Abstract:

This study focuses on the creation of a hybrid learning environment in an engineering subject in polytechnics to enhance students’ achievement, as well as enhance students’ problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills, and team building. These skills are critically needed in the workplace of the 21st century, and Malaysian polytechnics are striving to ensure that their graduates are competent for the workplace. There is a need to explore and describe the current approach to teaching that will promote a learning environment which will help students to improve their learning achievement as well as their attitudes and skills (Sipon, 2003). Thus, this study is significant in that it aims to establish an alternative pedagogical approach in teaching engineering subjects at polytechnics to produce excellent and competent graduates.

This paper offers a description of an implementation module for teaching approach using a hybrid system which is developed to meet the challenges and academic needs of students learning engineering subject in Malaysian polytechnics. Collaborative learning and metacognitive strategies will be combined and integrated in this module to become the hybrid system which abbreviated to HybCoMet Strategies in this paper. Discussion focuses on how the integration of these two approaches as the hybrid system might help students to enhance their higher level of cognitive thinking while working as a group.
The module will focus on the existing syllabus/curriculum and will be designed based on Model of ADDIE, which consists of; A= Analysis, D= Design, D= Develop, I= Implement, and E= Evaluation. The purposes in developing the module are to provide a foundation for using the HybCoMet Stragies as a new pedagogical approach, practical guidelines for designing a hybrid classroom, and suggestions for implementing this approach in more subject areas of the curriculum. It will organize to make it possible for the module to be used as a practical reference for lecturers and those who are interested.

A central objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the HybCoMet Strategies compared to the more traditional approaches in helping students to improve their attitudes and generic skills in learning Civil Engineering subjects.To identify the effectiveness of this new approach, a set of questionnaire, pre-test and post-test were employed to all first semester students undertaking three-years Civil Engineering Courses in 3 polytechnics in various states in Malaysia. Semi structured interviews also conducted to teachers to gather additional insights regarding teaching approaches, subjects/course value, and the extent of students learning.

It is hoped that this approach may help students to improve learning and deepen understanding, and emphasize positive attitudes in a wide range of generic skills that are critically needed in work place. And finally, the teaching module that has been developed is hope to contribute as a comprehensive academic references and guidelines to the academician and will be beneficial to those interested in engineering education.

Keywords:

traditional approaches/systems, collaborative learning, metacognitive strategies, hybrid approach/system, generic.