4.3.1 Work-Life Interface The work-life interface being the intersection of work and private life is important as maintaining its balance ensures no stress borne when working at home. However, despite the importance of work-life interface especially on how much mental health hinges upon it, there is a lack of universally agreed on definitions of concepts regarding work-life interface (Weale, Wells, & Oakman, 2019). According to Weale, Wells, & Oakman (2019). In a way, it is the extent to which a person’s life away from the work environment is impacted negatively by the person works. To balance the work-life interface in such a way that it does not elicit negative effect on work especially to those working from home, an understanding of the relationships between factors affecting work-life interface must be achieved first. One such explanation on factors affecting the work-life interface is that the balanced work-life interface known as work-life harmony is influenced by both work/life conflict and work/life enrichment (McMillan, Morris, & Atchley, 2011). The main problem of balancing work-life interface when working at home is that it may negatively affect family relations between partners and children due to simultaneous demands to follow both work and home roles (Ojala, Nätti, & Antilla, 2014). Apart from it infringing on the physical space of the home, working from home can also be said to transgress on the emotional and psychological aspect of space at home. 5. SUMMARY OF ANALYSIS, DISCUSSIONS A questionnaire has been disseminated by convenience sampling in which links to the questionnaire has been given out through social media. The questionnaire, adapted from HSE Management Standards Indicator Tools contains the original 35 questions regarding psychosocial factors on occupational stress plus a few extra questions regarding incidences of occupational stress among Polytechnic academicians during Covid-19 pandemic, stress symptoms experienced by Polytechnic academicians during Covid-19 pandemic, disruptions of the work-life interface during Covid-19 pandemic and on possible sources of disruptions to the work-life interface. Preliminary examination of the data shows that there are instances of occupational stress happening across the target population with the dominant theme being high levels of job demands. Accounts of symptoms varied in complexity, with most of the respondents noting two or more symptoms. Sample size targeted during the planning phase of this research was set down at 60 responses. However, due to various circumstance, chief of them being time constraint and people’s unwillingness to click on links from an untrusted source on the internet, this research has only managed to collect 52 responses in a time period that allows this research to finish in time for submission. From the 52 responses gathered, 29 respondents affirm to be in distress of occupational stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This constitutes a majority of 55.8%. Twelve of the respondents are not sure whether they suffer from occupational stress or not. In terms of stress symptoms experienced by the respondents, the responses gathered shows 27 counts of feeling fatigue with the second runner up of feeling irritated and angry (18 counts). Feeling of depressions and decline in work performances were also reported by the respondents with eight counts for the former and nine counts for the latter. The complete enumeration of the stress symptoms experienced can be found in Figure 8. When viewed from the standpoint of the work-life interface, 23 respondents believe that they are affected somehow by imbalances towards their work-life and home-life equilibriums. Sixteen of the respondents meanwhile are not sure whether they are affected by the disruptions. This can be attributed to the fact that work-life interface in the face of the modern work environment is vague, coupled with the respondents themselves being confused and clueless on the interface's boundary. Of those affirming being disrupted, most of them ascribed this to being distracted with home matters whilst working and also clashes between work and home life. On account of the HSE Management Standards Indicator Tool, out of 35 questions given out, the question with most poor outcomes is Question 9, averaging to 2.25 in a scale of 5. Question 9, under the domain of psychosocial factor Job Demand, “I have to work very intensely”, shows how much overwork Polytechnic academicians become. On the other hand, the question with the most desirable outcomes comes to Question 2, averaging to 3.88 on a scale of 5. This question, under the sphere of psychosocial factor Job Control, “I can decide when to take a break”, meanwhile shows how much control an employee has in term of when to take a break. When the questions are categorized according to their psychosocial factors, the average for each factor can be seen in Table 0.1 below. 138
Table 0.1: Averages of Response according to Psychosocial Factors PSYCHOSOCIAL FACTORS AVERAGE (in a scale of 5) Job Demand 2.64 Job Control 3.51 Managers Support 2.89 Peer Support 3.07 Relationships 3.53 Role 3.65 Change 3.01 5.1 Main Stressor of Occupational Stress among Polytechnic academicians during Covid-19 pandemic From the data analysed, the main stressor for occupational stress among Polytechnic academicians during the Covid-19 pandemic stems from Job Demand's psychosocial factor. This is in line with what Standfeld, Head & Marmot (2000) surmises, that high job demands were always seen as the genesis or at least as an agent of ill health. The health mentioned here includes of the body and the mind. Thus, high job demands have negative implications on the physical well-being and the mental well-being of an individual. In order to achieve the required work demands set upon on the individuals, they must grit on, trudges along doing their works, often at the cost of harm to their physical well-being. Fatigue and the accumulated mental strain of achieving heavy work demand also tax on the mind. Little by little, all of these exertions because what is known as psychosomatic symptoms, a manifestation of physical symptoms caused psychiatric causes. Working a high demands job with disproportionate rewards is in line with the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model. According to Siegrist (1996), a negative work-related outcome is made up of a skewed relationship between efforts and rewards at work. The view that a high level of job demands is detrimental to the health of employees is also endorsed by the Job Demand Control Model. Here, Kain & Jex (2010) stated that the model suggested four different kinds of job, which are sorted according to the job demands and job control the employees has. The four kinds of job are High-Strain Jobs, jobs with high demands and low controls, Passive Jobs, jobs with low demands and low controls, Active Jobs, jobs with high demands and high controls, and lastly, Low-Strain Jobs, jobs with low demands and high controls. So, in a job environment where the job demands are high, this can be in term of time pressures, conflicting demands, high pace of work, high amount of work, high degree of concentration required, rate of interruption and many mores, employees exposed or needed to go through this kind of setting will incur a negative implication on their health. Six respondents have noted that they are in fact thrilled to be able to work from home, eager to face new challenges ahead of them as well as the fact that they are able to work from home, nearer their families. However, as time goes on, the disruptions faced by these respondents also increases. With rising stress faced by these respondents, the respondents noted that their enthusiasm started dwindling until they themselves lose the drive to work. This coincides with the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Yerkes-Dodson Law stated that performance would increase alongside arousal/stress up until a certain point before it regresses as humans started to unable to cope with the stress (Corbett, 2015). However, this holds true only until a point where the stress proves to be too much for the individuals to cope. This is where the individual’s performance peaks and started to drop. The findings of this research are consistent with secondary data collected. According to the paper authored by Kassim, Ismail, & Ismail (2018), 6 out of 11 publications that they have studied has high job demands as the predictors of occupational stress. Despite this data having gathered from the year 2008 to 2017 and are not done during a health pandemic, the data gathered are still useful and can serve as background information for this study. The overall prevalence of occupational stress calculated from all the publications was at 29.9% and ranged from 6.0% to 71.7%. This shows that there is an increase in the prevalence of occupational stress before and after the start of the pandemic. 5.2 The Juncture of Work-Life Interface. Work-Life interface influences a lot of incidences of occupational stress among Polytechnic academicians during Covid-19 pandemic. This goes on as employees needed to work from home intrudes on the traditional role of home being a place of relaxation and of family. As such, a balanced work-life interface must be maintained so that no stress shall be produced due to the imbalances. As evidenced by the data collected, 44.2% of the respondents believe that working from home has affected them adversely. McMillan, Morris, & Atchley (2011) suggested that this adverse condition stems from the fact that the balance of work-life interface is influenced adversely by negative work-life conflict and little to no work-life enrichment being done. 139
6. CONCLUSION This research, done in ascertaining the incidences of occupational stress among Polytechnic academicians during Covid-19 pandemic revealed a prevalence of 55.8%. This research also examines the stressors that are causing strains on the target population as well as on the relationships of how work- home environment reacts to each other. A questionnaire, consisting of questions adapted from HSE Management Standards as well questions on the work-life interface is disseminated through convenience sampling to poll the target population of Polytechnic academicians working during Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 52 respondents replied to the questionnaire. From the data collected and analysed, it is found that high job demands to be the most common psychosocial factor in causing stress. Although the responses vary, however, there is also a predilection of work-life interface imbalances as another major cause of occupational stress. As occupational stress research has gained momentum over the past two decades, numerous theories can be used to explain the incidences of occupational stress during a pandemic. Among the theories espoused in this research is the Karasek’s Job Demand Control Model, Person-Environment Fit, Effort-Reward Imbalances Model and YerkesDodson Law. However, further research and refinement should be done further to fortify the science behind occupational stress during a pandemic. The information regarding predictors of occupational stress gleaned from this research can be used to formulate specific interventions in the future, especially on occupational stress during a pandemic. To conclude, despite the fact that the many advances occupational stress research has gained over the past years, the decisive progress made in refining theories and the many interventions that are formulated to deal with occupational stress, however, mastery on this subject is still far from complete. Whenever an aberration influences on occupational stress, such as in this case, a health pandemic, more research and contemplation must be done so that such incidences of occupational stress in the future can be avoided. 