UNIMAS to bridge the digital divide and promote STEM education in Sarawak’s primary schools.
By mentoring Raspberry Pi projects, the faculty not only enhances the technological skills of young students but also provides its own students with valuable experience in community engagement and project management.
:: FCSIT is one of the Premier Digital Tech Institutions endorsed by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) ::
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