In rural secondary school students in Malaysia, interest in computer science has not been strong, potentially due to a lack of lab facilities and a general fear of technical subjects. In addition, in Malaysia, computer science at the secondary level is offered as an elective subject in only a few schools.
To help address this disparity and increase interest in the field, the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), supported by a grant from the IEEE Computer Society (CS) Diversity and Inclusion Fund of the IEEE Foundation, created the iCARE Computer Science: iCS Program. iCS focuses on students from the rural area of Southeast Johor, under the Southeast Johor Development Authority (KEJORA).
The iCS program involved 10 secondary schools from the Southeast Johor region. Three sessions of the program took place in 2023, and one in 2024. In total, 166 students (66 more than initially anticipated) with the combination of Form 1 (13-year-olds), Form 4 (16-year-olds), and Form 5 (17-year-olds) attended and benefited from the program.
Key objectives
In addition to increasing interest in computer science among secondary school, the project also aimed to reduce gaps in learning between urban and rural learners. Another goal was to promote knowledge transfer from the university among IEEE CS members, other computer science knowledge sources, and facilitators to rural communities. With support from KEJORA, iCS deployed activities in the Malay language, making it easier for students to understand.
Primarily designed to instruct students through utilization of the Web Application for Learning Computer Science (WALCS), the iCS program also familiarized students with other digital platforms, including sources from IEEE TryEngineering camps for team-based activities, Google Interland which featured cyber security, and Blockly, which taught coding. All these were taught in individual sessions and team-based competitions.
Computer science experts led sharing sessions. For the first iCS 2023 session, six facilitators among the iCARE project alumni were invited to share their experience. For the second series of iCS 2023, nine facilitators, one UTM undergraduate student, and one iCARE alumni took part. For the third series, ten UTM undergraduate students were involved with one iCARE alumni. The final iCS in 2024 involved six UTM undergraduate students with one iCARE alumni. In total, 35 individuals contributed—more than the initially expected 30 facilitators.
“Computer science is a dynamic field that is suitable for every student, especially women,” said Shahida Sulaiman, project lead and associate professor in the Department of Software Engineering, Faculty of Computing, UTM. “Students could apply diverse methods to learn this subject, even though it is not offered as an elective subject at some schools. It also helped that participating students could grasp the key topics in Computer Science from the printed module written in Malay by the project members entitled ‘Kenali Sains Komputer: Apakah yang Anda Ingin Tahu?’ as sponsored by IEEE Computer Society through this fund.”
Making an impact
The impact of the activities undertaken under the iCS program was measured based on the following:
- The change of knowledge and interest before and after attending the series of training under the iCS program after three and six months
- How iCS fulfilled students’ needs in learning computer science and has changed their knowledge, attitude, skills, and aspirations
- The students’ ability to sustain their knowledge and guide other students at their schools to use WALCS and exposed materials from the IEEE TryEngineering after six months of taking part in iCS
Results spoke volumes: Ninety-three percent of students who participated in the iCS program either strongly agreed or agreed that the program fulfilled their need to learn computer science online. In addition, 98% strongly agreed or agreed that the program provided alternative methods for learning computer science topics, and another 98% strongly agreed or agreed that the iCS program increased knowledge regarding apps and methods for learning computer science online.
“I learned many things from iCS, such as problem-solving, information theory, basic programming, and logical thinking. The impact made me interested in venturing into the field of computer science and finding a job in it in the future,” shared one student attendee.
From a perception standpoint, the program made computer science accessible: Two-thirds of attendees reported a change in their assumptions that learning computer science is difficult. In addition, 67% of students agreed the online program provided benefits and a sense of well-being among rural students.
“As a volunteer in the iCS program, I found the most rewarding aspect was inspiring students with our own stories, motivating them, and providing a clear vision of what they can learn and achieve in the field of computer science. I also appreciated the opportunity to share insights with students seeking guidance on educational pathways, including course selection and university options,” said Ng Qian Hui, a software engineering student at UTM. “The program provides practical, real-world and direct exposure to prepare students for the future job market and fosters a special bond with students, creating a unique and meaningful journey.”
Moving forward
Project leaders hope to continue this work in the future, with the goal of making computer science accessible to even more students in Malaysia. At the same time, Sulaiman encourages other IEEE CS leaders to consider applying for a D&I Fund Grant to support similar initiatives worldwide.
“Having a matching grant is a good strategy to sustain a program or even several programs under a project, mainly those related to community engagement,” added Sulaiman. “As a project leader for the iCARE community project and one of the selected IEEE STEM Champions 2022/2023, I would recommend to those managing a similar project to have their own creativity in conducting curated programs like this. They inspire students of all kinds to get involved in computer science in the long-term.”
