Abstract-Graduate unemployment rate in Malaysia is an increasing problem and often linked to a lack of problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills. This paper presents the development of blended learning environment through the integration of authentic learning strategies designed to enhance problem-solving skills amongst Malaysian undergraduate students. The learning environment was blended in its approach and centered on an authentic task. Student feedback was gathered and indicated a positive response towards authentic blended learning environments. Problem-solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, and communication skills were enhanced in this learning environment, providing encouraging support for the use of authentic learning strategies in technology-backed classrooms within higher education institutions.

The Malaysian Ministry of Education has called for a need to produce skilled graduates that are highly employable. In this study, Herrington and Kervin’s Authentic Learning principles were adapted into the design of an Authentic Learning environment that is driven by a problem-based group project.  The impact of this learning environment on engaging students’ creative and critical thinking as well as the students’ perception towards the Authentic Learning environment was studied. The learning environment was designed to center on an authentic problem-based group project and was supported by multimedia and web technologies. Results indicate that Authentic Learning principles, when adapted into a learning environment engaged the use of higher-order thinking skills, encouraged the cultivation of crucial skills, made learning an active process, and enhanced understanding. Students responded positively towards the Authentic Learning environment as learning became more relevant. The positive results of this study provide support for the development of more Authentic Learning environments to engage students’ creative and critical thinking skills, thereby answering the call of the national agenda to produce industry-ready graduates with skills that make them highly employable.

No abstract

Many studies have shown that online activity-based learning increases the interest of students becoming more engaging in their learning environment. The active learning process produces the students on having a lot more creative thinking by implementing into their basic skill of talking, listening, reading, reflecting as well as writing. This study will focus on how to retrieve the student's perspective on the use of "active by doing" approach in the creative content environment. Projects will be given to the students in order to further enhance their "activity based" learning skills. Survey questionnaires, interviews and sample t-test will be included in this research in order to gauge their perspective in this learning environment. With that active process of learning implement in this study, the sense of encouragement among the learners can be expected to increase the team spirit as continuous supports were given to motivate one another. Active learning by doing does lead the students to become more understandable on their subject matter. Therefore, it increases the learner's confidence level as well as learning attention.

No abstract