KUALA LUMPUR, April 17—The Asean Foundation, with support from Google.org, has recently launched a regional initiative known as the Asean Digital Literacy Programme (Asean DLP), aimed at enhancing digital literacy among various groups in the region.
“In today’s digital age, it is of paramount importance to enable everyone, regardless of their physical condition, to be digitally literate, not only to combat the spread of false information but to maintain productivity,” said the foundation in a statement today.
It shared the experiences of blind students from Sekolah Luar Biasa (SKB) Pembina National University in Jakarta, Indonesia, who participated in digital literacy activities through the Asean DLP.
These students were trained by Asean DLP master trainers Gina Solihat, Yani, Yunita Sari Oktavianingrum, and Nisa.
One student, Ryo, said the activities have enabled him to be digitally active to study and play games.
“We now know how to protect our data and how to use the Internet properly,” he said.
Another participant, Baim, expressed his newfound daily usage of social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
According to Gina, technological assistance has significantly increased the productivity and internet proficiency of blind students.
“The students with disabilities are able to adapt and use technology as well as possible, not only in learning but also in carrying out social media activities with friends
“Initially, they only used cell phones, but now they have started to use laptops for various purposes,” she said, explaining the incredible impact the digital literacy programme had on the students.
Another key activity of Asean DLP is the establishment of the Asean Youth Advisory Group (Asean YAG), which aims to roll out a regional and national campaign to combat misinformation and disinformation at the grassroots level.
In total, the Asean Foundation has launched 12 projects with an online social media campaign for DoubleCheck in Singapore, and Projek Wargamas Digital (senior citizen digital class) in Malaysia.
The DoubleCheck campaign educates tweens and teens aged 10 to 16 on developing digital literacy skills.
Projek Wargamas Digital targets the elderly, focusing on raising digital literacy and awareness and combating disinformation and misinformation among senior citizens through four phases — research and survey, module development, outreach and awareness, and findings and publication.
From January to June last year, the campaign aims to transform participating senior citizens into agents of change who can detect, counter, and prevent the spread of online misinformation.
— Bernama
