Masks and face shields are health protocols whose use is recommended by the government in our daily interactions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although their use is mandatory in public places, there are still people who do not understand how to use masks and face shields properly for their health.
We can still find people who wear cloth masks, for example, over and over again without washing it. In fact, the use of masks is not limited to covering the nose and mouth, but rather the hygienic aspect to prevent the entry of the virus. Therefore, because they felt that they have reponsibility to educate the public, especially the younger generation who tend to be easily influenced by invalid information, 12 students of the Metallurgical and Materials Engineering study program, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FE UI), conducted education related to basic material knowledge called Materials Polylearning.
The activity is part of the UI Teaching community service program. The Faculty of Engineering (FE) student team consisting of 2020 and 2021 batch students chose the School of Universe (SoU) Nature School located in Parung, Bogor as the educational location.
Prof. Dr. Ir Akhmad Herman Yuwono M.Phil Eng, Head of the FE Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department and also the person in charge of the Teaching community service program said, “The material knowledge possessed by the lecturers and students of the FE Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department is needed by the community. During this pandemic, every individual must protect themselves, their families and the environment, by using masks and face shields. Understanding the function of the materials used will go a long way in implementing the correct use of this personal protective equipment.”
“We saw quite a few people using one mask repeatedly for days. Of course, the wrong way to use masks can have a health impact on the community. The Materials Polylearning program is designed to help the students of SoU Alam School, Parung to better understand why masks are made of specific materials. We hope that at the end of the education program, they can become agents of change and educate their surroundings about the importance of wearing masks. Not only in terms of health, but also in terms of the material base,” said Maurice Efroza, one of the FE students who participated in this program.
The Materials Polylearning program focuses on providing education on the basics of materials in making masks and face shields. By participating in this program, students of Sekolah Alam are expected to fully understand the reasons and purposes of using certain materials to make masks, so that they can use them properly. During the program implementation period in August – September 2021, 300 students from elementary – high school participated online.
Yusriana from SoU welcomed the UI Mengajar community service program at her school, “The material presented by FEngstudents to our students has been adapted to the SoU Parung curriculum. This makes the presentation of information easily and effectively understood by students and teachers and strengthens the scientific aspects of the teaching and learning process in our school environment.”
Gusaimas Matahachiro Hanggoro Himawan Akbar, FEngstudent, explained, “Technically, we organize and implement this educational program through the spider-web curricula learning method where new concepts are naturally connected to what Alam School students have learned at school with their teachers before. Zoom Meetings platform and prize quizzes through Kahoot media are done to facilitate interaction with students.”
The UI Teaching community service team from FE (Faculty of Engineering) hopes that this program can be a stepping stone for students who receive education to be able to innovate independently and then contribute to the prevention of Covid-19 transmission.
