Empowering Rural Communities Through Digital Solutions: A Cultural Immersion Initiative by the Educational Technology Study Program of UKI Toraja for International Students

This research explores the impact of cultural immersion on the development
and implementation of digital solutions in rural Toraja. This study adopts a
qualitative research design to explore the impact of digital solutions on
empowering rural communities within the context of a cultural immersion
initiative. The study employs a case study method, focusing on a specific rural
community in Toraja, Indonesia, where international students from the
Educational Technology Study Program of UKI Toraja were engaged. The
participants in this study included international students enrolled in the
Educational Technology Study Program at UKI Toraja, faculty members who
facilitated the immersion program, and members of the rural community in
Toraja where the immersion took place. The international students were
selected based on their participation in the program, while community members
were chosen to reflect a diverse range of ages, occupations, and involvement in
local cultural practices. In total, 20 international students, 5 faculty members,
and 15 community members participated in this study. Data collection was
conducted over a three-week period during the cultural immersion program.
The primary data collection methods included participant observation and in
depth interviews. The data collected were analyzed using thematic analysis. The
study result confirms that the impact of cultural immersion on the development
and implementation of digital solutions in rural Toraja are lays on
empowerment through digital literacy and cultural sensitivity and adaptation.