In line with the Sarawak government’s digital economy initiatives, the Sarawak State Library, in collaboration with Sarawak Multimedia Authority, is offering an online learning course that promotes digital inclusivity awareness and skills among Sarawakians.
PANDei Programme: Digital Literacy for the Community, which is available at OpenLearning.com, is designed for participating learners, especially from rural areas, to acquire skills in the use of information technology.
Consequently, rural communities who take up this course will be able to improve their digital literacy when they familiarise themselves with the proper use of technology and the capability to incorporate it in their daily lives.
In addition, because the course is available online for free, it creates greater awareness for learners about the importance of gaining knowledge and lifelong learning.
In this course, learners are taught through the PANDei (People Accessible Network for Digital Empowerment and Inclusivity) module outlined by Sarawak State Library that focuses on educating local communities towards a comprehensive digital inclusion.
The module equips local communities with basic digital skills to provide them a better understanding of how to use mobile devices in their daily activities.
These skills will enable them to communicate with others effectively via email or messaging applications; find information online; perform online transactions or electronic payments; and use government-initiated digital services such as Sarawak Pay and Sarawak Gov mobile applications.
The PANDei module also encompasses a curriculum on cyber security and skills to evaluate information to help raise awareness as well as to ensure the safety of users in the digital world.
Upon completing this course, learners will have the ability to utilise digital government applications; improve their standard of living through knowledge in e-entrepreneurship; and connect with others via digital communication channels.
They will also be able to make the most of Pustaka in a Box, an offline application by Sarawak State Library and Unimas that is created as an affordable means of providing access to information resources for rural communities.
Most importantly, this course trains learners the ethics and responsibilities as digital citizens so that they are more than capable of navigating the Internet and social media, as well as using technology positively and effectively.
So if you’re searching for something productive to do at home during the current movement control order, you can take up this course to strengthen your digital literacy.
While it is geared towards the rural population, women, primary and secondary school students, youths, civil servants, and entrepreneurs can also benefit from this course.
All you need to do is visit https://www.openlearning.com/pustakasarawak/courses/kemahiran-asas-digital/ and click the ‘Join Now’ button to get yourself started.
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First published in the Borneo Post online on 21st March 2020: https://bit.ly/2QDardU
