The 2020 national digital competency improvement program for narrowing information gap ended successfully for South Korea. It was led by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Information Society Agency (NIA) and involved 215 local governments, and they had run 1,076 digital learning centers to educate 428,000 people. The Korea Productivity Center (KPC) and SK Telecom had carried out the program in Seoul, Incheon, Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, Daegu, and Jeju.
For six months, the KPC and SK Telecom had provided coding classes for children who were in need of care, employment process for women who had their jobs cut to become instructors in ICT (Information Communication Technology), education for elderlies regarding use of digital devices, education in IT for teenagers with disabilities, and coding classes and experience in disadvantaged areas.
The program was conducted safely through digital learning centers and a contact-free video solution called “MeetUs”. A variety of education curriculums were provided through collaboration with many education partners. An official from the NIA said that elementary students to elderlies had enjoyed different classes provided by the program and that the project would not be an one-time project but a continuous one.
◊Implementation of education for people who are visually impaired
The project included everyone in South Korea. It included those who were visually impaired as well. Meaningful education on IT started at the Municipal Nowon Welfare Center for the Blind in September.
Instructors received assistance from SK Telecom and linked their personal PCs with PCs of people who were visually impaired through a remote program. Instructors gave classes over the phone while looking at the screen of their students’ PCs.
With this education, many people who were visually impaired completed a beginning course in computer, an intermediate course in internet, and a beginning and intermediate course in mobile device. Students who had no experience in using digital devices have become experts in digital devices after they completed the courses.
One student said that the education was an excellent opportunity to learn how to use a computer and even to search for information on a computer. Another student said that the education was safe and easy as everything was done at home.
◊SK Telecom prepares learning materials on software for people with different disabilities
The program has also helped improve student with disabilities on their digital competency. SK Telecom prepared learning materials on software personalized for students with different disabilities. During a ten-week span, 150 students were given a total of 20-hour happy coding education that included unplugged activities, block and test coding, and physical computing.
Unplugged activities involved information on algorithms such as information culture, materials and information, and program solving and programming. Coding education involved block-based scratch and text-based python. Physical computing involved individual or team games and activities to teach types and different operations of sensors. The students also learned about control programs by using their knowledge in sensors and coding.
Not only students were able to fulfill social values, they were also able to find their talents and use them to look for different careers or schools that they want to pursue in the feature. One instructor who participated in the program said that the students were very satisfied with the curriculum and that the curriculum also had positive impact on the students’ school life.
◊Program also prepared different courses for elderlies
There were also different courses for elderlies as well. These courses included smartphone use to training to become a YouTuber. The training process to help elderlies become YouTubers was prepared to encourage them to utilize different technologies that smartphones provide. Most of courses were done online while on-site classes had students less than five. During a two-month span, elderlies received ten hours of education.
Elderlies who participate in the program were able to remove any fear in using smartphones. They are now open-minded on having their curiosities solved through classes and they also believe that they are able to see a different world through smartphones. While they believed that only certain people could become YouTubers before they participated in the program, they now believe that anyone can become YouTubers through training. Some elderlies also created excellent work such as V-log.
One elderly gentleman said that his family was surprised when he recorded a video of his grandson with his smartphone and sent an edited video and that he was extremely happy when his grandson said he was the best.
Staff Reporter Oh, Dain | ohdain@etnews.com