Character Developmen In Facing the Digital Technology Era Through An Interactive Workshop Among Public Health Students

Penguatan Karakter Mahasiswa Kesehatan Masyarakat Dalam Menghadapi Era Teknologi Digital Melalui Workshop Interaktif

Abstract

Digital technology development requires public health students to possess not only academic competence but also strong character to use technology wisely, ethically, critically, and responsibly. This community service activity aimed to improve students' understanding of character development in facing the digital era, particularly critical thinking, digital ethics, artificial intelligence (AI) use, privacy protection, and adaptation to digital health transformation. The activity was conducted through an interactive online workshop using Zoom for students of the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Andalas. Evaluation was performed using pre-test and post-test questionnaires administered through Google Forms. A total of 240 students attended the workshop, while 165 participants completed both tests. All 15 indicators increased after the intervention. The mean score increased from 94.27% in the pre-test to 98.15% in the post-test, representing a 3.89 percentage-point increase. The largest improvements were observed in positive character among future public health professionals (5.86%), critical attitudes toward health information (5.22%), and verification of AI-generated information (5.19%). The findings indicate that the workshop contributed positively to participants' understanding and underline the importance of integrating character education, digital literacy, and critical thinking into public health education.

Abstrak

Perkembangan teknologi digital menuntut mahasiswa kesehatan masyarakat tidak hanya memiliki kompetensi akademik, tetapi juga karakter yang kuat dalam menggunakan teknologi secara bijak, etis, kritis, dan bertanggung jawab. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan meningkatkan pemahaman mahasiswa mengenai pembinaan karakter dalam menghadapi teknologi digital, khususnya terkait berpikir kritis, etika digital, penggunaan kecerdasan buatan (AI), perlindungan privasi, dan adaptasi terhadap transformasi digital kesehatan. Kegiatan dilaksanakan melalui workshop interaktif secara daring menggunakan Zoom pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kesehatan Masyarakat Universitas Andalas. Evaluasi dilakukan melalui pre-test dan post-test berbasis Google Form. Sebanyak 240 mahasiswa mengikuti workshop, sedangkan 165 peserta mengisi pre-test dan post-test secara lengkap. Hasil menunjukkan seluruh 15 indikator mengalami peningkatan. Rerata capaian meningkat dari 94,27% pada pre-test menjadi 98,15% pada post-test, dengan selisih 3,89 poin persentase. Peningkatan tertinggi terjadi pada indikator karakter positif calon tenaga kesehatan masyarakat (5,86%), sikap kritis terhadap informasi kesehatan (5,22%), dan verifikasi informasi dari AI (5,19%). Temuan menunjukkan bahwa workshop berkontribusi positif terhadap pemahaman peserta dan memperkuat pentingnya integrasi karakter, literasi digital, dan kemampuan berpikir kritis dalam pendidikan kesehatan masyarakat.