As technology advances, the digital divide between urban and rural areas continues to challenge developing countries.
Urban regions benefit from advanced infrastructure and easy access to digital resources, while rural communities often lack these amenities.
A promising strategy to bridge this gap and foster socio-economic development in rural areas is digital upskilling.
This involves training individuals to acquire proficiency in digital technologies.
As a key strategy for achieving the goal of holistic education is the Service Learning (SL) program, a component of the High Impact Educational Practices (HIEPS) as outlined in the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025.
To align with the blueprint, the SL program was introduced in the TMF4034 Technopreneurship and Product Development during Semester 1 of the 2016/2017 academic year at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS).
Since then, 268 projects involving schools, villages, and NGOs have been completed, with over 2500 students participating in the program.
The affected districts include Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Lundu, Sematan, Simunjan, Asajaya, Sibu, and Lawas.
In this program, the FCSIT students engage with local communities, facilitating a mutual exchange of knowledge that benefits both parties.
The SL program is an experiential learning approach aimed at instilling civic responsibility in students while enhancing their educational experience.
It aligns with the expectations of industry, community, and other stakeholders, aiming to produce graduates who are not only academically proficient but also well-rounded and holistic individuals.
The SL projects under the program contribute to community development by improving quality of life, socio-economic conditions, and personal empowerment, thereby addressing community needs.
These projects also allow communities to address local issues with the support of students and industry experts. Furthermore, students benefit by developing their social skills and analytical abilities.
Among feedbacks received from the FCSIT SL stakeholders are as follows:
“SL project helps the university students to move easily and link with other social community.
Through SL project, IT let us move and spread our information easily.
We hope that having videos and record them are good.
Because in future, everything will be IT. So, we hope IT can help us a lot.” – Village Committee.
“Latihan ini dapat meningkatkan asas keusahawanan dan memudahkan saya untuk bekerja suatu hari nanti, serta menjimatkan masa saya.
Bukan sahaja dapat pengalaman baru, malah membantu saya dari segi ilmu penyuntingan gambar.” – Local Entrepreneur.
“Usahawan kuih muih, makanan, jem makin meluas hingga ke luar negeri.
Semakin pandai menggunakan Canva setelah ikut training.” – Local Entrepreneur.
“Ada perbezaan dengan sebelum dan selepas program.
Sekarang sudah pandai membuat resume dengan lebih cepat dan telah mendatangkan hasil dengan menjadikan servis pembuatan resume sebagai bisnes.” – Village Committee.
“Engaging in Service Learning within the Kampung Quop community, including interviews with the village leader, has deepened my sense of citizenship.
The experience highlighted the importance of active involvement in addressing community challenges.
Through dialogue and collaboration, I learned that my responsibilities extend beyond personal well-being to actively contributing to the community’s welfare.
Understanding the unique needs of the village, I recognized the significance of sustainable initiatives, empathy, and collaborative problem-solving.
This SL experience underscored my role as a responsible citizen, reinforcing the commitment to contribute positively to the community’s growth and well-being.” – Service Learning Student.
Recognizing the importance of digital upskilling in rural communities, the SL projects, guided by the FCSIT Service Learning Methodology, encompass projects such as database creation, IT training, promotional video production, IT awareness talks, and web development.
The FCSIT SL program targets six focus groups: children, youth, women, individuals with disabilities, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.
In the context of IT training, community members such as women were taught how to digitally market their local products through social media and e-commerce platforms.
These projects not only provided valuable digital skills to the community but also allowed students to apply their technical knowledge in real-world contexts, enhancing their practical experience and problem-solving abilities.
To ensure the success of the project, a dedicated Service Learning Committee, comprising Advisors, Coordinators, and Faculty Service Learning Supervisors, oversees the implementation of the program throughout the semester.
:: FCSIT is one of the Premier Digital Tech Institutions endorsed by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) ::
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