By Trustha Rembaka
Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta training on Communication Skills took place in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing online training to reduce physical interaction in accordance with WHO health protocols. The online method opened opportunities for students from various regions in Indonesia as participants. Communication Skills training is carried out in 4 batches according to the enthusiasm of the participants. Finally, twenty-three students from various regions in Indonesia took part in this training and produced twenty-one short educational videos on various topics. The following were the experiences of the training facilitators.
Trustha Rembaka. The online Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta
Communication Skills training became a tactical strategy to respond to the
Covid-19 pandemic. The first challenge related to communication skills itself
was not enough to be understand, but also needed to be practiced. Second, online
process was closely related to the availability of communication networks both
at the trainer's place and participants. The fact in mentoring is not different
from the prediction, namely the need for face-to-face interaction to transfer
knowledge in the form of speaking practices and to improve speaking techniques.
It also ensured the participants' self-confidence in making a breakthrough to
improve their communication skills. The most memorable thing was the
participant's struggle to overcome obstacles in the absence of electricity
coverage and internet access. She had to walk 4 kms back and forth in the
morning to recharge the cellphone's at the nearest electricity grid, and in the
afternoon climbed up the hill to get signal for connection with videocall. How
great they strive to improve themselves. In addition, this training encourages
participants to 'jump over' self-obstacles. Initially they considered
themselves unable to speak in public but through this training they were
trained to speak and even to produce videos.
Sarloce Apang. Utilizing social media such as
WhatsApp and Facebook for online classes for students was the first time done
in Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta Communication Skill training. The video capturing
materials during the training process became a challenge, because not every
participant understands the video capturing techniques. However, I also learned
how to make material that was easy for beginners to understand and to direct
the participants to create detailed narratives so that they were easy to
understand when reading. Furthermore, internet access that has not been evenly
distributed in every region became obstacle, but they showed enthusiasm about
video calling or active on social media. I always waited for their video
recordings that they would send and I felt satisfied with the results. For
students who have good internet access, this training triggered them to be more
creative and productive even though they are also studying from home. I also
indirectly continued to 'upgrade' my ability.
Putri Laoli. When the Covid 19 pandemic struck, I
thought I could not work as usual, but in fact through WhatsApp group
Communication Skills, online training with Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta team could be
carried out. In fact, this training got good response not only from students in
Yogyakarta, but also from Malang, Klaten and even from outside Java such as the
Aru Islands, Sorong, Kupang, Halmahera, Sumba and Bengkulu. Besides discussing
communication skills, this training also produced educational short videos
about Covid-19 and the social problems around the participants’ life. I found
life values and reflected that when a difficult situation hit, then one must be
smart to adjust to the situation and must be encouraged the search creative
power to optimize other potentials that were not previously thought. This
required self-confidence to try something new responsibly, while transferring
knowledge and positive attitude to others. So, in any difficult situation, if
we never give up, we will be the winners! (TRU).
Comments
Post a Comment