Fostering Self Learning To Strengthen Students Digital Skills

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MALAYSIA is striving to position itself as a competitive nation in the global digital economy. In this fast-evolving landscape, the country needs graduates who are digitally skilled, adaptable, and capable of navigating new technologies.
To support this, students should develop habits of self-learning and continuous upskilling as part of their learning journey, taking initiative to explore new digital tools, expand their knowledge, and adapt to emerging technologies.
Meanwhile, universities must focus on creating a learner-driven environment where students are active participants, encouraging critical thinking, experimentation with new digital tools, and independent problem-solving while providing guidance and resources to help them navigate challenges effectively.
A student-centered approach not only builds confidence but also instills a sense of responsibility, encouraging students to learn independently, recover from mistakes, update their skills, and adapt to a rapidly changing technological environment.
One effective way to support this is by designing self-learning assignments that require students to be proactive throughout the process.
For example, students can be given a project where they independently act in every step, starting from sourcing a suitable dataset, identifying a problem, selecting appropriate digital tools such as Excel, Power BI or similar platforms, learning to apply these tools to analyse the data, and presenting their findings.
With the abundance of online resources, videos, and free short courses, students have the opportunity to independently explore and learn a wide range of digital tools.
They can experiment with different functions, follow tutorials at their own pace, practice real-world applications, and even access communities or forums for additional guidance, allowing them to build both technical proficiency and confidence in using digital technologies effectively.
In this approach, lecturers act as facilitators, offering guidance, clarification, and support when needed rather than providing step-by-step instructions.
They create an environment where students feel comfortable experimenting with digital tools and technologies, learning through trial and error.
By acknowledging that mistakes are a natural part of the learning process, lecturers can help students analyse what went wrong, understand the underlying concepts, and develop strategies to correct and improve their use of digital tools.
This guidance nurtures digital literacy, empowering students to become independent learners capable of tackling complex, technology-driven challenges with confidence.
While such assignments help, students themselves must also take responsibility for their own growth. They need to steer their learning beyond the classroom and actively seek opportunities to upskill.
Younger generations are highly engaged on online channels and social media, which can be used positively to access digital upskilling resources, tutorials, and courses.
By actively using these platforms, students can stay updated on emerging trends, enabling them to take control of their own learning and continuously enhance their digital skills outside the classroom.
This is especially important in fast-evolving fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data analytics, where waiting for curriculum updates is no longer sufficient.
By engaging in self-directed learning, students can strengthen their digital literacy, develop agility, and remain relevant in an ever-changing workforce.
Without nurturing these skills, Malaysia risks producing a workforce that is technically qualified on paper but digitally underprepared in practice. Digital skills are not acquired once; they must be continuously updated as technology advances.

By creating a learner-driven environment and encouraging students’ commitment to self-learning, Malaysia can develop graduates who are creative, adaptable, and committed to lifelong learning, which is crucial to succeed in the international digital landscape. 
Dr Farzana Parveen Tajudeen is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Decision Science, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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