7.0 REFERENCES Caplan, R. D. (1987). Person-Environment Fit Theory and Organizations: Commensurate Dimensions, TIme Perspectives, and Mechanisms. Journal of VOcational Behavior, 248-267. Chatman, J. (1989). Improving Interactional Organizational Research: A Model of Person-Organization Fit. The Academy of Managemet Review, 333-349. Chen, W.-Q. (2001). Occupational Stress and its Influence on Workers' Health in Off-Shore Oil Industry in China. [Doctoral dissertation, Chinese University of Hong Kong], UMI Number: 3025889. Choi, B., Schnall, P. L., Yang, H., Dobson, M., Landsbergis, P., Israel, L.Baker, D. (2010). Psychosocial Working Conditions and Active Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Middle-Aged US Workers. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 239-253. Clarke, S., & Cooper, C. (2004). Managing the Risk of Workplace Stress: Health and Safety Hazards. New York: Routledge Press. Corbett, M. (2015). From Law to Folklore: Work Stress and the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 741-752. Cousins, R., Mackay, C. J., Clarke, S. D., Kelly, C., Kelly, P. J., & McCaig, R. H. (2004). 'Management Standards' and Work-related Stress in the UK: Practical Development. Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations, 113-136. De Silva, N., Samanmali, R., & De Silva, H. (2017). Managing Occupational Stress of Professionals in Large Construction Projects. Journal of ENgineering, Design and Technology, 488-504. Kain, J., & Jex, S. (2010). Karasek's (1979) Job Demands-Control Model: A Summary of Current Issues and Recommendations for Future Research. In P. L. Perrewé, & D. C. Ganster, New Developments in Theoretical and Conceptual Approaches to Job Stress (pp. 237-268). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Kassim, M., Ismail, A., & Ismail, R. (2018). A Review of Occupational Stress Prevalence and Its Predictors Among Selected Working Populations in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 1-6. 140
Kerr, R., McHugh, M., & McCrory, M. (2009). HSE Management Standards and Stress-related Work Outcomes. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 574-579. Leka, S., Cox, T., & Zwetsloot, G. (2008). The European Framework for Psychosocial Risk Management (PRIMA-EF). Nottingham: Institute of Work, Health and Organisations. Mackay, C. J., Cousins, R., Kelly, P. J., Lee, P., & McCaig, R. H. (2004). 'Management Standard' and Workrelated Stress in the UK: Policy Background and Science. Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations, 91-112. Mansour, S., & Tremblay, D.-G. (2018). Psychosocial Safety Climate as Resource Passageways to Alleviate Work-Family Conflict. Personnel Review, 474-493. McMillan, H., Morris, M., & Atchley, E. (2011). Constructs of the Work/Life Interface: A synthesis of the Literature and Introduction of the Concept of Work/Life Harmony. Human Resource Development Review, 6-25. Prasad, K., Vaidya, R. W., & Mangipudi, M. R. (2020). Effect of Occupational Stress and Remote Working on Psychological Well-Being of Employees: An Empirical Analysis during Covid- 19 Pandemic Concerning Information Technology Industry in Hyderabad. Indian Journal of Commerce and Management Studies, 1-13. Regulies, R. (2019). What is a Psychosocial Work Environment. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 1-6. Saufi, R., Leong, K., Chua, B., & Razali, D. (2013). The Effects of Organisational Factors and ExtraOrganistaional Factors on Work Stress. Journal of the Asian Academy of Applied Business, 20-32. Schneider, B. (1987). The People Make The Place. Personnel Psychology, 437-453. Siegrist, J. (1996). Adverse Health Effects of High-Effort/Low-Reward Conditions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 27-41. Standfeld, S., Head, J., & Marmot, M. (2000). Work-relted Factors and Ill-Health: THe Whitehall II Study. Sudbury: HSE Contract Research Report 266/2000. van Vegchel, N., de Jonge, J., Bosma, H., & Schaufeli, W. (2005). Reviewing the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model: Drawing Up the Balance of 45 Empirical Studies. Journal of Social Science & Medicine, 1117- 1131. Weale, V., Wells, Y., & Oakman, J. (2019). The work-life interface: a critical factor between work stressors and job satisfaction. Personnel Review, 880-897. Wong, J., Yee, S., & Chorh, C. (2020, February 20). Covid-19 in SIngapore-Current Experience Critical Global Issues That Require Attention and Action. Journal of American Medical Association, pp. E1-E2. Xiang, Y.-T., Yang, Y., Li, W., Zhang, L., Zhang, Q., Cheung, T., & Ng, C. (2020). Timely Mental Health Care for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak is Urgently Needed. The Lancet Psychiatry, 228-229. Yerkes, R., & Dodson, J. (1908). The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit-Formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology, 459-482. 141
The use of Multisim Live Simulator in Conducting Practical for the Electrical Circuit Course at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic: A Study of Students' Perceptions Siti Noor Shaadah Ali1 , Maisarah Mahizan2 1, 2 Department of Electrical Engineering, Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA. *Corresponding Author: [email protected], [email protected] Abstract: In Electrical courses at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, the study examined the use of Multisim Live Simulator for laboratory work. It specifically intends to investigate how students perceive and perform using the Multisim live simulator to finish their Practical Work for Electrical Circuit courses. Respondents for this study were chosen at random from a group of students taking the electrical course DET 20033 at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan's electrical department. The study collected both primary and secondary data that enabled the researcher to compile the findings. Primary data were collected through questionnaires, while secondary data were gathered from student’s practical lab result session 2 2021: 2022. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data using SPSS 22.0. In this inquiry, descriptive analysis in the forms of frequency, percentage, and score mean is used. The findings of the study indicate that the average knowledge level of the pupils is 4.05 overall. Students' motivation is also indicated by their high mean score of 4.10, while their skill level is high with a mean of 4.06. Additionally, the values above 86 per cent and 84 per cent for both laboratory tasks are shown in the students' achievement percentages. According to the findings, Multisim Live Simulator can improve knowledge, skills, and student motivation while also improving learning outcomes in laboratory work. Keywords: Multisim Live Simulator, Electrical Circuit Course, student’s perceptions 1. INTRODUCTION Software-based learning has long been used as a medium to support teaching and learning activities. Many people use this simulation software to find theoretical solutions to challenging challenges (Dolvin, 2018). There are many circuit simulators on the market today, differing in some fundamental respects as using numerical integration method for solving differential equations, treatment of non-linearities, integration time step control, search of breakpoints, treatment of switch models, and possible incorporation of controllers and external models for multilevel simulation (Jakopovic, 2022). The types of simulation software that support practical work in the field of Electrical engineering are Pspice, MATLAB, and Simulink. With the advancement of technology, there are various types of simulation software online such as Multisim Live Simulator, Thinkercad, and software in the form of apps to support the learning system that can be used as needed. Simulations using software or classified as virtual laboratories have an effective effect on students, especially in situations where there are limitations in terms of equipment, physical facilities in the laboratory, and also time constraints in conducting laboratory activities and substitutes for hands-on practical work. In their study, (Ali, 2018 and Abdulwahed, 2009) supported this statement. Normally, the implementation of practical lab for the Electrical Circuit Course are often carried out face-toface in the electronics laboratory. Following the fully online learning instructions for the diploma program semester 2, session 2 2021–2022, there is a need to develop alternative methods to carry out practical’s online. Therefore, the Multisim simulation software is suggested as an alternative to performing practical labs online. However, implementation in a practical lab using simulation creates anxiety about whether students achieve the learning outcomes. In addition, the teaching and learning process also provides new experiences for students and lecturers. As a result, lecturers have trouble determining how utilizing Multisim Live Simulator has affected student performance. 142
Thus, the objectives of this study is to investigate students' perceptions and performance using the Multisim Live Simulator, with three major components investigated: knowledge, motivation, and skill. The study starts with an overview of the research background and then moves on to the methodology used in the study. It then presents a perception-based analysis before discussing the findings, recommendations, and conclusion. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW Many studies have been done on various aspects of learning using simulation software. According to Chen et al. (2011), this simulation software can improve learning performance in terms of knowledge and understanding of a process or concept. Saidun (2020) found that students have a positive attitude toward using software in practicals, except to strengthen their understanding of circuit connections which must be supported by other teaching aid elements. Nurul Hasaniah (2019) also concluded that students' prior knowledge is important in simulation-based learning. Students who received simulation software learning performed better than students who only received face-to-face delivery strategies. M. Sahanan (2016) stated that the integration of simulation software gives multiple benefits to learners, which can enhance their technical and image evaluation skills, as well as their problem-solving, thinking, and self-evaluation skills. In contrast, Chini et al. (2012) found that simulation-assisted learning can stimulate students' cognitive processing more effectively. This proves that the process of meaningful knowledge acquisition can be facilitated when students are exposed to simulation-assisted learning for the delivery of practical knowledge. Therefore, it can be stated that teachers and students should accept the use of simulation in their classrooms to enhance their classroom outcomes (Abdullah Alenezi, 2019). Morales Chan (2019) in his research outcome states that students show a high degree of satisfaction when performing learning activities using electronic circuit simulation software that really challenges their minds and gives them the opportunity to practise and experiment with the theory. Overall, students’ learning experiences are improved in a significant way. It makes a clear difference for all those students who wish to learn and want to get better in their academic and professional performance. 2.1 Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework is a tool to evaluate the process of conducting the research. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the research used in the development of the research instrument. The framework was adopted from Omar (2019), Saidun et al. (2020), and Ashish Kumar Awadhiya (2015) in a research study on software simulation in the teaching and learning process based on student’s perceptions. Figure 1: The Conceptual Framework of Research 143
3. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE The objectives of this research are: i. Determine students' perceptions of using the Multisim Live simulator for laboratory activities in the Electrical Circuit Course. ii. Identify students' achievements in performing laboratory activities using Multisim Live Simulator. 3.1 Research Questions This study was conducted based on the research questions below: i. What are the students' perceptions of using Multisim Live Simulator software to perform online laboratory activities for the Electrical Circuit (DET 20033) course? ii. What are the student learning outcomes for laboratory works assessment using Multisim Live Simulator? 4. METHODOLOGY This study used a descriptive survey method to explore the students' perceptions using Multisim Live Simulator and their performance based on CLO (Course Learning Outcomes). The researcher uses two instruments in this study. First instrument was the questionnaire and second instrument was the secondary data from students laboratory assessment. Out of a total of 200 questionnaires distributed in person and through WhatsApp group classes, 131 questionnaires were returned by respondents, which accounted for 65 per cent of the response rate. This survey questionnaire was adapted from Omar (2019) and Saidun et al. (2020) according to the software simulation in the teaching and learning process. The researcher find out the achievement of student learning outcomes through two sets of practical work, which were implemented using the Multisim Live Simulator software for the Electrical Circuit course. The respondents in this study was students who are taken electrical circuit course in semester 2 session 1 2021 2022. 4.1 Research Instruments The main instrument used by researchers to obtain information and data in this study is a questionnaire. The questionnaire developed for this study is divided into 3 main parts which are parts A, B, and C. Part A : Respondent Demographics Part B : Knowledge and motivation of respondents using engineering simulation software. Part C : The respondent's skills in practicing using the Multisim Live simulator software for the Electrical Circuit course (DET 20033). The data obtained through the questionnaire was processed using a spreadsheet generated from Google Form. Data analysis and processing were carried out by classifying the Likert Scale from five points to three points to facilitate the data analysis (Best dan Kahn,1998) and can be referred to in Table 1. Table 1: Five-Point Likert Scale Change to Three-Point Likert Scale Score 1 2 3 4 5 Five Point Feedback Rating Strongly Disagree Disagree Unsure Agree Strongly Agree Five Point Feedback Rating Disagree Unsure Agree The mean score analysis was presented in Table 2. All parts contained in this questionnaire were analyzed by assessing the mean score for each item based on a five points scale. 144
Table 2: Mean Score Analysis Group Code Range Level 1 1.00-2.40 Low 2 2.4 - 3.80 Moderate 3 3.81- 5.00 High Source: adaptation from Landell, K (1997) 4.2 Pilot Test A pilot study was carried out by the researcher to determine the students' understanding and reliability of the items in the distributed questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted on 10 randomly selected respondents for students who took the Electrical course in the session 2 2021 2022. To test the reliability of the questionnaire items, the researcher used the Cronbach's Alpha Model from SPSS software. The analysis of the study found that the Cronbach's Alpha value was 0.965. This shows that the instrument used has a high reliability value 5. FINDINGS Figure 2 illustrates that men made up the bulk of respondents to this study (73%) while women came in second (27%). Additionally, according to Figure 3, about 42% of respondents were from DEE and DJK courses, while 16% of respondents were from DEP courses. Figure 2: The Percentage of Gender in A Sample. Figure 3: The Percentage of Respondents Based on Courses 145
5.1 What Are the Students' Perceptions of Using Multisim Live Simulator Software to Perform Online Laboratory Activities for The Electrical Circuit (DET 20033) Course? Table 3 indicated the mean score value for the student's knowledge item about Multisim Live Simulator. that students used. Based on the mean score value, the items of the students who have used the Multisim live simulator are at a moderate level. The students have also used the Multisim live simulator to practice and learn Multisim through the lecturer indicated high mean score 4.16 and 4.20. With a mean score of 4,05, the knowledge variable utilizing the Multisim Live Simulator items is generally at a high level of interpretation. Table 3: The Mean Score Value for The Student's Knowledge Item About Multisim Live Simulator Items Score Mean Level of Score Mean I have used Multisim Live Simulator software before. 3.75 Moderate I have used simulation software to perform practical work 4.09 High I know about Multisim Live Simulator through a lecturer. 4.16 High I learnt Multisim Live simulator through the lecturer 4.20 High Table 4 illustrates the variables of motivation items, with high scores of 4.12 and 4.08 for both questions. The average mean score is 4.10. This demonstrates that the use of this Multisim live simulator motivates students to perform practical tasks. Table 4: Mean Score Value for Student Motivation Items Using Multisim Live Simulator Items Score Means Level of Score Mean I enjoy using Multisim Live Simulator. 4.12 High I feel Multisim Live simulator is very easy to learn. 4.08 High Next, the use of Multisim Live Simulator is examined in terms of how easily students can use the software's components. The evaluated items show a high mean score, as shown in Table 5. The overall average mean score is 4.06. From the mean score value below, we can state that the students have the skills to use Multisim Live Simulator in performing Practical Work for the Electrical Circuit course (DET20033). Table 5: Mean Score Values for Student Skill Items Using Multisim Live Simulator Items Score Means Level of Score Mean I can "register" and "log in to" Multisim Live Simulator easily. 4.04 High I know how to use the tools available in Multisim Live Simulator 3.96 High I know how to "save" the results of work in Multisim Live Simulator 4.13 High I understand circuit connection using Multisim Live Simulator. 4.07 High I can measure electrical parameters (voltage, current, etc.) using the appropriate tools in the Multisim live simulator 4.01 High Lecturers can check the circuit and practical results online. 4.09 High I prefer to use Multisim Live Simulator for practice rather than face-to-face laboratory work 4.11 High 146
5.2 What Are the Student Learning Outcomes for Laboratory Works Assessment Using Multisim Live Simulator? Figure 4: The Percentage of Students in Each Class Who Took Practical Work 5 From Figure 4, each class for the DEE, DJK, and DEP program displays an average percentage value of 82 and above. For the DJK program, the average score for lab 5 is 82, the DEP program shows an average percentage of 89 and the DEE program shows the highest average score percentage of 87. Figure 5 shows the average percentage of marks for Practical work 6 for each class for the three main program. For the DJK program, the average score for lab 6 is 80.6, the DEP program shows an average percentage of 86 and the DEE program shows the highest average score percentage of 86.4. . Figure 5: The Percentage of Students in Each Class Who Took Practical Work 6 6. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION From the results obtained, students have a positive perception in terms of knowledge, motivation and skills in using Multisim Live Simulator for laboratory activities. The high average score mean value for all three variables examined serves as proof of this. Students did not exhibit any difficulties in comprehending the provided schematic circuit and were able to produce accurate voltage and current measurements, hence it can be assumed that the use of Multisim Live Simulator software had no impact on students' achievement for course learning outcome. Chen et al (2011) also find out that students like simulating circuits since they don't have to deal with the physical networks' difficulties and the enormous number of interconnecting conductors that link them everything in unison. This motivates students to experiment with circuit components, recognize the function of each component and connect each function to the characteristics of the response of the circuit. 147
The students have the knowledge, abilities, and strong motivation needed to accomplish their practical work evaluation using Multisim Live Simulator, as evidenced by the score values on each measured variable. According to Saidun (2020), who discovered that students have a good attitude toward utilising software in practical job activities, the researcher can say that students have a positive perspective of using the Multisim live simulator in this case. This simulation software, according to Chen et al. (2011), can enhance learning performance in terms of knowledge and comprehension of a procedure or concept. According to M. Sahanan (2016), integrating simulation software has several advantages for students and can improve their technical and image evaluation skills as well as their ability to think critically and evaluate their own abilities. Based on the results of two practical work assessment, it is very likely that knowledge, skill, and motivation with the Multisim Live Simulator have an impact on student performance. This is consistent with the findings of Chini et al.’s investigation (2012). Their research revealed that simulation-assisted learning can effectively enhance students' cognitive functioning more. Based on the objective research questions, it was concluded that students have a positive perception in their knowledge, attitude, and their skills using Multisim Live Simulator to complete their laboratory work in electrical circuit course. Additionally, it can be concluded that the Multisim Live Simulator software's average percentage of student learning outcomes for laboratory work also showed good level. 7. RECOMMENDATION To improve the quality of Multisim Live simulator software to carry out practical work activities for Electrical Circuit (DET 20033) online are to provide videos of circuit connection procedures using real components and instruments used in the laboratory for students to watch before starting the practical. It is intended to provide a clearer understanding to students before carrying out practice using Multisim Live Simulator. Besides that, the researcher suggests that to get more effective results, it is good if students are exposed to practical work in a hands-on and simulation at the same time. 8. REFFERENCES Altalbe, A. (2018). Virtual laboratories for electrical engineering students: Student perspectives and design guidelines. Alenezi, A. (2019). The impact of simulation on teaching effectivness and student learning performance. International Journal on Integrating Technology in Education, 8(3), 11-18. Abdulwahed, M., & Nagy, Z. K. (2009, December). The impact of the virtual lab on the hands-on lab learning outcomes, a two years empirical study. In 20th Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference (pp. 255-260). Barton, K., & Maharg, P. (2007). E-Simulations in the Wild: Interdisciplineary Research, Design and Implementation. In Games and simulations in online learning: Research and development frameworks (pp. 115-149). IGI Global. Campos, N., Nogal, M., Caliz, C., & Juan, A. (2020). Educación basada en simulación que involucra modelos en línea y el campus en diferentes universidades europeas. Int J Educ Technol High Educ, 17(8). Chen, Y. L., Hong, Y. R., Sung, Y. T., & Chang, K. E. (2011). Efficacy of simulation-based learning of electronics using visualization and manipulation. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 14(2), 269-277. Chan, M. M., De la Roca, M., Plata, R. B., Merodio, A. M., & Salvatierra, H. A. (2019). Analyzing the effectiveness of using enhanced activities with simulation software in a Mooc. EDULEARN19 Proceedings. Dolvin, S. D., & Pyles, M. K. (2018). The impact of simulation activity on student performance. Journal of economics and economic education research, 19(3), 1-10. Jakopović, Ž., Benčić, Z., & Kolonić, F. Interactive Simulation of Power Electronics Circuits–a SIMPLORER© Approach. In MIPRO (Vol. 99, pp. 46-49). 148
