IDE UNPAR, THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED LEARNING
With the advent of communication and information technology, all aspects of life have undergone a transformation. There are also innovations in education that enable it to be more advanced and integrated as demanded by the era. One of the example is the learning management system which utilizes online communication network. Unpar has kept up with the development learning technology by developing a digital learning system called the Interactive Digital Learning Environment (IDE)
As a part of Unpar, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) has encouraged all its academic community to utilize IDE. Dr. Pius Sugeng Prasetyo as the dean of the Faculty has invited all members of the scientific community to utilize this new system with the training of FISIP lecturers, conducted for FISIP lecturers, some time in the past.
As an educator, the man commonly called Pak Pius, understands the importance of IDE’s existence for Unpar’s academic community. IDE is the realization of Unpar and FISIP’s vision to anticipate current technological advances. IDE is not a replacement of the conventional learning system. Instead “IDE complements the current offline learning, namely the class meetings currently in use.” He added.
It is highly possible that online learning such as IDE will become a fundamental component of learning in the future.
Pak Pius explained that “IDE can be used as a distance learning system that can reach wider and distant areas such as the frontier people (on the borderline).”
This system will be able to overcome the hurdles of learning processes especially geographic hurdles. Thus, Unpar willbe able to reach people further away and in wider areas.
How about the implementation of IDE within FISIP itself? IDE within FISIP is integrated with the systems allover Unpar. Lecturers who utilize IDE will instantly be connected to an integrated centralized system. Therefore, all learning data from al faculties in Unpar are inter-connected. All learning activities will become more transparent, and materials readily accessible as well as a more open evaluation system.
According to Pak Pius, the main hurdle of the current IDE implementation is to familiarize and elevate lecturers’ commitment as the main users of IDE.
“There are demands that have become hurdles for some lecturers. The system itself is good, the facilities are new and currently flawless,” according to Pak Pius.
Right now, the most important thing is to invite and familiarize lecturers and students with IDE to utilize the existing learning system.
Pak Pius hopes that IDE Unpar can improve the quality of the learning process at Unpar. Hopefully the use of technology in this process will improve the quality of students’ learning. In addition, all academic community members, especially the lecturers are expected to have the will to use technology in the form of IDE in all learning process conducted at Unpar.
IDE has displayed an innovation that is highly beneficial for the society especially for Unpar’s academic community. Even though it currently serves as an addition to face-toface or offline learning, the utilization of IDE as a distance learning system will help covering places requiring higher education. IDE Unpar is the future of an integrated and useful learning process for all.
(Quoted from an interview with Dr. Pius Sugeng Prasetyo, Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences Unpar)
