Kota Kinabalu, 12 October 2024 – The Skolar Next Level: Educators with Canva and ChatGPT (SNL) program, a CSR initiative, was successfully held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This program brought together 200 educators, including lecturers, teachers, lifelong learners, and trainers from across Sabah. Organized by Skolar Malaysia in collaboration with UMS’s e-Learning Center and Sawit Kinabalu Group, the event introduced participants to the use of Generative AI and Canva in teaching and learning.
The workshop was officiated by Prof. Dr. Fong Soon Fook, Director of the UMS e-Learning Center, who emphasized in his speech the importance of collaboration between universities and schools to prepare students and learners to be adept in the latest educational technologies. He also touched on the importance of ethical considerations when using Generative AI in learning. Brandon Liau and Dr. Mohammad Tazli Azizan, the founders and co-founders of Skolar Malaysia, served as the program’s lead trainers, assisted by six Skolar alumni. Brandon Liau, a native of Sabah, is Malaysia’s first Canva Verified Expert, and Dr. M. Tazli Azizan is the second Canva Verified Expert in Malaysia.
The Skolar Next Level initiative is being implemented across several states in Malaysia to highlight the importance of digital skills in modern education, aligning with the national digital education policy, specifically the second core focus: Competent Digital Educators. This program aims to bridge the digital divide and support the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on quality education by empowering educators. Through SNL, educators can experience how technology like ChatGPT can streamline lesson preparation, while Canva enhances visualization, making ideas more engaging and easier for students to grasp. This not only boosts teachers’ creativity as educators but also enables them to convey information more effectively and efficiently.
Skolar Next Level is expected to create new opportunities for educators in Sabah, particularly in accelerating technology adoption in learning. Through this program, educators not only gain relevant skills for the digital era but also foster innovative and creative mindsets to apply interactive learning methods in the classroom.
As a tribute to the success of this initiative, Skolar Next Level concluded with a sharing session by the educators who participated. They expressed positive feedback on how the program has transformed their approach to integrating technology in teaching and learning.
Congratulations to everyone involved in making Skolar Next Level a success in Sabah. Together, we can build a brighter and more inclusive future for education in Sabah.