SGHE 5013 PORTFOLIO Curriculum For Higher Education

Moving Beyond Traditional Assessment: The Tyler Expanded Model and its Relevance for Malaysian Higher Education

2020

Preface Semester A222 Group 3 Members

INTRODUCTION

4. The Malaysian Education Blueprint (2015-2025) guides flexible education in Malaysia, emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning and globalized online learning.

1.The 21st century global education perspective recognizes the importance of equity, access, quality, and relevance, and acknowledges the role of education in promoting economic development, social mobility, and individual empowerment.

3.Education policy and program development must address the diverse needs and aspirations of learners around the world with a collaborative and inclusive approach. The nature of assessment in higher education needs to evolve to meet industry needs and cater to the needs of the millennial generation.

2.Curriculum development using established models such as Tyler Model emphasizes setting clear objectives and evaluating student learning. The 21st century approach to assessment requires periodic review and data collection to ensure that the curriculum is current and relevant

PROBLEM STATEMENT The study aims to review the curriculum of the Research Method for Operations Management course to address weaknesses and correspond better with the needs of 21stcentury learners.

The weaknesses identified include time constraints and potentially biased group assessments for communication skills.

The study seeks to enhance the course's efficacy by improving the communication skills evaluation methods and investigating alternative approaches for providing tailored assistance to students in completing their research proposals.

LITERATURE REVIEW COMMUNICATION SKILLS A study by Nadarajah and Janitha (2021) found that graduates possess valuable employability skills but their communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills need improvement. There is a mismatch between the skills graduates possess and those in demand in the job market. The Graduate Tracer Study by the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia found that in 2021,14.5% of Malaysian graduates were unemployed and employers prioritize graduates with professional experience and soft skills, particularly communication.

Communication skills are the most significant cause of graduates' unemployability. Employers prioritize social skills, with communication skills being at the top of their desired attributes in graduates.

LITERATURE REVIEW ASSESSMENTS The research by Nadia et al. (2020) emphasizes the importance of collaborative group assignments in undergraduate education for developing skills and preparing students for the workplace, but notes challenges related to group presentations and group work assessment. The significance of oral and written communication skills has been highlighted in 21st century skills and National Associations of Colleges and Employers frameworks, but it is unclear if these skills are emphasized in Malaysia.

LITERATURE REVIEW CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT MODEL There are various curriculum development models, including Tyler's model, which introduces four fundamental questions for curriculum development: goals and objectives, content, learning experiences, and evaluation. Tyler's model (expanded) suggests that the first step in curriculum development is to determine goals and objectives, followed by organizing experiences through the selection, organization, and evaluation of learning experiences. Tyler's model continues to influence contemporary curriculum implementation worldwide.

Tyler’s model (expanded)

METHOD The study utilized a mixed-methods approach by collecting qualitative data through in-depth interviews with educators and quantitative data through an online survey distributed to students. The survey was randomly distributed to students taking the subject of "Research Method for Operations Management" in the A221 semester at a public university with 41 out of 43 students responding. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The questionnaire was divided into four parts and adapted from a previous study, with pilot testing conducted to ensure validity and reliability.

SAMPLE ONLINE SURVEY

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KBlFuuaEHFGKL4_gGsz8mYAi767fA0-_Ucx3i0TETE/edit?ts=6406c58f

OUR INTERVIEW SESSION

Dr Hj Mohd Akhir Hj Ahmad (Expert)

22 February 2023 (Wednesday) 11.00-13.00 BME, STML UUM

OUR INTERVIEW SESSION

Dr Siti Norhasmaedayu Binti Mohd Zamani (Lecturer) 22 February 2023 (Wednesday) 2.00PM-4.00PM BME, STML UUM

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 1. Self-sufficiency

Lecturer • Providing equitable support for students to understand the research process. • Reading an article to help write a research proposal and support findings. • Undergraduate level task. • Acceptable for a group assignment.

Expert • Measuring a student's cognitive skill. • Reading and analyzing at least five articles. • A single article is not sufficient. • Compiling findings, identifying problem statement, variables, theory, methods, sampling, and findings. • Explaining why the studies used the selected method. • Better understanding of research proposal.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 2. Significant

Lecturer • Importance of group work activities for students. • Group assignments assist students in working better in teams. • Significant in achieving LOC2 and LOC3. • Group presentations enhance oral communication and leadership skills. • Fairness in grading can be addressed by providing a list of tasks for each student. • Assigning respective responsibilities and tasks to each group member. • Solving potential free-rider issues and unfair grading.

