Abstract:

Being equipped with 21st century skills such as complex problem-solving has emerged as an important factor for graduates to thrive in an increasingly digitized workplace. In Malaysia, the changing industrial landscape has prompted the Ministry of Higher Education to call for all HLIs (higher learning institutions) to shift from conventional teaching to using blended learning approaches to produce highly employable graduates with the right soft skills. Therefore, Malaysian HLIs have been incorporating technology into the classrooms and many classes are now designed to be blended. Educators have also looked at various approaches to ensure the learning environment facilitates the cultivation of 21st century skills and prepares graduates for the rapidly changing workplace. One such approach is to use PSL (problem-solving learning) which facilitates students’ skills in solving problems, however solving problems alone is not enough. It has become increasingly important that students are engaged in complex, relevant, and authentic problems to ensure the skills acquired are transferable into real-world situations. Thus, authentic learning elements provide a pedagogical framework to ensure the PSL experience allows students to see how theory is applied into practice through solving real-world complex problems. This paper presents a study that explored the use of authentic learning elements in a blended learning environment to enhance the PSL experience of undergraduate students in a creative multimedia faculty. The problem-solving learning environment was designed to center on a group-project that presented students with a relevant complex problem to solve collaboratively. Students worked in groups to critically analyze the problem, after which they proposed and implemented their solutions as well as evaluated its effectiveness. In this learning environment the lecturer took on the role of a facilitator, providing support as and when needed by the students. As it was a blended learning environment, technology was incorporated to support the problem-solving process. The study used a convergent parallel mixed-method approach and solicited feedback from students through survey questionnaires and student comments. Results from the data analysis showed that students responded positively to this learning environment. Students felt that the relevance of the project problem allowed them to learn transferable skills that can be used in their personal projects or future work. Students enjoyed working in groups, appreciated the guidance from the lecturer in the learning process, and felt that the project allowed them to see how theoretical concepts are applied to solve real-world problems. Students were also found to fully utilize technology to efficiently collaborate with their group members. These results indicate that when the problem-solving learning process is supported by authentic learning elements, the learning experience can potentially drive the acquisition of complex problem-solving skills as well as other important transferable soft skills among Malaysian undergraduate students.

Keywords:

Problem-solving learning, Authentic Learning, Blended Learning.