Critical Factors for Enhancing Students’ Collaborative Learning Experiences in a Project-based Connectivism Learning Environment

Fui Theng Leow, Mai Neo

Abstract


The advent of technology has led to a significant challenge in redesigning today’s learning environment, as much technology is under-utilized in many classrooms, and educators still lack the confidence and proper theoretical frameworks to redesign their classes efficiently. The objective of this study was to design a project-based connectivism learning environment that transforms the traditional teacher-centered class environment into more student-centered learning approaches to enhance their collaborative learning experiences. Students were engaged in developing a group project and constructivism learning activities to complete their projects collaboratively. A mixed-method research design using four data collection instruments (survey, open-ended questions, interviews and online posts) was deployed on 300 participating students in a Malaysian university to investigate the critical factors for improving students’ learning experiences within this learning environment. The Exploratory Factor Analysis performed yielded four factors, 1) Group Dynamics and Experiences, 2) Motivation, 3) Use of Technologies, and 4) Real-World Relevance. The findings demonstrated that students improved their collaborative skills, technology was better optimized, and Connectivism Learning effectively enhanced the student learning process. The resulting Multimedia-based Connectivism Learning Framework (MCLF) was successfully aligned with four shifts in the Malaysia Blueprint for Higher Education and may serve as a practical guideline for redesigning classrooms for 21st-century education.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.22.7.21


Keywords


Connectivism; project-based learning; multimedia; Malaysia; online learning

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alexander, B., Ashford-Rowe, K., Barajas-Murph, N., Dobbin, G., Knott, J., McCormack, M., Pomerantz, J. Seilhamer, R. & Weber, N. Important Developments in Educational Technology for Higher Education. Horizon report 2019 higher education edition, 20-32. https://library.educause.edu/ resources/2019/4/ 2019-horizon-report

Alkhawaja, M. I., Halim, M. S. A. & Afthanorhan, A. (2021). Technology Anxiety and Its Impact on E-Learning System Actual Use in Jordan Public Universities during the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic. European Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 10(4), 1639-1647. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.10.4.1639

Almazroui, K. M. (2023). Project-Based Learning for 21st-Century Skills: An Overview and Case Study of Moral Education in the UAE. The Social Studies, 114(3), 125-136. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2022.2134281

Al-Samarraie, H., Shamsuddin, A., & Alzahrani, A. I. (2020). A flipped classroom model in higher education: a review of the evidence across disciplines. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(3), 1017-1051. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09718-8

Andres, J.M.L., Baker, R.S., Siemens, G., Gasevic, D., and Spann, C.A. (2017). Replicating 21 Findings on Student Success in Online Learning. Technology, Instruction, Cognition, & Learning, 10(4), 313-333. https://learninganalytics.upenn.edu/ ryanbaker/TICLReplicationManuscript.pdf

Azmi, I. A. G., Hashim, R. C., & Yusoff, Y. M. (2018). The employability skills of Malaysian university students. International Journal of Modern Trends in Social Sciences, Vol. 1(3), 1-14. http://www.ijmtss.com/PDF/IJMTSS-2018-03-09-01.pdf

Bakar, A. Y. A. (2023). Fulfilling the Aspirations of Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025: Issues and Challenges. Journal for ReAttach Therapy and Developmental Diversities, 6(6s), 13-17. https://jrtdd.com/index.php/journal/article/view/672

Brown, M., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Brook, D. C., Grajek, S., Alexander, B., Bali, M., Bulger, S., Dark, S., Engelbert, N., Gannon, K., Gautheir, A., Gibson, D., Gibson, R., Lundin, B., Veletsianos, G. & Weber, N. 2020 Educause Horizon Report Teaching and Learning Edition, 13-31. https://library.educause.edu/ resources/2020/3/2020-educause-horizon-report-teaching-and-learning-edition

Bülow, M. W. (2022). Designing synchronous hybrid learning spaces: Challenges and opportunities. Hybrid learning spaces, 135-163. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88520-5_9

Chandrappa, P. K. (2018). Connectivism as a learning theory for the digital age. Adhyayan: a journal of management sciences, Vol. 8(01), 37-47. https://smsjournals.com/index.php/Adhyayan/article/view/2092

Cheung, A. (2021). Synchronous online teaching, a blessing or a curse? Insights from EFL primary students’ interaction during online English lessons. System, 100, 102566. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102566

Demosthenous, G., Panaoura, A., & Eteokleous, N. (2020). The Use of Collaborative Assignment in Online Learning Environments: The Case of Higher Education. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 4(2), 108-117. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijtes.v4i2.43

Downes, S. (2019). Recent work in connectivism. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning (EURODL), Vol. 22(2), 113-132. https://doi.org/10.2478/ eurodl-2019-0014

Downes, S. (2022). Connectivism. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 17(1). http://asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/623/368

Dziubaniuk, O., Ivanova-Gongne, M., & Nyholm, M. (2023). Learning and teaching sustainable business in the digital era: a connectivism theory approach. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 20(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00390-w.

Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (4th ed.). London: Sage.

Fuad, D. R. S. M., Musa, K., & Hashim, Z. (2020). A Perspective to innovation leadership in Malaysia education. Journal of Educational Research & Indigenous Studies, 1(1), 1-17. https://tinyurl.com/3ecdebc3

Goh, P. S. C., & Abdul-Wahab, N. (2020). Paradigms to drive higher education 4.0. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, Vol. 19(1), 159-171. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.1.9

Gomez, I. N. B. (2020). Reflections on the role of occupational therapy programmes on the mental health of stakeholders’ transition to e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/14473828.2020.1836791

Halili, S. H., Sulaiman, S., Sulaiman, H., & Razak, R. (2021). Embracing industrial revolution 4.0 in universities. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Vol. 1088(1), 012111. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1088/ 1/012111.

Koh, J. H. L. (2019). Four pedagogical dimensions for understanding flipped classroom practices in higher education: A systematic review. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 19(4), 14-33. https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2019.4.002

Kukulska-Hulme, A., Beirne, E., Conole, G., Costello, E., Coughlan, T., Ferguson, R., FitzGerald, E., Gaved, M., Herodotou, C., Holmes, W., Mac Lochlain, C., Mhichil, M. N. G., Rienties, B., Sergeant, J., Scanlon, E, Sharples, M. & Whitlock, D. (2020). Innovating pedagogy 2020: Open University Innovation Report 8. 1-49. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/213818/

Markula, A., & Aksela, M. (2022). The key characteristics of project-based learning: how teachers implement projects in K-12 science education. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 4(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-021-00042-x.

Ministry of Education Malaysia (2015), Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education), Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia: Putrajaya. https://jpt.mohe.gov.my/portal/index.php/en/corporate/policy-documents/16-malaysia-education-development-plan-2015-2025

Moorhouse, B. L. (2023). Teachers’ digital technology use after a period of online teaching. ELT Journal, ccac050. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccac050.

Moorhouse, B. L., & Wong, K. M. (2022). The COVID-19 Pandemic as a catalyst for teacher pedagogical and technological innovation and development: Teachers’ perspectives. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 42(sup1), 105-120. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2021.1988511

Müller, C. &. Mildenberger, T. (2021). Facilitating flexible learning by replacing classroom time with an online learning environment: A systematic review of blended learning in higher education. Educational Research Review 34: 100394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2021.100394

Murillo-Zamorano, L. R., Sánchez, J. Á. L., & Godoy-Caballero, A. L. (2019). How the flipped classroom affects knowledge, skills, and engagement in higher education: Effects on students' satisfaction. Computers & Education, 141, 103608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103608.

Mursid, R., Saragih, A. H., & Hartono, R. (2022). The Effect of the Blended Project-Based Learning Model and Creative Thinking Ability on Engineering Students' Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 10(1), 218-235. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijemst.2244.

Pelletier, K., Brown, M., Brooks, D.C., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Arbino, N., Bozkurt, A., Crawford, S., Czerniewicz, L., Gibson, R., Linder, K., Mason, J., and Mondelli, V. (2021). 2021 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report, Teaching and Learning Edition. 1-50. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2021/4/2021-educause-horizon-report-teaching-and-learning-edition

Pelletier, K., McCormack, M., Reeves, J., Robert, J., Arbino, N., Maha, A.F, Dickson-Deane, C., Guevara, C., Koster, L., Sa?nchez-Mendiola, M.,Bessette, L.S. & Stine, J. 2022 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report Teaching and Learning Edition, 1-58. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2022/4/2022-educause-horizon- report- teaching-and-learning-edition

Rahayu, M. K. (2019). Barriers to use e-learning platform in Indonesia Higher Education: Factors related to people and organization. In International Conference on Organizational Innovation (ICOI 2019) 475-479. https://doi.org/10.2991/icoi-19.2019.83

Siemens, G., Rudolph, J., & Tan, S. (2020). “As human beings, we cannot not learn”. An interview with Professor George Siemens on connectivism, MOOCs and learning analytics. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, Vol. 3(1), 108-119. https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2020.3.1.15

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning. http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm.

Surur, M., Nurtjahyani, S. D., Agusti, A., & Yana, I. (2023). The Effect of Project Based Learning on Digital Literacy Skills and Conceptual Understanding in an Online-Based Flipped Classroom Environment. Edumaspul: Jurnal Pendidikan, 7(1), 849-856. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2022.124

Tsybulsky, D., & Muchnik-Rozanov, Y. (2023). The contribution of a project-based learning course, designed as a pedagogy of practice, to the development of preservice teachers' professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 124, 104020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104020.

Williams, B., Onsman, A., & Brown, T. (2010). Exploratory factor analysis: A five-step guide for novices. Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 8, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.33151/ajp.8.3.93


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


e-ISSN: 1694-2116

p-ISSN: 1694-2493