Expert • Group work assignments are significant for the course. • Provide an opportunity for students to discuss and help each other. • Students have different levels of understanding. • Group assignments help students study with their peers. • Improving overall understanding.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 3. Relevance to life

Lecturer • Group assignments in the course are relevant to students' lives. • Prepare students for working in the industry where they will collaborate with colleagues. • Learning how to communicate effectively, deliver ideas, and work together as a team. • These skills are essential in the industry where most tasks require teamwork

Expert • Group work is essential for students. • Provides an opportunity to grow and share ideas. • Relevant to students' current life. • Research proposal syllabus requires time to capture before FYP course. • Group presentations enhance students' confidence levels in oral communication..

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 4. Variety

Lecturer • Using appropriate approach for presentation for special needs students. • Providing options for conducting the presentation for students with difficulty communicating. • Avoiding boring learning during class. • Using two-way communication with suitable timing for lecture, activities, and conclusion. • Using posters or PowerPoint for presentations

Expert • Conducting surveys to identify different types of learners. • Identifying students who need special attention due to physical or health problems. • Using posters for presentations to encourage creativity. • A monitor is necessary to ensure the presentation meets the assignment's objective. • Students are willing to showcase their creativity, including using current apps. • Guiding students to align their creativity with the assignment's objectives.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 5. Suitability

Lecturer • The given task is appropriate for improving students' self-confidence. • Group assignments are important for helping students learn how to deliver ideas in a realworld situation. • Group assignments can prepare students to work effectively in a team with different types of people. • Students will meet different types of people in the industry..

Expert • Group work assignments are suitable for achieving experiential learning through discussions with team members. • The type of task is appropriate, but the instructions should be clearer to achieve cognitive skills. • It is useful for students to clarify the research proposal section. • The current rubric measures cognitive skills, but it should also include interpersonal skills for group presentation assessment.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 6. Validity

Lecturer • The task given is relevant for students to gain learning experience in cognitive skills and communication skills. • The task is valid for achieving the program learning outcome for CLO. • The CLO involves applying related tools and techniques for research proposals and demonstrating communication skills..

• Expert • The content of the task caters to students' experience in problem identification, analysis, decision making, synthesis, evaluation, and application. • The task provides a basic understanding of the process of conducting research. • The task is meaningful in helping students experience oral communication skills.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 7. Interest

Lecturer • Research topics should be selected based on students' interests. • The group assignment task allows for individual topic selection, but proper work distribution should be ensured. • Posters or slide presentations are acceptable forms of presenting output, and case studies can be used. • Booklets, pamphlets, or relevant documents should be provided to address APA style and aid in better understanding.

Expert • The lecturer can encourage students to use current apps or tools to make the task more interesting. • Proper monitoring should be in place to prevent issues such as unfair grading and free riders in group assignments. • Peer assessment can be used where students give marks for each group member according to their assigned task.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 8. Utility

Lecturer • The course emphasizes the development of cognitive and communication skills that are relevant and applicable in the industry or working life. • The knowledge gained in the course is considered valuable for future endeavors.

Expert • The group task assignment is beneficial for students to improve their confidence and leadership skills. • The task serves as a benchmark for students' understanding of the syllabus. • The task may help others better understand certain topics.

FINDINGS: THE NEED ANALYSIS Aspect 9. Learnability

Lecturer • The task given to the students is adequate to provide both theoretical and industrial experiences. • The placement, organization, and sequencing of the task are acceptable. • The presentation week is scheduled for week 13 and 14.

• Expert • The task is useful for developing a research proposal. • Due to the complexity of research methods, there may be variations in its application. • It is suggested to change the timing of the presentation task to the middle of the semester to help students improve their research proposal.

FINDING FROM SURVEY

FINDING FROM SURVEY

DATA ANALYSIS Tables 2, 3, and 4 present the results of an online survey conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of group assignments in assisting students with their research proposals. The majority of the respondents were female and Malay. Table 2 shows that over 70% of the students agreed on the benefits of group assignments in enhancing their skills related to research proposal development. Table 3 indicates that students recognize the importance of various factors such as feedback, training, and self-evaluation in ensuring effective assessment of group assignments. Table 4 reveals that while there were no major issues related to group assignments, some students experienced difficulties in working in groups, particularly with time management and interpersonal communication. Overall, group assignments were perceived as beneficial by most students, and educators should address potential issues to support students' success.

