UNS – The Vocational School (SV) of Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta is continuously innovating to enhance technology literacy among educators and students. Through the Informatics Engineering Diploma 3 Study Program, the Immersive Technology Research Group (RG) team, assisted by students, organized an event titled “Enhancing Technology Literacy Through the Integration of Immersive Technology with Artificial Intelligence (AI).” This event is part of a collaboration between SV UNS and Al Azhar Syifa Budi Solo, realized through the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, particularly in community service. The workshop, held at Al Azhar Syifa Budi Solo Junior High School, was attended by teachers and staff, with the main event taking place on July 15, 2024.

The uniqueness of this workshop lies in the integration of immersive technology, such as virtual reality, in creating digital teaching media. Participants were invited to create engaging educational content using the Canva platform, optimized with AI assistance. This AI technology allows teachers to design interactive and visual teaching media without needing advanced design skills. The CoSpaces Edu platform also enables educational content to be packaged in immersive technology, providing a more engaging learning experience for students.

Eko Harry Pratisto, S.T., M.Info.Tech., Ph.D., Head of the D3 Informatics Engineering Program at SV UNS, emphasized the importance of technology literacy for educators and students in this digital era. “AI is not just the technology of the future, it is already a part of our daily lives. Through this activity, we hope to provide new insights and skills to teachers and students in utilizing AI for learning,” he said.

Maya Irawati, S.Si., Headmaster of Al-Azhar Syifa Budi Solo Junior High School, also expressed high appreciation for the Immersive Technology Research Group from the D3 Informatics Engineering Program at SV UNS for their initiative. “This activity is very beneficial for us, as it can improve the quality of learning and provide new experiences for teachers and students. We hope this collaboration can continue and be implemented at various educational levels under Al Azhar Syifa Budi Solo,” Maya Irawati said.

This community service activity was conducted to address issues faced by teachers, particularly in developing teaching media amidst the rapid technological advancements today. Teachers are required to quickly create teaching media while maintaining academic rigor.

The main material was delivered by Ovide Decroly Wisnu Ardhi, S.T., M.Eng., who provided training on creating teaching media using Canva. Ovide explained various Canva features that can help teachers design teaching media easily and efficiently, aided by AI technology to speed up content creation. The participants were very enthusiastic about the training, with numerous direct interactions and question-and-answer sessions allowing them to consult directly with the resource persons. This activity not only provided new knowledge but also broadened the participants’ perspectives on how AI technology can be applied in education.

There are high hopes for this activity to be the beginning of similar initiatives in the future, aiming to continuously enhance technology literacy among educators and students. Thus, Al-Azhar Syifa Budi Solo Junior High School is expected to advance further in applying technology for learning and produce graduates ready to face challenges in the digital era. The Immersive Technology Research Group UNS, consisting of Taufiqurrakhman Nur Hidayat, S.Kom., M.Cs., Fendi Aji Purnomo, S.Si., M.Eng., Eko Harry Pratisto, S.T., M.Info.Tech., Ph.D., Ovide Decroly Wisnu Ardhi, S.T., M.Eng., and Yudho Yudhanto, S.Kom., M.Kom., is ready to continue contributing to the improvement of education quality through technology.

HUMAS UNS

Editor: Dwi Hastuti