ITS Deputy Chancellor I for Academic and Student Affairs Prof Dr Ir Adi Soeprijanto MT (right) with representatives from other universities when receiving an award from UNESCO in China

ITS Campus, ITS News – Digital-based learning initiated by the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya during the COVID-19 pandemic is recognized worldwide. Thursday (7/12) evening, digital-based learning received two awards at once. First, awards from the world body UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemedikbudristek).

In an award from UNESCO in the UNESCO-ICHEI Higher Education Digitalization Pioneer Case Award held in Shenzhen, China, ITS competed fiercely with 131 universities from 42 countries that passed the selection. The award was given to ITS for a series of ITS academic development activities during 2020-2022 entitled “Intelligent Learning and Smart Campus” which was coordinated directly by the Deputy Chancellor I for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof Dr. Ir Adi Soeprijanto MT, with members including, Bagus Jati Santoso Ph.D., Prof Dr rer pol Heri Kuswanto MSi, Prof Dr Siti Machmudah ST MEng, Prof Dr Ir Aulia Siti Aisjah MT, and Fadlilatul Taufany PhD.

The jury appreciated, among other things, the creation of regulations and the readiness of online learning infrastructure which was carried out before the pandemic, online lecture incentives, online practicum innovation grants, MOOCs, intelligent learning flagship research, Digits red and white tablets, and other academic development activities. “ITS is the only Higher Education Institution in Indonesia that received an award from UNESCO in this event,” said Deputy Chancellor I for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof Dr. Ir Adi Soeprijanto MT.

Meanwhile in Jakarta at the same time, ITS also received the second-best award for the Digital Learning and Implementation Assistance Program (P3D) from the Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and Technology. ITS was represented by two teams headed by Dr Lila Yuwana and Henning Titi MKom.

ITS Deputy Chancellor I for Academic and Student Affairs Prof Dr Ir Adi Soeprijanto MT (third from right) when receiving the UNESCO-ICHEI Higher Education Digitalization Pioneer award

International Recognition

ITS Chancellor Prof Dr Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng said, ITS had built all regulatory and infrastructure tools and carried out online learning since February 2020 before the pandemic. The implementation of digital-based learning has been prepared beforehand.

“At that time we were almost at a complete standstill. Lecture activities, management, and infrastructure development projects were all disrupted. “Even he, along with several ITS officials and residents, were also exposed to the Coronavirus and had to undergo intensive care and isolation in hospital,” he recalled.

He said, at that time ITS created the myITS Classroom application to facilitate online lectures. All ITS students and lecturers have been registered according to the lecture schedule based on the Academic SIM. In myITS Classroom, a list of classes is available for each student.

Apart from that, at ITS, asynchronous learning is also implemented which can be accessed via LMS (learning management system), where lecturers have prepared lecture material and students can access it anytime and anywhere flexibly. Ashari remembers very well that connectivity and access are challenges that must be faced because not all students have stable internet access and adequate devices to participate in online learning.

UNESCO-ICHEI Higher Education Digitalization Pioneer Case Award received by ITS

“At that time there were many changes in campus activity plans. Several seminars, conferences, guest lectures, and events were stopped or postponed. Some activities have been transferred virtually. Extracurricular activities and student organizations are closed. “All of this certainly has an impact on the intellectual and social development of students,” he said.

However, Ashari added, that there is always wisdom in a disaster. “Because of the Covid pandemic, ITS academics have experienced an acceleration in their skills in the field of information technology because they were forced to carry out learning and work activities virtually. They become accustomed to using various online learning platforms and software. “Especially before the pandemic hit, ITS was already planning to implement an online learning system and had prepared the technological tools,” he said.

Various innovation developments that received awards from UNESCO were programs that had been planned from the start, but some were built due to pandemic conditions. Such as iProctor (AI-Based Exam Proctor), iAssesment (AI-Based Dynamic Exam), RAISA (Medical Robot), iBoat, iCar, and several other works.

“ITS’s consistency in producing innovations for learning and contributing to the nation and wider society, according to its excellence in the field of digital technology, is a consideration for UNESCO in giving awards,” he said.

Ashari is grateful for the award he received from UNESCO. This achievement is the result of the joint work of the entire ITS extended family, for this reason, Ashari expressed his thanks and appreciation for the contributions of all parties. (ITS Public Relations)