Özüağ, M., Cantürk, İ., & Özyilmaz, L. (2019). A new perspective to electrical circuit simulation with augmented reality. International Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering & Telecommunications, 8(1), 9-13. Omar, N. I., & Ibrahim, A. B. (2020). PENGAJARAN DAN PEMBELAJARAN LITAR ELEKTRONIK BERBANTUKAN KOMPUTER TERHADAP MOTIVASI, PENCAPAIAN DAN BEBANAN KOGNITIF PELAJAR. International Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 2(4), 130-139. Shanahan, M. (2016). Student perspective on using a virtual radiography simulation. Radiography, 22(3), 217-222. Taher, M., & Khan, A. (2015, August). Comparison of simulation-based and hands-on teaching methodologies on students’ learning in an engineering technology program. In Engineering Leaders Conference 2014 on Engineering Education (Vol. 2015, No. 4, p. 58). Hamad bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press). Saidun,Y, Khamis, R., and Abd Hamid.N.D (2020). Kajian Impak Penggunaan Perisian Simulasi Autodesk TinkerCAD dalam Perlaksanaan Amali bagi Kursus Semiconductor Devices (DEE20023) di Jabatan Kejuruteraan Elektrik, Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan. Journal Online Jaringan Pengajian Seni Bina (JOJAPS) 180-187 eISSN 2504-8457 149
A CDIO Approach on Diploma in Marketing Final Year Project Nur Dalila Binti Zainal1 , Hjh Nor Azzila Binti Azmi2 and Nik Zuraini Binti Nik Mahmood3 1, 2, 3 Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, Behrang, 35950, MALAYSIA Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract: This study explores the experiences of CDIO approach on Diploma in Marketing Final Year Project (FYP) through an integrative of Marketing Research and Marketing Plan course that made integration with Engineering course Final Year Project. The implementation of Final Year Project before the CDIO approach was established by a hardship of students, particularly start from acquiring ideas for the creation of their prototype products. In fact, they needed outside expertise for the physical fabrication of the prototype. Students are not directly involved in the fabrication process, which results in the product's features not being produced as they would expect. They are also unable to enhance their technical knowledge in areas related to the products they produce. The objective of this paper is to identifies the student readiness in implementation of integrated learning experiences within multidisciplinary program, recognize the skills and attributes that enhanced from this approach and analyse the achievement of course learning outcomes as indicator of effectiveness of CDIO approach implementation. This experience fosters the learning of disciplinary knowledge simultaneously with personal and interpersonal skills, product, process, and system building skills as stated in CDIO Standard 7. This approach is to practice the actual situation that students faced when they entered real industry where they must collaborate between technical and commercial field in the product or services production that meets market needs. 39 students of Diploma in Marketing integrate with FYP groups from Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Programmes. Students are encouraged to think critically to formulate problems, define issues and provide a solution tailored to market needs and demand. The quantitative method used to collect data through questionnaire to demonstrate student perspectives at end of the integrating FYP. The information obtained shows that integrated FYP enhances students’ skills especially on personal skills, interpersonal skills and improving their professional skills. Furthermore, students are exploring new knowledge between integrated discipline in generating ideas or solutions to identify appropriate problems and products to the market. Students' grade distribution also showed a good result of achievement, which implied the expected learning outcomes had been achieved. Keywords: CDIO, Integrated learning experiences, Final Year Project (FYP), CDIO Standard 1. INTRODUCTION The Conceiving, Designing, Implementing, and Operating (CDIO), designed to deliver the knowledge and skills needed by industry. The CDIO approach aims to develop students who can lead in the development and operation of new products, processes, and systems, possess a deeper working understanding of technical basics, and comprehend the significance and strategic influence of research and technology progress on society. (Crawley et al., 2007). The CDIO Initiative, which was introduced in the early 2000s, is a cutting-edge educational framework for developing the next generation of engineers. It sets 12 standards to provide benchmarks and goals that are applicable globally, give a framework for continuous improvement, and provide educational guiding principles as recommendations for educational programme reform and evaluation. It helps students gain a deep understanding of technical basics while also helping them to acquire the professional skills essential to be a practicing engineer (Malmqvist et al., 2020). Not only was CDIO framework adopted in the field of engineering, but also in the field of non-engineering (Tangkijviwat et al., 2018). Common advantages of applying CDIO to non-engineering 150
programmes include improved programme planning and quality control as well as a greater relationship to the professional context. In other words, the students' skills have improved in the desired direction, accreditation has been attained, and so on. The positive effects of CDIO implementation closely reflect the rationale for applying CDIO. (Malmqvist et al., 2016). The common learning methods in the classroom in most institutions of higher learning that focus only on active learning combined with the curriculum only produce ordinary students with the same capabilities and skills as stated by Fusic et al. (2022). An active learning technique mixed with content in engineering courses encourages passive and unmotivated students to participate in the course. This causes students to be less interested in attending classes and engaging directly in the learning process. Therefore, the implementation of CDIO expected to improved learning methods with new structure such as CDIO may be able to change the situation and result in students who are knowledgeable and have more diverse skills. Other than that, the adoption of the CDIO learning approach in polytechnics is still considered new, especially involving students from commerce backgrounds. Hence, there is no evidence and indication that the implementation of CDIO can affect students' knowledge, skills and learning outcomes. Therefore, studies on the effectiveness of the implementation of the CDIO program are needed to find out the readiness of the Commerce department students and the impact of the program in improving the skills among students. The implementation of Final Year Project before the CDIO approach was established by a hardship of students, particularly start from acquiring ideas for the creation of their prototype products. In fact, they needed an outside expertise for the physical fabrication of the prototype. Students are not directly involved in the fabrication process, which results in the product's features not being produced as they would expect. They are also unable to enhance their technical knowledge in areas related to the products they produce. Therefore, DPR started searching for cross-disciplinary collaboration with the Engineering Department Programmes in 2021 with a strong desire to improve integrated and active learning for students in their final year. The redesign effort of the DPR final year project was based on the CDIO Standards 7 and 8 (Crawley et al., 2014) integrated learning experiences and active learning, respectively. DPR redesign was based on the standards, aimed to promote the simultaneous development of disciplinary knowledge and professional skills include personal and interpersonal skills. Individual students' involvement, creative and critical thinking capacity desire to engage in personal development. The DPR course was specifically designed to address CDIO syllabus items 2.4.3 creative thinking, 2.4.4 critical thinking, 2.5.1 professional ethics, integrity, responsibility, and accountability 3.1 teamwork and 3.2 communication (Crawley et al., 2011). Additionally, the course included learning activities that encourage student engagement and interaction compatible with CDIO Standard 8, active learning. DPR was able to integrate marketing teaching activities consistent with engineering pedagogy since this unprecedented collaboration at the Commerce Department PSAS. These activities encourage student engagement, interaction, and communication. The objective of this paper is to identifies the student readiness in implementation of integrated learning experiences within multidisciplinary program, recognize the skills and attributes that enhanced from this approach and analyse the achievement of course learning outcomes as indicator of effectiveness of CDIO approach implementation. It starts by identify students' readiness in the implementation and integrated learning experience in multidisciplinary programs, then recognize enhanced skills and attributes of the CDIO approach among students and analyse the learning outcomes of the course as a highlight of the effectiveness of the implementation of the CDIO approach in the course. 2. METHODOLOGY This study aims to examine the integrated curriculum approach between Diploma in Marketing with Engineering Programmes final project to enhance students’ skills and knowledge. A quantitative approach was used in this research. A total of 39 questionnaires were distributed to respondents consisting of a final year Diploma in Marketing students. The types of sampling used in this research are purposive nonprobability sampling. The questionnaire design was divided into four sections. Section A consists of demographic information such as gender, CGPA, collaborated engineering programme and the types of final project produced. While section B includes information about respondents’ readiness in implementation CDIO. Section C to evaluate the level of knowledge among respondents regarding integrated curriculum knowledge. Finally, section D focuses on the 151
