Many Pros and Cons of Coding in Elementary and Junior High Schools, UMM Has already Run a Similar Program

Author : Humas | Tuesday, November 12, 2024 09:03 WIB

Program Pelatihan Dasar Teknologi Digital (PDTD) UMM telah diberikan untuk semua mahasiswa dimulai sejak mahasiswa baru (Foto : Istimewa)

The discourse on incorporating coding into the education curriculum has become an interesting topic highlighted by Vice President Gibran for Indonesia's Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen), Prof. Abdul Mu'ti. The plan is for coding to become an elective subject in schools that are capable of implementing it. This is seen as a way to prepare a digitally competent generation for Indonesia's Golden Year 2045.

Interestingly, this initiative has already been successfully implemented by Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) since September 2024. The initiative has been carried out through the Basic Digital Technology Training Program (PDTD) at UMM, which is provided to all new students, starting with the 2024 new students at the White Campus.

According to various media sources, UMM has indeed equipped its students with the Python programming language since they were freshmen. "The development of technology and digitalization has a significant impact on our daily lives, including the types of jobs. Therefore, to prepare students and graduates, UMM equips them with digital technology skills. They gain additional competencies in the Python programming language, which is relatively easy for all students to understand, even those who are not from the Informatics program," said Dr. Ir. Suyatno, M.Si., Head of the Bureau of Systems, Information, and Digitalization (BSID) at UMM.

He hopes that students can get to know and master coding, enabling them to create innovations, implement them in the workforce, and provide interesting solutions to societal problems. They could even develop information system projects using the Python programming language. A series of materials have been prepared, including basic programming concepts, basic structures and operations, data analysis and visualization, and more.

“This programming and coding language is the basic material. Then they can create it into various interesting things, such as applications,” he emphasized.

All new students participate in this program, which runs from September to February each year. Suyatno hopes that this program will encourage young people to continue innovating and providing solutions. The instructors for this program consist of professional lecturers as well as a number of practitioners. The Python programming language material is delivered gradually and continuously, starting from the basic level, then progressing to advanced and professional levels through courses embedded in the curriculum of each study program.

"The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education is still working on the coding curriculum for elementary and junior high schools. Meanwhile, we have already implemented a similar program at the university level. So, I believe there will be continuity if coding is taught at the primary and secondary education levels. At UMM, all students will receive this material, even if they are not Informatics students," he concluded. (wil/Ind)

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