 |
| Rezka Mardhiyana, one of the UMM students (with the gray headscarf), presented the use of Express Bakso Machine to one of the meatball entrepreneurs in Temas Village, Batu Town. |
THE COOPERATION between University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) since 2014 is continued to build human resource quality through community service activity. In Learning Express (LEx) program, UMM students collaborate with SP students through the development of Design Thinking (DT) learning. It is a method that focuses on solving problems excavated through field observations and oriented towards the creation of products or programs.
In this 2018 period, UMM and SP students are placed in several community business units in Temas Village, Batu Town. According to Ambika Putri, Co-Facilitator of LEx, this year's first batch was attended by 56 participants; 28 from UMM and 28 from SP. They are divided into four groups. The total number of this period increases from the previous one, with the aim that the program quantity can be more imprroved, focused, and applied immediately in the observation place.
"This intends to make our work more leverage so that it can solve many problems and immediately be applied in the village," said Ambika.
The series of activities are divided into six stages of the DT method, namely Sense, and Sensibility, Define, Ideation, Prototyping, Co-Creation, and Gallery Walk. The activities will be participated by participants from March 11 to March 22.
"All students will go through six stages of thinking design itself," said Ambika.
At the stage of Sense and Sensibility, and Define, the students come to the field and make an outline of the problems faced together with the community. The unique scenery also emerged when foreign students with the community took to the field such as going to traditional markets and merchandise. Tan Zhi Yuan (Luke), one of SP students, stated that this was special experience that can introduce him to life of the local community more.
"This activity is unique and exciting because foreign students not only can participate in selling and be closer to the community in the place of observation, but also know the culture of the people here," explained Luke.
Furthermore, at the stage of Ideation and Prototyping, students will return to the campus, design ideas, and create tools that can solve the problems faced by the community. In this process, they will begin to discuss intensively with their groups.
One group named Tim Bakso created a tool called Express Bakso Machine. This tool was created to answer the anxiety of meatballs traders who claimed that it cannot produce meatballs in large quantities in a short time in a lot of consumers’ order.
Hesti Mirandah, one of UMM students who is also in the Team Bakso, conveyed that the tool made with SP students has been approved and in accordance with the needs of business owner of Meatballs in Temas Village.
"The tool we invented is already investigated and approved by the business owner. In fact, he was very happy about that, "said Hesti.
At the end before implementing the Gallery Walk, the students will carry out Co-Creation, the activity of presenting ideas or tools, that have been created to the community in the observation village. According to Supriyatin, the head of PKK in RT 01 Temas Village, LEx is a program eagerly awaited by the community in Temas.
"Residents are always waiting for the presence of UMM and Singapore students to be able to contribute ideas on their business problems," said Supriyatin.
The Lex program is held once in each semester. On Thursday (22/03), Gallery Walk will be held in BAU Hall of UMM as the closing ceremony where the participants will present the results. (ard)?
.jpg)