Tomorrow Today

[

] 112

During the workshop, the undergraduates were thoroughly briefed on

the steps required to complete the project, while the teacherswere informed

that they should only facilitate, and that all input should come from the

students. In groups, teachers also tackled a project using the steps and

guidelines provided. This first-hand experience gave the teachers a deeper

understanding of the challenges the students would face.

Imparting knowledge and skills

Students began by learning the definition and the nature of govern-

ment policies. Through discussion, they identified some of the

existing policies that they were aware of. Students also tried to recog-

nize the differences between policies made by the federal government,

state government and municipal councils and studied the process of

devising policies. The understanding of these elements assisted the

students in examining their role as citizens in the process of policy-

making. This section ended with brainstorming of a few community

problems and identification of the officials and agencies involved.

Identifying problems

In groups, the students discussed the problems that they had brain-

stormed previously, along with issues related to schools, youth,

human rights and the environment. Based on the discussion and

explanation, students each chose a specific problem as the topic for

their project. The students formed smaller groups and investigated

the problems, obtaining details such as time, place, target group and

how the community was affected by the problem.

Students also learned to be resourceful to substantiate their claims and

findings, as they had to identify their sources of information. Teachers

gave them some options to consider, such as the library, newspapers,

academicians, lawyers, judges, government officers, prominent persons

in the community and the Internet. Three strategies were used, namely

structured interview, printed materials and radio and television broad-

casts. These activities enabled the students to learn skills required for

arranging and conducting interviews and interacting with the commu-

nity. In their interviews with members of the public, students gathered

comments on the policies related to the problems and posed questions

on the advantages and disadvantages of the policies. Finally, students

analysed the information obtained from various sources. They examined

the existing policies critically to find their strengths and weaknesses.

Initiating actions

The students took two actions to solve each problem. Firstly, they

proposed a new policy to address the weaknesses they had identi-

fied, ensuring that it did not breach the constitution. Students also

took into consideration the sensitivities of the community in terms

of race and religious beliefs.

Secondly, students developed an action plan based on the proposed

policy, detailing some of the activities that could be carried out by the

community and government agencies to solve the problem. The plan

also included some of the key persons in the community who could

help them convince the community to take part in the activities.

Informing the public

Students developed a portfolio to document their problems and findings,

with the supporting documents from the interviews and other printed

and online materials. The portfolio for each section was judged on seven

criteria, namely completion, clarity, information, supporting documents,

graphics, documentation and constitutional correctness. The students

presented their panels in a showcase organized by the committee, with

facilitation by student teachers. After the portfolio and pres-

entation were judged, teachers led the students to reflect on

the knowledge and skills learned throughout the project.

Lessons learned

Reflection by the participating university staff, teachers

and students revealed a variety of challenges and best

practices from this project in the following areas:

Preparedness of the academic and non-academic staff

With assistance fromUSM, both teaching and non-teaching

staff gained experience and knowledge on organizing and

facilitating teachers and students to become better citizens.

As this was the inaugural SIEUCitizenship Project, the staff

also reflected on the advantages and weaknesses of each

phase of implementation. In addition, during the showcase,

the committee managed the unforeseen challenge of the

H1N1 virus, sending out warning letters to school princi-

pals and teachers to take necessary precautionarymeasures.

Creating autonomy in students

Through the project, the students developed a sense

of responsibility, ownership, teamwork, tolerance and

respect for each other.

Teachers were advised to take extra caution when

facilitating the students outside the classroom and

school compound. Sensitive issues and risky places were

avoided and teachers provided education on communica-

tion etiquette and ways for students to protect themselves

when dealing with the public.

Benefits to SIEU students

SIEU students learned about exploration, application,

implementation and advocacy of ideas and issues. By

participating in this project, they gained experience both

as individuals working together to solve community prob-

lems, and as facilitators guiding the students’ showcases.

This real-life experience complemented the initiatives

taken by the university in imparting knowledge on ESD

to undergraduate students.

University-community relationship

This project helped build capacity within the communi-

ties involved by creating more opportunities for them to

understand their role in ESD. It also served as part of the

university’s corporate social responsibility to the commu-

nity. As a project involving many parties, it reinforced ties

between universities, teachers, students, communities and

local authorities. The universities shared their expertise

with the schools, and this information, together with the

advice of experts, was delivered to local authorities.

Participants and their families responded positively to

the activities carried out throughout the project and on

the showcase. It was agreed that this project helped the

school students involved to gain the necessary knowl-

edge, skills and attitudes to become informed citizens

of Malaysia and the world. Such capacity-building will

ensure the sustainability of the country’s social-cultural,

environmental and economic development.