OUR REFLECTION 1) Goals and objectives - What are the learning rationales a school should try to find? (Rosini Nawang Mustapen) 1. Self-sufficiency: To provide equitable support for students to understand the research process and write a research proposal by reading and analyzing at least five articles to compile findings, identify problem statements, variables, theory, methods, sampling, and findings. 2. Significant: To keep group work activities in the course to help students work better in teams and enhance their oral communication and leadership skills. 3. Relevance to life: To prepare students for working in the industry by helping them learn how to communicate effectively, deliver ideas, and work together as a team through group assignments. 4. Variety: To identify different types of learners, provide suitable approaches to presentations for special needs students, and use different methods to avoid boring learning during class. 5. Suitability: To improve students' self-confidence by giving them appropriate tasks that are relevant to their future careers and prepare them to work effectively in a team with different types of people. 6. Validity: To provide students with a valid learning experience in cognitive and communication skills that are relevant to achieving program learning outcomes. 7. Interest: To select research topics based on students' interests and encourage the use of current apps or tools to make the task more interesting. 8. Utility: To emphasize the development of cognitive and communication skills that are relevant and applicable in the industry or working life and provide students with valuable knowledge for future endeavors. 9. Learnability: To provide adequate theoretical and industrial experiences to develop a research proposal and change the timing of the presentation task to the middle of the course to avoid complexity in research methods.

OUR REFLECTION 2) Content - Which learning principles can be presented that will probably achieve these rationales? (Hartinee Abbas) 1. Self-sufficiency: Students should be provided with equitable support to understand the research process and analyze at least five articles to compile findings, identify problem statements, variables, theory, methods, sampling, and findings. This approach helps students better understand the research proposal. 2. Significance: Group assignments are important to assist students in working better in teams and achieve program learning outcomes. Group work activities help enhance students' oral communication and leadership skills. 3. Relevance to life: Group assignments prepare students for working in the industry where they will collaborate with colleagues, communicate effectively, deliver ideas, and work together as a team. 4. Variety: To identify different types of learners, surveys should be conducted to provide different approaches to the presentation. Posters and PowerPoint presentations are effective for presentations. 5. Suitability: The task given should be appropriate for students to improve their cognitive and communication skills, gain learning experience, and prepare them for the industry. The instructions should be clear, and the rubric should include interpersonal skills. 6. Validity: The task given should be relevant to the program learning outcome, cater to students' experience, provide a basic understanding of conducting research, and improve oral communication skills. 7. Interest: The selection of research topics should depend on the students' interests. Students should be encouraged to use current apps or tools to make the task more interesting, and peer assessment can be used to prevent issues such as unfair grading and free riders in group assignments. 8. Utility: The course emphasizes the development of cognitive and communication skills that are relevant and applicable in the industry or working life. The knowledge gained in the course is considered valuable for future endeavors. 9. Learnability: The placement, organization, and sequencing of the task are acceptable for providing both theoretical and industrial experiences. The task is useful for developing a research proposal.

OUR REFLECTION 3) Learning experiences - In what manner these learning experiences can be organized effectively? (Zuliana Azwa Zulkifli) 1. Developing cognitive skills - Students are required to read and analyze multiple articles to compile findings, identify problem statements, variables, theories, methods, sampling, and findings. This helps to develop cognitive skills such as problem identification, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and decision-making. 2. Enhancing communication and leadership skills - Group assignments and presentations provide an opportunity for students to improve their oral communication and leadership skills. Through group assignments, students can learn how to communicate effectively, deliver ideas, and work together as a team. 3. Learning relevant skills for industry - The group assignments and presentations are relevant to students' future careers as they prepare them for working in the industry where they will collaborate with colleagues. These skills are essential in the industry where most tasks require teamwork. 4. Catering to different learning needs - To cater to special needs students, appropriate approaches for presentation should be used, such as providing different options on how to conduct the presentation. Surveys can also be conducted to identify students who need special attention due to physical or health problems. 5. Encouraging creativity - Posters and PowerPoint presentations can be used to encourage creativity in students. They can also use current apps and tools to make the task more interesting. 6. Developing self-confidence - The group assignments and presentations can help students improve their self-confidence as they learn how to deliver ideas in a real-world situation, such as in the industry. 7. Applying related tools and techniques - The course emphasizes the development of cognitive and communication skills that are relevant and applicable in the industry or working life. The knowledge gained in the course is considered valuable for future endeavors. 8. Clarifying instructions - Clear instructions should be given to achieve cognitive skills such as problem identification, analysis, application, synthesis, evaluation, and decisionmaking. It is also useful for students to clarify the research proposal section. 9. Ensuring fairness - To ensure fairness in grading, tasks can be assigned to each group member, which would assign respective responsibilities and tasks to each group member, solving any potential free-rider issues and unfair grading. Peer assessment can also be used where students give marks for each group member according to their assigned task.