development of personal, interpersonal, and professional skills. The answer format in section B, C and D uses 5- point Likert scale (1 =strongly disagree to 5 =strongly agree). A pilot study was also conducted and assessed to ensure there was no bias in the feedback obtained. The data of the respondents was collected online by using Google forms. According to Gurbuz (2017), a survey in the form of a quantitative method is commonly used to collect data by researchers due to the time constraint, low budget, mass target and simple application. The structure of the questionnaire allows quantitative data for analysis. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science 20.0 (SPSS). Descriptive data will calculate to get the value of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Cronbach’s Alpha test was conducted in this study to measure reliability of data. 3. FINDINGS A total of 39 DPR students engaged in the CDIO approach on their Final Year Project over the course of two semesters, during semesters four (Session December 2020) and five (Session 1 2021/2022). At the completion of the project, an online survey was done to get feedback from the students on how well the program was perceived by the participants. More information about the survey is presented below. Table 4: Distribution of Demographic Respondents Items Frequency (n=40) Percentage Gender Male 11 27.5 Female 29 72.5 CGPA 3.50 – 4.00 22 55 3.00 – 3.49 18 45 2.50 – 2.99 - - 2.00 – 2.49 - - Below 2.00 - - Collaborated engineering programme Electrical Engineering 14 35 Mechanical Engineering 19 47.5 Civil Engineering 7 17.5 Final Year Project produced Technical product 17 42.5 Commercial product 5 12.5 System/Application 18 45 The distributions of the respondent's demographic obtained for the students are shown in Table 4. According to CGPA distribution, the majority of students had CGPAs between 3.50 and 4.00 (55%) and between 3.00 and 3.49. (45%). Moreover, 47.5% of the students collaborated together in mechanical engineering, followed by 35% in electrical engineering and 17.5% in civil engineering. According to reports, the majority of final year students produced applications for final year projects at a rate of 45%, followed by technical products at a rate of 42.5%, and commercial products at a rate of 12.5%. Table 5 illustrated the average mean of each component of preparation for student final year project implementation with CDIO approach were 4.41, 4.31, 4.26, 4.13 and 4.00 respectively. It shows that most respondents strongly agree that the level of preparation for student final year project implementation with CDIO approach was high (see Table 5). The highest mean is 4.41 which respondents agree that the lecturer has explained the concept of CDIO implemented in this course. Meanwhile, CDIO workshops / courses are required so that students can understand this concept as a whole is second high mean value at 4.31. However, the lowest mean is 4.00 that stated most of the respondents agree that the CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing Programme and Engineering Department Programs are appropriate to be implemented. Finally, the overall mean value is 4.22. The analysis of 152
the study indicates that preparation for student final year project implementation with CDIO approach significantly affects the understanding and the readiness of students to engage in the implementation of CDIO with overall mean 4.22. Table 5: Analysis on Preparation for Student Final Year Project CDIO Approach Items Mean Std. Deviation The lecturer has explained the concept of CDIO implemented in this course. 4.4103 .81815 CDIO workshops / courses are required so that students can understand this concept as a whole. 4.3077 .92206 Online implementation is suitable according to the current situation (Pandemic Covid-19) 4.2564 1.04423 Online meetings help the implementation process. 4.1282 1.12810 The CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing Programme and Engineering Department Programes are appropriate to be implemented. 4.0000 1.21395 Overall Mean 4.2205 Scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2= Disagree; 3= Unsure; 4= Agree; 5= Strongly Agree The analysis results in Table 6 are based on students experience in the implementation of CDIO that impacted the curriculum knowledge. The numbers in the column of the table are response mean and standard deviation, based on responses with a range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This result shows overall mean is 4.31 show that most of the respondents agree that the CDIO implementation in their FYP have impacted positively on the CDIO knowledge. The highest mean is 4.38 which student agree that the CDIO implementation involved the data collection and classification based on user/community response in the student field survey activities. Student also agree with the same mean 4.38 that from the from marketing research that have been conducted they can generate ideas/solutions to identify appropriate problems and products and prepare and present market research including technical and commercial aspect. However, the lowest mean is 4.21 if for provide project planning in designing, developing and costing products by explaining the specific roles/objectives/responsibilities of each group members. Students are engaged in group work from the beginning of the implementation of the program until the end. Their involvement includes planning, product design, development and cost calculation involved to achieve the objectives collectively. The knowledge related to CDIO that students gained throughout the implementation of the program indirectly proved the effectiveness of the CDIO program itself. Table 6: Analysis on CDIO Knowledge Items Mean Std. Deviation Identify the needs of users/ communities in product development. 4.2821 .82554 Data collection and classification based on user/ community responses. 4.3846 .81484 Conduct literature review and market analysis including identifying and comparing with existing products. 4.3077 .79980 Generate ideas/ solutions to identify appropriate problems and products. 4.3846 .84652 153
Evaluate various concepts by applying critical evaluation criteria and selecting the best design concept for the product. 4.2308 .87243 Provide project planning in designing, developing, and costing products by explaining the specific roles/ objectives/ responsibilities of each group member. 4.2051 .89382 Produce CAD drawings supported by specific analysis and plan product/ prototype fabrication process. 4.2821 .85682 Prepare and present market research including technical and commercial aspects. 4.3846 .81484 Overall Mean 4.3077 Scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2= Disagree; 3= Unsure; 4= Agree; 5= Strongly Agree Table 7 shows the responses from students towards the effectiveness of the CDIO implementation in developing their personal, interpersonal and professional skills. The numbers in the column of the table are response mean and standard deviation, based on responses with a range from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The result shows overall mean is 4.17 which means almost all students agree that the CDIO implementation in their FYP helps develop students' skills. The highest mean is 4.24 personal skills which is student realize that they able to initiating/ generating thoughts and ideas, have an active involvement, apply active and critical thinking such as in group discussion, brainstorming and fieldwork. Table 7: Development of Personal, Interpersonal and Professional Skills Items Mean Std. Deviation Personal Skills Able to initiating/ generating thoughts and ideas 4.2051 .92280 Active involvement 4.2821 .94448 Apply more active thinking 4.3077 .95018 Apply more critical thinking 4.1795 .96986 Average mean 4.2436 Interpersonal Skills - Teamwork Involved with more collaborative learning 4.1026 1.02070 Engage in brainstorming activities with group members in completing tasks. 4.2308 1.01207 Get more opportunities to solve problems with group members 4.1538 .98778 Involved with more collaborative activities to clarify some questions. 4.2308 1.03775 Involved in helping solve group members' problems. 4.2051 .97817 Involved in asking for help from group members. 4.2564 .90954 Average mean 4.1966 Interpersonal Skills - Communication Often come out with opinions and ideas 4.1026 .96777 Involved in giving ideas with a variety of methods. 4.1538 .96077 Average mean 4.1282 Professional Skills Motivated to pursue higher education 4.1026 .82062 A deeper understanding of the content 4.0256 .93153 Learning style changes from habit 4.000 .91766 154
Use more creativity in completing task in groups. 4.1538 .93298 Cultivate a positive attitude towards other group members. 4.2051 .86388 Cultivate teamwork skills to other team members 4.1538 1.01407 Cultivate creative thinking skills to other group members. 4.1795 .99662 Average mean 4.1172 Overall Mean 4.1700 Scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2= Disagree; 3= Unsure; 4= Agree; 5= Strongly Agree The second highest mean is 4.19 Interpersonal skills - teamwork. Students acknowledge that through the implementation of integrated CDIO inter-departmental programs can stimulate group work skills. From the program student directly involved with more collaborative learning, engage in brainstorming activities with group members in completing tasks and get more opportunities to solve problems with group members. Besides that, students are also involved with more collaborative activities to clarify some questions, helping solve group members' problems and get used to asking for help from group members. Students are also aware that through the FYP CDIO approach, they are able to improve their communication skills (mean of 4.13). Through group discussion and activities, student often come out with opinions and ideas and involved in giving ideas with a variety of methods. (ex: sketching, discussion, writing etc). Through this CDIO program, students could improve and constantly communicate with each other to ensure that information can be shared in achieving the objectives. In addition, students also need to communicate with outsiders such as firms and communities to get feedback and insights to improve their products that benefit the target. However, the lowest mean was 5.12 which students also agree that the integrated program leads to positive impact on their professional skills. Direct impact from the program can create deeper understanding of the content, learning style changes from habit, student use more creativity in completing task in groups. It also can cultivate a positive attitude, teamwork, and creative thinking skills towards other group members. The effect is students are more motivated and ready to pursue higher education or career field due to the existence of related professional skills that exists among students. This proves the integration of knowledge from different courses enhanced the skills and attributes of the students through the activities involved throughout the implementation of the program. Table 8 illustrated the overall average mean score of CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing with Engineering Programmes final year project. The findings revealed that overall mean is 4.2327. This shows that all the variables are statistically significant. Majority of respondents strongly agree that CDIO approach enhance Diploma in Marketing students’ skills and knowledge. Table 8: Overall Mean score of CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing with Engineering Programmes Final Year Project Variables Overall Mean Student readiness in implementation CDIO 4.2205 CDIO knowledge 4.3077 Development of personal, interpersonal and professional skills. 4.1700 Overall mean 4.2327 Scale: 1= Strongly Disagree; 2= Disagree; 3= Unsure; 4= Agree; 5= Strongly Agree The Cronbach Alpha test was used to analyze the reliability of each variable to be studied. (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016) stated that the results of the Cronbach Alpha analysis which carried out on the study instrument should get a value of at least 0.7 and above. This important to be able researcher to prove that the form of questionnaire design has high reliability and consistency. If the Cronbach Alpha value is below 0.7, variable or item needs to be removed. 155
