To fulfill the USR goals prioritized by Taiwanese universities, we adopted the global Design for Change (DFC) model by Kiran Bir Sethi to develop the Place Change Maker (PCM) strategy. This strategy integrates place exploration, design thinking and making, and place-based change practices. Using PCM, we carried out social service projects at four rural primary schools—each with over 80 years of history and fewer than 50 students—which are at risk of closure. Through digital fabrication, we developed a “Maker Microscope” and led the Micro Project – Small Plants, Big Discovery: AI-driven Exploration workshops. In these workshops, students built and customized their own microscopes, using them to explore the microscopic ecology of characteristic campus plants. We also utilized the AI tool ComfyUI to create a plant feature recognition procedure. This enabled students to connect microscopic plant features with real-world landscapes. For example, they observed that the nodal structures of bamboo leaves resembled the bamboo plant itself. Using AI-assisted image recognition, they found aerial photos of car factories arranged in a pattern similar to that of bamboo leaves. Similarly, the umbrella-like structure of pennywort leaves under the microscope resembled the layout of parks in Paris when viewed from above. This innovative exploration not only enhanced students' digital literacy but also broadened their global perspective. Our initiative reimagined the value of rural schools and supported the Sustainable Development Goals of “Quality Education” and “Reduced Inequalities,” advocating against the closure of schools in remote areas.

Authors:
Su-Chu Hsu, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
Yu-Hsuan Chang, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan
Cheng-Hao Chang, Taipei YouHua High School, Taiwan
Shih-Ta Liu, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Su-Chu Hsu is a University Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan

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