Kontes Ilustrasi Bahan Ajar: Creating Openly Licensed Assets for Educators

(Screenshot of the landing page https://adicita.gimpscape.or.id/)

From October to November 2024, Creative Commons Indonesia and Gimpscape ID (Open Source Community), supported by the Komunitas Guru Belajar Nusantara (KGBN) and SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, organized Kontes Ilustrasi Bahan Ajar.
The contest aimed to support educators in creating engaging and accessible digital teaching materials. By producing open-licensed illustration assets, educators now have more visual options that can be freely used without worrying about copyright issues.

This contest marked the third competition held by CCID and Gimpscape ID Community, continuing the two previous contests: the Infographic Design Contest in 2022 and the Adaptation Works Contest in 2019. In the previous two contests, participants were required to use open-source software. This year, the main focus shifted to the work format, with participants being asked to produce works in the open SVG format to reach a wider user.

From Idea to Realization

The contest began with an in-depth survey of educators, particularly those teaching kindergarten and elementary school children. The survey aimed to understand the types of illustrations most needed in the teaching and learning process. Based on the survey feedback, participants were guided to create illustrations based on themes that are relevant, educational, and engaging for children.

Participation and Results

(Screenshot of the category in Wikimedia Commons)

A total of 16 participants, consisting of talented illustrators, contributed to this contest. Within a limited timeframe, they managed to produce outstanding works. A total of 240 illustrations were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. All illustrations are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, allowing users to use and distribute the illustrations as long as they attribute the original creators. Furthermore, this teaching material illustration work will be recommended for participants of the Open Learning Resources (OER) Online Training to be used in creating digital teaching materials.

Responses from Participants and Judges

The winners were announced on November 10, 2024, coinciding with Indonesia’s Heroes’ Day. This timing was chosen to highlight that the participants are heroes for educators. Sarmina, one of the judges, noted that these illustrations are highly beneficial for teachers, especially in online classes, as they support the delivery of meaningful material. She also emphasized the SVG format’s ease of adaptation and safety for use, being free and open, making the contest’s outputs invaluable in the digital era.

Here are some responses from participants involved in the Kontes Ilustrasi Bahan Ajar:

• Galan, participant, a vocational high school student:
  “I joined this competition because I have experienced difficulty finding free and open illustration content.”
• Ermin, participant and first-place winner, a homemaker:
  “I joined this contest because it seemed interesting, and the illustrations created can be used for various teaching materials, modules, and presentations. While making the illustrations, my school-aged child also provided input and reviewed my work.”

Looking Ahead

The success of this contest opens up opportunities for similar activities in the future. With more collaboration between educators, illustrators, and digital platforms like Wikimedia Commons, the potential to enrich open learning resources will grow even further.

For those interested in viewing the participants’ works, all illustrations can be accessed on Wikimedia Commons under the category Category:Ilustrasi Bahan Ajar. If you have illustrations that you would like to add to support educators in creating teaching materials, your works can also be uploaded to the same category.

Let’s support inclusive education through creative works and sharing!