Table 9 showed the reliability test results of the variables used to measure CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing with Engineering Programmes final year project. The coefficients of Cronbach’s Alpha for Student readiness in implementation CDIO, CDIO knowledge and Development of personal, interpersonal and professional skills were 0.893, 0.983 and 0.983 respectively. These values were more than the acceptable reliability value of 0.7 (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016). Therefore, these items have a high reliability, high consistency and high correlation between each other. Table 9: Reliability Test Results Variables Total items Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient Student readiness in implementation CDIO 5 .893 CDIO knowledge 8 .983 Development of personal, interpersonal and professional skills. 19 .983 Table 10 and 11 shows the achievement of programme (PLO) and course learning outcomes (CLO) that involved with integrated courses between DPR and engineering programmes. The overall achievement was good where the percentage of group attainment for Marketing Plan is 71% and Marketing Research is between 86 - 87% for both PLO and CLO group attainment. The distribution of grades among students indicated outstanding results, which indicated that the anticipated learning outcomes had been attained. Table 10: Programme and Course Learning Outcomes for Marketing Plan PLO / CLO Group Attainment (%) Programme Learning Outcome PLO3: Perform marketing practical work skills in managing marketing activities. 71 Course Learning Outcome CLO1: Integrate the skills in creating a prototype from conceptualization to realization in the marketing landscape. 71 Table 11: Programme and Course Learning Outcomes for Marketing Research PLO / CLO Group Attainment (%) Programme Learning Outcomes PLO3: Perform marketing practical work skills in managing marketing activities. 87 PLO5: Adopt a variety skill in managing information including the use of digital application and commit to continue seeking knowledge for self-improvement 86 Course Learning Outcomes CLO1: Construct marketing research project by comprehending different application of marketing research. 87 CLO3: Demonstrate the skill of managing information using graphical or visual data by giving the best solution based on finding on the research to improve management decision making. 86 156
4. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION The main objective of the study is to identifies the student readiness in implementation of integrated learning experiences within multidisciplinary program, recognize the skills and attributes that enhanced from this approach and analyze the achievement of course learning outcomes as indicator of effectiveness of CDIO approach implementation. The results of the study indicate that preparation for student final year project implementation with CDIO approach significantly affects the understanding and the readiness of students to engage in the implementation of CDIO with overall mean 4.22. It can be explained by the analysis that the lecturer has explained the concept of CDIO implemented in this course has a strong agree with average mean 4.41. This proves that students agree and are better prepared when they receive early disclosure and appropriate information regarding the implementation of CDIO from their lecturer. In addition, most students also agree with mean 4.31 that workshops or related courses are necessary to improve students' overall understanding of the implementation of CDIO. In the actual implementation, students are required to attend a series of preparatory workshops before and also during the programme. Previous research conducted by (Sayed et al., 2021) state that students’ awareness before and after being exposed to CDIO framework is important to know student’s perception before project commencement and after project CDIO completion. The distinctions between knowledge of students are also can be examined. Student The COVID -19 pandemic has caused learning and teaching classroom sessions to be replaced by full online learning. The findings of this study show most of the students agree that online implementation is suitable according to the current situation (COVID -19 pandemic). This illustrates that the students are not only prepared in terms of knowledge but also in terms of facilities and channels of learning and implementation. Therefore, students are more prepared and affect the smoothness of the program. Given how well the students engagement platform is set up, students would be more motivated. (Maneeratana & Wangsaturaka 2021) and students’ engagement was mentioned as an important aspect in CDIO projects (Martin et al., 2016; Song et al., 2017). Upon completion of the CDIO Course, students are exploring new knowledge. The results show that CDIO approach between Diploma in Marketing with Engineering Programmed helps students to generate ideas or solutions to identify appropriate problems and products to community. It is because during the implementation CDIO students from these two different programmed always interact each other in conveying different knowledge. For example, students’ Diploma in Engineering have knowledge and skilled in the technical aspects of products, while student’s Diploma in Marketing expert in finding the marketability of new products or services. As a result of exchanging knowledge, it helps the students to create new products that satisfy customer needs and wants. From previous study (Sayed et al., 2021) found that integration positively influenced the knowledge of students towards sustainable development. Furthermore, (Petrova et al., 2021) claimed that students who are engaged and interact with each other have opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that support building competencies. In fact, collaboration CDIO among industry also helps the students upgrade their knowledge. (Jaca et al., 2021) found that collaboration between academic institutions and industry is important for the teaching learning process in higher education where graduates will end up working with industries. On the other hand, all education institutions are required to produce graduates with a variety of social and collaborative skills as well as a mindset for flexible lifelong learning, in addition to having a strong technical competency. Based on Armstrong & Niewoehner, 2008, the CDIO Standard 3 must include personal and interpersonal capabilities as well as product, process, and system building abilities. Therefore, the implementation of an integrated CDIO program between the Engineering and Commerce Departments is helpful in achieving the institution's requirement and CDIO standard. From the results of the study, the students involved agreed with overall mean 4.17 that through this integrated programme, it is very helpful in developing their personal skills, interpersonal skills such as teamwork and communication in addition to improving the professional skills among students. Most students agree with average mean 4.24 that the CDIO program requires students to use personal skills such as bringing out ideas, giving insights into things especially during the initial stages of implementation that require students to generate creative and innovative ideas before proceeding to the next stages. Students also need to be actively involved and always apply active thinking and critical thinking throughout the CDIO process CDIO process in a group known as learning team. Team learning is the process of sharing knowledge and complementing each other. (T L Tran et al., 2014). Therefore, it can be proven from the response with mean of 4.19 that group collaboration or teamwork is very much needed in the implementation of the CDIO integrated program between these departments as it involves students from different courses. Students need to help each other and bring out their expertise and skills in solving and finding solutions to a problem. At the same time, 157
students need to interact with each other and lecturers, communicate with the target users among the community to get feedback on products that indirectly have a positive impact on students' communication skills with mean 4.12. It's in line with a statement from a previous study by (Armstrong & Niewoehner, 2008) state that CDIO's insistence on a curriculum that priorities active learning and incorporates substantial design-implement project work, students will have a lot more opportunity than they would in a typical curriculum to develop their abilities. In conclusion, when students apply all available skills such as personal skills, teamwork, good communication skills throughout the CDIO process indirectly professional skills are also practiced by the students. This is a best practice and should be continued as it will produce excellent holistic students. Overall, this study found a high level of knowledge, personal development, interpersonal and professional skills among the Diploma in Marketing students’ final year project after implementation CDIO approach between engineering programmes. The result also indicates that student readiness in implementation of CDIO influences the understanding of students regarding the CDIO syllabus. Students' grade distribution also showed a good result of achievement, which implied the expected learning outcomes had been achieved. On the other hand, from this study researchers can identify one of the major challenges the institution has to face is overcoming lecturers' resistance to teach knowledge or techniques outside of their area of expertise. The lecturers must develop new capabilities, including interpersonal and personal skills to carry out the CDIO based program successfully. They must be skilled in curriculum design and development since the changing society necessitates that they continually improve and update. In addition, lecturers should be assisted to obtain those skills by organizing and implementing seminars or any related training CDIO program. In addition, researchers can also conduct new studies in the future. The title suggested is the level of readiness among commerce polytechnic lecturers in the implementation of the CDIO program and experience from applying CDIO by collaboration between Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah and Industry. This study also has limitations. In terms of methodology, this study uses the questionnaire as measurement tools for the sake of efficient time and resources. In the future researchers should expand methods of collection of data such as conduct group interviews among students and future research should be conducted with expanded other variables that affect implementation of CDIO. 5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the Deputy Director of Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, CDIO Initiative Committee and Diploma in Marketing Head of Programme for accepting and supporting the CDIO implementation. We also want to extend our gratitude to the individuals invited speakers' lecturers from different firms for their assistance in providing us with the expertise in executing the program. 6. REFERENCES Armstrong, P. & Niewoehner, R. (2008). The CDIO approach to the development of student skills and attributes: Proceedings of the 4th International CDIO Conference, Belgium. Crawley, E., Malmqvist, J., Ostlund, S., Brodeur, D., & Edstrom, K. (2007). Rethink engineering education: The CDIO Approach. Springer Science and Business Media, LLC. Crawley, E., Malmqvist, J., Ostlund, S., & Brodeur, D. (2011), The CDIO syllabus v2.0 an updated statement of goals for engineering education, Proceedings of the 7th International CDIO Conference, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen. Crawley, E., Malmqvist, J., Ostlund, S., & Brodeur, D. (2014). Rethinking engineering education: The CDIO approach (2nd ed.). Switzerland: Springer. Gurbuz, S. (2018, June 04). Survey as a quantitative research research method. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321874371 Henderson, A., and Trede, F. (2017). Strengthening attainment of student learning outcomes during workintegrated learning: A collaborative governance framework across academia, industry and students. AsiaPacific Journal of Cooperative Education, v18 n1. Pp. 73-80. 158