OUR REFLECTION 4) Evaluation - How to find out whether the rationales are being accomplished or not? (Noor Amalina Mat Yusof) 1. Self-sufficiency: Achievable. The task provides equitable support for students to understand the research process by reading an article that will help them write a research proposal and support their findings. If students read and analyze at least five articles, they can compile the findings, identify the problem statement, variables, theory, methods, sampling, and findings. This approach will help students better understand the research proposal. 2. Significant: Achievable. Group work assignments are important for students to work better in teams, and they are significant in achieving LOC2 and LOC3. Group presentations help enhance students' oral communication and leadership skills. If the lecturer is worried about fairness in grading, they can provide a list of tasks for each student, assigning respective responsibilities and tasks to each group member, solving any potential free-rider issues and unfair grading. 3. Relevance to life: Achievable. Group assignments in this course are relevant to students' lives as they prepare them for working in the industry where they will collaborate with colleagues. Through group assignments, students can learn how to communicate effectively, deliver ideas, and work together as a team. These skills are essential in the industry where most tasks require teamwork. 4. Variety: Achievable. The appropriate approach for presentation should be used for special needs students. For example, if a student has difficulty communicating, the lecturer should provide five other options on how to conduct the presentation. To avoid boring learning during class, two-way communication should be used, with suitable timing for lecture, activities, and conclusion. Using posters or PowerPoint for presentations is also a good idea. 5. Suitability: Partially achievable. The task given is appropriate for students to improve their self-confidence. Group assignments are important as they help students learn how to deliver ideas in a real-world situation, such as in the industry. While the type of task is appropriate, the instructions should be clearer to achieve cognitive skills such as problem identification, analysis, application, synthesis, evaluation, and decision-making. It is also useful for students to clarify the research proposal section. The current rubric measures cognitive skills, but it is suggested that it should also include interpersonal skills as they are more suitable for group presentation assessment.

OUR REFLECTION 6. Validity: Achievable. The task given is relevant for students to gain learning experience in cognitive skills and communication skills. It is also valid for achieving the program learning outcome for CLO, which involves applying related tools and techniques for research proposals and demonstrating communication skills. 7. Interest: Achievable. The selection of research topics should depend on the students' interests. The group assignment task allows for individual topic selection, but proper work distribution should be ensured. To aid in better understanding, booklets, pamphlets, or any relevant documents should be provided to address APA style. The lecturer can encourage students to use current apps or tools to make the task more interesting, with proper monitoring. To prevent issues such as unfair grading and free riders in group assignments, peer assessment can be used where students give marks for each group member according to their assigned task. 8. Utility: Achievable. The course emphasizes the development of cognitive and communication skills that are relevant and applicable in the industry or working life. The knowledge gained in the course is considered valuable for future endeavors. 9. Learnability: Partially achievable. The task given to the students is adequate to provide both theoretical and industrial experiences. The placement, organization, and sequencing of the task are acceptable, with the presentation week scheduled for week 13 and 14. The task is useful for developing a research proposal, but due to the complexity of research methods, there may be variations in its application. It is suggested to change the timing of the presentation task.

DISCUSSION The interview results show that the proposed learning environment focuses on developing cognitive and communication skills for students' future careers. The principles emphasize group work, self-sufficiency, relevance to life, and interest, as well as catering to students' special needs and promoting creativity. The proposed learning experiences are wellorganized, with a strong focus on industry-relevant skills. However, the limitations include a small sample size and a lack of specific examples. The analysis of Tables 2, 3, and 4 provides insight into students' perceptions and experiences with group assignments, with most students perceiving group assignments as beneficial. Instructors should provide support to students with various skills and knowledge related to group work, including feedback, training, and self-evaluation. Instructors should also address concerns related to time management, interpersonal communication, and group work mechanisms to promote effective group work and student success. It also important to highlight that, student prefer to conduct individual presentation for better grading.

CONCLUSION

The presented survey results provide further insights into students' perceptions of group assignments and the assessment of such assignments. Most students perceived group assignments as beneficial, particularly in assisting them with their research proposals and enhancing their skills in various areas. Effective assessment of group assignments was also identified as crucial, with factors such as feedback, training, and self-evaluation being considered important. While most students did not face significant issues with group assignments, some challenges such as time management and interpersonal communication were reported. Educators need to address these concerns and provide support to ensure a positive and productive group learning environment. This study also suggest that an individual presentation such as defend proposal should be conducted to increase the self-confident among students. Overall, the survey results complement the interview findings and provide additional perspectives on designing an effective learning environment for students.

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