National Formosa University has entered its 19th year undertaking the Ministry of Education's Digital Opportunity Center (DOC) guidance program, and has been commissioned by the Ministry of Education to serve as the guidance team for DOCs in the Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi region. Minister of Education Cheng Ying-Yao visited "Fuxing DOC," currently Changhua County's only Digital Opportunity Center, on 3/9 (Monday) to learn about local efforts in promoting digital learning and community innovation applications, and expressed high praise for the long-term achievements of NFU and Fuxing DOC in deepening local engagement while combining cultural preservation with industrial development.
NFU has been promoting the DOC program since 2008, and with the support of the Ministry of Education's Department of Information and Technology Education, has integrated the university's professional resources with local needs to deepen DOC development in the Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi regions. Through curriculum design, talent development, and cross-disciplinary resource integration, NFU has helped community residents and elderly individuals improve their digital literacy, enabling people of different age groups to comfortably access and learn digital tools, and promoting digital inclusion in remote and rural communities.
NFU President Chang Hsin-Liang stated that the university leverages its expertise in information technology and digital education to help local communities enhance their digital capabilities and innovative applications. He noted that through close collaboration with communities, the university not only narrows the urban-rural digital divide, but also integrates local culture and industry characteristics, allowing digital technology to become an important force in promoting local development and cultural heritage preservation.
Su Hui-Kai, Director of NFU's Computer Center and Project Lead, stated that NFU's DOC guidance team adopts a "local needs-oriented and digital co-creation" guidance model, surveying community resources, cultivating local digital talent, and introducing emerging technologies and digital tools, enabling community residents to practically apply these tools in areas such as cultural documentation, industry marketing, and healthy living. This further generates digital outcomes with distinct local characteristics, while also providing more residents with equitable opportunities for digital learning.
Fuxing DOC has developed distinctive features in recent years, with its service area covering townships such as Puyan, Fangyuan, Xiushui, Zhutang, Beidou, and Xianxi, providing residents with diverse opportunities for digital learning and application. In terms of cultural preservation, the DOC has helped the community document local history such as the Fuxing Old Fort, the history of the Changhua Airfield, and the Fanpo Fort, preserving precious cultural memories through video documentation and digital content; it has also developed walking tour maps and an augmented reality app, combining digital technology to promote local cultural tourism.
In addition, Fuxing DOC has also actively integrated local agriculture and ecological features, training young local farmers to use digital tools for branding and industry promotion, and enhancing local industry visibility through food and agriculture education as well as ecological and cultural documentation. The DOC has also long promoted digital health courses, using fitness apps and digital tools to encourage community elders to develop healthy lifestyle habits.
Article and photos provided by: Computer Center