Jaca, C., Ormazabal, M., Arizmendi, M., & Blanco, C. (2021). Project based learning implementation collaboration between university and industry. Proceeding of the 17th International CDIO Conference, Thailand. pp. 137- 146. Malmqvist, J., Edström, K., Rosén, A., Hugo, R., & Campbell, D. (2020). Optional CDIO Standards: Sustainable development, simulation-based mathematics, engineering entrepreneurship, internationalisation & mobility. Proceedings of the 16th International CDIO Conference, Charlmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden. pp. 48-58. Malmqvist, J., Huay, H. L.-W. K., Kontio, J., & Minh, T. D. T. (2016). Application of CDIO in non-engineering programmes – Motives, implementation, and experiences. Proceedings of the 12th International CDIO Conference. Turku, Finland. pp. 84-101. Maneeratana, K. & Wangsaturaka, D. (2021). Student engagement: a proposed optional standard. Proceeding of the 17th International CDIO Conference, Thailand. pp. 14-24. Martin, J.L., Romero, A.M., Tanarro, E. C., Lantada, A. D., Sanchez, A. G., Bayo, A. H., & Rossi, C. (2021). The initiative for promoting CDIO at TU Madrid: Lesson learnded for enhanced performance. Proceeding of the 12th International CDIO Conference, Finland. pp. 570-579. Petrova, Y., Yanova, E., & Bezuevskaya, V. (2021). Development of engineering workspace for hands on and project-based learning. Proceeding of the 17th International CDIO Conference, Thailand. pp. 560-566. Sayed, M. S, Abdullah, M., Maram, A. F., & Martin, J. (2021). Development of student sustainability awareness, attitudes and actions. Proceeding of the 17th International CDIO Conference, Thailand. pp. 14-24. Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill building approach. (7th ed.). United Kingdom, John Wilwy & Sons, Inc. Song, D., Tavares, A., Pinto, S., & Xu, H. (2017). Setting engineering students up for success in the 21st century: Integrating gamification and crowdsourcing into a CDIO based web design course. Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Eurasia. 13, pp. 565-585. Tangkijviwat, U., Sunthorn, W., Meeusah, N., and Kuptasthien, N. (2018). CDIO-based curriculum development for non-engineering programs at mass communication technology faculty. Proceedings of the 14th International CDIO Conference, Kanazawa. pp. 129-138. Tran, D. T. L., Dam, T. M., & Nguyen, T. C. (2014). Improvement of individual learning and instructor role for better team learning: Proceedings of the 10th International CDIO Conference, Barcelona. pp. 8-11. 159
The Implementation of 3R (Reuse, Recycle, Reduce) Concept in Optimizing the Consumption of Carpet Waste Sharuddin bin Mohd Dahuri1 , Nor Hakimah binti Ahmad Subri2 , Aliff bin Ab Tahir3 1, 3Jabatan Kejuruteraan Mekanikal, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Km 22 Jalan Matang, Kuching, 93050, MALAYSIA 2Jabatan Kejuruteraan Petrokimia,, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Km 22 Jalan Matang, Kuching, 93050, MALAYSIA *Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract: This study describes how the implementation of 3R concept can optimize the consumption of carpet waste at AN Engineering Sdn. Bhd. The waste of the carpet can be a problematic to the factory because the carpet waste requires high cost (RM 4704.00/ month) to manage it. Few study and observation had been made to investigate the sources of carpet waste along the entire carpet-manufacturing. Few activities implemented using the concept of 3R, which might greatly reduce (RM4704.00 - RM3234 = RM1470) the waste management cost. The “Reuse” concept can be implemented by reusing the waste carpet to any product or at least to create the 3 proposed product which might lead in saving RM 2682/ 891.457m2 of carpet from being wasted. The “Reduce” concept can be implement, which is by reusing the waste carpet to create product, the company actually reducing the monthly carpet waste ~RM 320.40 (excluding transportation cost = RM1500). While the “recycle” process is the final method in saving the carpet material. Although the company need to pay some amount to the recycle centre, the amount is around 31.25% reduced (RM4704.00 - RM3234 = RM1470) from the current value due to the applying of 3R concept in reducing carpet waste. The company might need to invest in some area to ensure that 3R can run smoothly. But in long run, it can benefit the company in term of cash and benefit the community by reducing the waste produced. Keywords: Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Carpet. 1. INTRODUCTION Reduce, reuse and recycle is a concept that people everywhere are starting to understand and apply to everyday life. Their principles are quite basic but are a necessity for maintaining a sustainable life. To remain productive, reducing one’s intake of energy and materials is vital. The concept of reuse is applied by reinventing items after their initial life and avoiding the additional waste by all means necessary. Though the concept of reuse is very important to the lifecycle of a material, there are times when a second life simply cannot be created for certain items. However, when one does have to throw an item away. An important proactive strategy is to buy products that can be recycled or, at the very least, determine in advance the product is an alternative to a similar, less recyclable material. Recycling is the process of turning items considered to be waste into a valuable resource as Ogushi Y, Kandlikar M mention in his proceeding “The impact of end-of-life vehicle recycling law on automobile recovery in Japan”. This process does include many steps, but begins with taking items such as cans, glass, newspaper or plastic to a recycle bin or collection facility. 1.1 Background of Research AN Engineering Sdn Bhd. is one of the largest manufacture’s vendors of carpet vehicles for JLR, AKS and WSV involving carpet inside cabin and rear trunk of the vehicle as well. For projects that carried out in the AN Engineering Sdn. Bhd. is to assist in solving the problem of disposing of waste carpet that every day is increasing due to the material that comes from 3 types of combination of Fiber which is PET Fiber, Low Melt Fiber and Recycle Fiber. Mohd Firdaus Bin Mustaffa Kamal state in his project report, Reduce, 160
Reuse, Recycle and Recovery Technique in Sustainable Construction Waste Management that in order to assist in issue disposal carpet waste is by minimizing the carpet waste, a company should be conducted using 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle) concept to assist in the reduction of waste generated. This problem is classified as disposable material. In this project, this study is to reduce the carpet waste by analysis using 3R (reuse, reduce, recycle) concept. Firstly, research will come out with observation method. In the observation method is gather the amount of carpet waste produce in needle punching 1 line. The record based on weight, dimension, cost and type of reject. Next, the analysis phase will be using 3R (Reuse, Recycle, Reduce) concept to utilize the carpet waste. 3R concept will apply in Carpet. After that, improving the use of carpet from waste to valuable sources 1.2 Problem Statement In AN Engineering Sdn Bhd, producing carpet products car is a major contributor that bring profits to the company. High demand in product generation based on vehicle carpet is for JLR vehicles. Problems a rising in carpet waste Figure 1 and Figure 2 due to the increasing demand from day to day are difficult to dispose. According to Vadicherla, T. & Saravanan, D. (2015), Roadmap to Sustainable Textiles and Clothing, this type of material is fiber-based, recycled fiber and low melt that is dangerous to environment and needs to be disposed of properly and requires high spending. To help reduce carpet waste is due to reject at the Needle Punching 1 production line is by implementing the 3R concept (reuse, reduce and recycle) at AN Engineering Sdn Bhd. Figure 1: Collected waste for all model carpet Figure 2: Waste storage area at AN Engineering Sdn. Bhd. The research and practice have been guided by a ‘‘3Rs’’ principle, which is also known as the hierarchy of C&D WM. The principle refers to the 3Rs of reduce, reuse, and recycle, which classify WM strategies according to their desirability. The 3Rs is meant to be a hierarchy, arranged in ascending order of their adverse impacts to the environment from low to high. Reduction is considered as the most effective and efficient method for managing C&D waste. It can not only minimize the generation of C&D waste, but also reduce the cost for waste transportation, disposal and recycling. 161
