Improve the Literacy Culture of the Indonesian Nation to Increase User

Engagement and Perform User Testing

By Muhammad Davan Fernanda
Universitas Jember

One of the innovations that can be used to improve the quality and quality of KG (Kompas
Group) Media is to increase user engagement and perform user testing. In this case, to
increase user engagement and performance of user testing is strongly influenced by people's
reading habits. Where digital culture is not evenly distributed in Indonesia, there are many
areas that have not been able to access the internet or even are still technologically stuttering.
This is our common concern to create a golden generation of Indonesia who excels in the
field of literacy. Thus, by increasing the literacy culture of the Indonesian nation, it can help
realize an increase in user engagement and perform user testing.

Indonesian Literacy Culture: In Level Emergency

Indonesia is one of the most populous countries, with different ethnicities, customs, cultures,
languages etc. With the slogan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, this is a warmer of diversity in
Indonesia. This makes Indonesia a unique country with a high level of tolerance. According
to data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the total population of Indonesia
as of December 2020 reached 271,349,889. However, the high population in Indonesia is not
accompanied by a high quality of education. The low level of education in Indonesia is
influenced by many things, one of which is the low interest in reading and literacy culture in
Indonesia.

One of Indonesia's traditional cultures, Welcome Dance from Papua

Source: Kompas.com)

The low willingness of the Indonesian people to read in the education system in Indonesia
makes Indonesia still far behind Singapore and Malaysia in terms of reading interest. In a
research entitled World's Most Literate Nations Ranked conducted by Central Connecticut
State University in 2016, Indonesia was ranked 60th out of 61 countries with low literacy
levels. While Finland was ranked first with a high literacy rate (almost 100%). Meanwhile,
statistical data from UNESCO shows that the reading interest of the Indonesian people is very
concerning, which is only 0.001%. That means, out of 1,000 Indonesians, there is only 1
person who reads diligently. Furthermore, from research data conducted by the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Human Development Index (HDI) at the
education level in Indonesia is also still relatively low, at 14.6%. Much lower than Malaysia
which has a percentage of up to 28%. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the
literacy culture that exists in Indonesia.

Penyebab Rendahnya Kualitas Budaya Literasi di Indonesia

The lack of interest in reading that students and people in Indonesia have in the end will
affect their critical thinking skills. As we know, critical thinking is an increase in our ability
to analyze and express ideas that we have. We can prove this low ability in critical thinking
by the many Indonesian people who often believe hoax or fake information received without
checking the truth first.

There are several factors that affect the low culture in Indonesia, including:
1. Limited reading facilities and infrastructure such as the availability of a library as well
as a variety of reading books
2. Learning situations that do not motivate students to study certain books outside of
textbooks
3. Lack of role models (from teachers) for students in terms of reading.

But this is not only from the internal side of each individual. The changing times are
increasingly modern and the convenience of this technology cannot be utilized and
maximized to improve the literacy culture of the Indonesian nation. The number of television
broadcasts that offer a variety of interesting shows is able to seize the attention of many
people. However, this is not accompanied by an increasingly attractive presentation of the
print media or books on a large scale. Even though social media is easy, it is not maximized
to improve literacy culture.

(Source: Kompas.com)

Efforts to Improve Media Literacy Culture to Increase User Engagement and Perform User
Testing
Over time, the flow of information is getting easier to spread. Likewise, technology that
delivers information is growing faster. The public as the target or target for providing
information will certainly benefit greatly from the development of today's communication
technology. However, on the other hand, not a few media companies are aggressively
providing information as a lucrative business which eventually creates what is called the
media industry. However, this fact is not matched by intelligence in processing
information/using media. Poor media literacy skills will have a bad impact on the information
obtained related to the truth of the information. So building media literacy awareness will at
least help in literacy culture.
This of course can be maximized again to intensify media literacy, ranging from educational
television shows, social media that is used as a learning space, to educational concepts that
are adapted to the digital era. This of course can make one of the positive impacts for KG
media and Indonesian society. So there is a symbiotic mutualism in this activity.

(Source: Kompas.com)

Data Analyst to Increase User Engagement and Perform User Testing

One of my competencies and abilities is data analysis and processing, where this is very
useful as a support to improve literacy culture in order to realize it by increasing user
engagement and performing user testing. Data analysis and processing is expected to be one
indicator in adjusting the problems of the reader or user. The output of the data analysis can
help improve the quality of the company. So I really hope to be accepted and join the KG
(Kompas Group) Media Team.
 DAFTAR PUSTAKA

J. Witanto, "Rendahnya Minat Baca Mata Kuliah Manajemen Kurikulum," 2018.

Badan Pusat Statistik Jakarta Pusat , 2020. Statistik Indonesia Tahun 2020. Jakarta Pusat :
Badan Pusat Statistik
Central Connecticut State University. 2016. “World’s Most Literate Nations Rank”.New
Britain: Central Connecticut State University.Diakses pada 30 Juli
2019(www.ccsu.edu).