Yogyakarta, August 10th 2022—To respond to the need of an inclusive and flexible learning management system that can reach many people, the Faculty of Social and Political Science (FISIPOL) UGM launched a Learning Management System (LMS) called FOCUS UGM (Fisipol Online Campus) on Wednesday (10/8). The LMS launch was done alongside a talk show titled “Transformation of Higher Education” which was opened with a speech from the Dean of FISIPOL UGM, Dr. Wawan Mas’udi and followed by the Minister of State Secretariat Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc as well as the Minister of State Owned Business H. Erick Thohir, B.A., M.B.A..
“As higher education, we need to be able to create a learning management system that is much more inclusive, that can reach many levels of society, and that can adapt in a much faster rate,” said Wawan Mas’udi when opening the event.
Wawan also said that the existence of FOCUS UGM is a big investment; be it an investment of how to think, how to learn, infrastructure, as well as using the pandemic as an opportunity to transform our education system.
Erick Thohir, who attended the event asynchronously, welcomed the creation of FOCUS UGM seeing that right now we are in the middle of digital disruption. He also said that it is important to optimize the existing potential so that the digital ecosystem in Indonesia can be independent and close the gap of inequality in our society. According to him, this platform can accommodate students and the society to learn in an independent manner or in an interactive way through hybrid learning.
“This is a form of implementation of digitalization in the process of the transformation of higher education in Indonesia,” said Erick, a statement in line with Wawan Mas’udi’s opinion.
FOCUS UGM is not only important for students and our society. Prof. Pratikno, who also attended the event through Zoom, highlighted the benefit that lecturers get from the existence of FOCUS UGM. With a heavy workload, the welfare of lecturers also need to be paid attention to through acting in a smart and tactical manner.
“When lecturers’ work is supported by technology, lecturers can save their energy and reduce their workload,” said Pratikno.
The launch of FOCUS UGM and the talk show ended with a quiz done through the FOCUS UGM platform. The attendees looked excited and they seemed to easily do the quiz. With the ease of learning accommodated by FOCUS UGM, hopefully this platform can fulfill its mission of creating an inclusive and affordable education.