In recent days, the 3R principle began to gain more attention due to the lack of natural resources and increased pollution levels in the environment. 3R is an approach that can promote the efficient use of resources, harmonizing both environmental and economic concerns through making waste reduction, reuse and recycling efforts. Figure 2.0 and Figure 2.1 illustrate the change in resource flows in production to final consumption and disposal through unsustainable economic patterns and efficient resources in an economically efficient 3R. The first diagram illustrates the 'one-way' economy where extraction of open sources, withdrawals, use and disposal ends with little effort-sourcing of resources making the environment at risk. The second is the final transition of Pipe to 3R the 'close loop' of resource management in the consumption disposal cycle with the maximum use of resources and minimum waste production by reusing and recycling the product. 1.3 Objectives i. To study the amount of carpet waste that produce in the production line by maintaining a strict weekly record. ii. To analyse the use of carpet waste by using 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) concept. iii. To improve the use of carpet waste by implement 3R concept by applying the possible product that could be produce from the carpet waste. 1.4 Scope of Project The scope of the project is determined by the objectives or goals of the project. Hence the scopes of this project are: i. The study will be focus only on waste of carpet d20n based product. ii. The study will be on the carpet waste that produce after needle punching process. iii. The study will be focused on the 3r (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) method. 1.5 Significant of Project By envisioning this project, the importance of this study is helping the company in reducing the issue of growing carpet waste that is increasing from day to day. In addition, the creation based on carpet waste to produce an interior carpet part for vehicles that can help in utilisation the carpet waste that can be used. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW The research study is focused on optimizing the consumption of waste through the implementation of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) initiative. According to Arif Reza, in his book, “3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) Action Plan for the City Corporations in Bangladesh: Paradigm shift of Waste Management to Resource Management,” state that the 3R principle began to gain more attention due to the lack of natural resources and increased pollution levels in the environment. 2.1 Reduce Reduction at the source could be implemented almost throughout the project phase from initial work to handling over of the projects. Reduction focus more on preparing adequate and accurate planning of material used on site in order to reduce the waste produce. Experience in many countries shows that businesses across various industries can save about 10 percent of total volume by using waste reduction techniques. 2.2 Reuse Reuse is another way to close the loop. The second-hand clothes trade in developing countries creates a type of employment, leading to social sustainability. Generally, the reused or re-product is through some of the basic steps of collecting the product used, inspection, installation of parts, compilers, cleaning, reinstalling products, and testing. However, this component is being re-used and reproduced for replacement purposes. 2.3 Recycle Since the world fiber production has been steadily increasing in the past few decades. In 2004 it exceeded 64 million tons. The increasing of demand and consumption is a result of global population growth and overall improvement in living standards. 162
2.4 Fiber Recycling Technologies Many carpet, fiber and chemical supplier companies, recycling companies, and academic institutions actively follow various methods to recycle fibers. The approach includes chemical processes for the reprocessing of nylon and other polymers, resin plastic resin from carpet fiber, direct extrusion of waste carpet waste, composite as a substitute for wood, fiber for reinforcement and reinforcement, residual exchange of energy, and carpets as raw materials for cement kilns. 2.5 CATIA CATIA is a Computer-Assisted Design platform, Computed Aided Manufacturing and Computed Aided Engineering has been a suite of commercial software developed by Dassault System Company. CATIA facilitates engineering all discipline cooperation, including surface and design, mechanical engineering, equipment and system engineering. Thus, using CATIA in designing the part from carpet waste are easily to identify the amount of part that can be produce based on carpet waste dimension. The amount of waste after produce part also easily to determine the pattern of waste. 3. METHODOLOGY The methodology is not set to provide a solution - hence, not the same as the method. On the other hand, the method that offers a theoretical basis for understanding methods, setting methods, or best practices can be used for specific cases, for example, to calculate certain results. This method is used to achieve project objectives that will achieve the perfect results. 3.1 Research Method Research method that been used in this project is the observation method that been used as a reference data. The observation of days and weeks of the production years, type of defect occur, density, total weight, estimated cost and any remark related to carpet waste has been collected every week in the production line as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3: Needle Punching Workstation 3.2 Data Collection Method All studies to be conducted must have proven sources and studies of sheet data. The data collection method will be using a check sheet to record all the current data every week to look at the data before and after done this research study. The check sheet that will be used will contain the detail on Table 1. Table 1: Carpet Waste Collection Data 163
3.3 Reduce and Reuse Method In this initiative, the carpet arrangement will be improved, to reduce waste from trimming proses. The left over for waste generated will be use in producing smaller carpet-based product for car-interior. The design process with using CATIA will expose the dimension of waste and part to produce. From the design, we can identify the quantity of part that can be produce by using carpet waste through the design. Figure 4: Carpet Waste Bin 3.4 Recycle Method The waste generated from the re-use will be recycled using the shredding machine found on the AN Engineering Sdn Bhd. The use of this shredding machine will produce a waste carpet after reuse into raw material again which is recycle fiber. Indirectly the recycle fiber will be used again to produce a carpetbased product again. Carpet shredding machine are used to reduce the size of waste products such as carpet tiles, from cut and roll the carpet into smaller pieces called 'regrind' or flake. This is important in carpet recycling and perhaps the only necessary step before 'regrind' can be reused in the manufacture of new carpet products. 4. RESULT AND ANALYSIS The purpose of this study is to minimize the waste that continuously increases at AN Engineering Sdn. Bhd. This analysis starts with collecting the amount of carpet waste that generated in everyday production. The amount of this carpet is collected and being improves by this concept. 4.1 Proposed Product to Reduce the Amount of Carpet Waste. In order to reduce the amount of carpet waste, the idea come out with producing an interior carpet compartment. The proposed product is presented in Figure 5, 6 and 7 used carpet wasted that has no defect on the appearance. By using small area of interior waste carpet, the company can produce at least 3 product that might benefit the user. Figure 5: Interior Carpet for D20N Cup holder 164
Figure 6: Interior Carpet for JLRD Center Slot Figure 7: Interior Carpet for JLRD Center Compartment The function of this carpet is not only for the appearance look but working as reducing rattling noise, easily remove dust and absorb the water that spilled in the interior console area. 4.2 Value of Interior Carpet The company used slab size to calculate the price of material of unit part. Table 2, 3 and 4 shows the method to calculate the value of each carpet material, which is same as the company did in order to calculate the material cost. The dimension of the proposed product also been calculated to ease of imagine the size that could be save from being wasted. Table 2: Costing of Interior Carpet / Unit No Model Part Name Internal Cost (RM/unit) 1 JLR Cup Holder 0.03 2 JLR Center Slot 0.02 3 JLR Center Compartment 0.04 Table 3: Slab Size of Interior Carpet / Unit No Model Part Name Slab Size (width × length) 1 JLR Cup Holder 135mm × 70mm 2 JLR Center Slot 92mm × 73mm 3 JLR Center Compartment 125mm × 110mm 165
Table 4: Total Value & Size That Can Be Save Monthly No Demand Quantity / Month Value (RM) & Size (m2) / Month CH (RM0.03 / 0.009450m2 ) CS (RM0.02 / 0.006716m2 ) CC (RM0.04 / 0.013750m2 ) 1 Feb 7200 RM216 / 68.040m2 RM144 / 48.355m2 RM288 / 99.000m2 2 Mac 7500 RM225 / 70.875m2 RM150 / 50.370m2 RM300 / 103.125m2 3 Apr 8000 RM240 / 75.600m2 RM160 / 53.728m2 RM320 / 110.000m2 4 Mei 7100 RM213 / 67.095m2 RM142 / 47.684m2 RM284 / 97.625m2 Total for each product RM 894 / 281.570m2 RM 596 / 200.137m2 RM 1192 / 409.750m2 Total for all product RM 2682 / 891.457m2 4.3 Waste Recycle Initiative In this recycling purpose, to utilize all the carpet waste is by recycling all the waste that generate from producing the interior carpet. The issue on this shredding machine is the waste that wants to recycle is on in the small size because the feeder size is only 150mm width and 70mm height. Figure 8: Shredding Machine In figure 8, the shredding machine that used in the company is a small size machine. To recycle the carpet waste, the size of carpet must be smaller than the feeder size. The concept in this recycling process is that the waste produce after recycle concept will produce a smaller carpet waste. Which is smaller than the size of shredding machine feeder. Figure 9: Recycle Fiber store room The machine that been used in shredding the carpet waste was always fully utilizes, and the room to store the shredded carpet waste (figure 9) was always full capacity before it can be transfer to a recycle centre. In short, the company need to cut, shred, store and transfer the waste carpet to complete the carpet recycle process. Thus, the company might reduce the cost of managing the carpet waste and increase the income by producing the proposed product that can be made from the carpet waste. 166
4.4 Reducing Initiative on Minimizing the Carpet Waste The biggest issue that company face is hard to dispose the production waste that generate every day in production line because of costing to dispose the waste following schedule waste is very high. Transportation and place for dumping waste costing is different and cause a two-side costing. Table 5: Amount of Waste and Costing Dispose per Time Worldwide Company Weight (Tones) Cost Related (RM) Before Implementation Dispose cost / Month (RM) After Implementation Dispose cost / Month (RM) Dumping Waste 5.34 1602.00 2 x ~1602.00 = 3204 (2 x ~1602) - ~720 = 2484 Transportation 5.34 750.00 2 x 750.00 1 x 750.00 Total cost 910.20 4704.00 3234.00 Company needs to spend around RM2000.00 per trip (2 times per month) to dispose the waste that generate in monthly production because of the schedule waste for that company is 2 times disposal waste per month. So, this is the issue that company need to face to dispose the waste that effecting the company financial. 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The study was aimed to fulfil the three objectives of the study, which is to study the amount of carpet waste that produce in the production line, to analyse the use of carpet waste by using 3R (Reuse, Recycle, Reduce) concept and to improve the use of carpet waste by implement 3R concept. In detail, the “Reuse” concept can be implemented by reusing the waste carpet to any product or at least to create the 3 proposed product which might lead in saving RM 2682/ 891.457m2 of carpet from being wasted. The “Reduce” concept can be implement, which is by reusing the waste carpet to create product, the company reducing the monthly carpet waste ~RM 320.40 (excluding transportation cost = RM1500). While the “recycle” process is the final method in saving the carpet material. Although the company need to pay some amount to the recycle centre, the amount is greatly reduced (RM4704.00 - RM3234 = RM1470) from the current value due to the applying of 3R concept in reducing carpet waste. 5.1 The Amount of Carpet Waste that Produce in the Production Line The result shared that the amount of carpet waste that generate at needle punching 1 from daily production. This can be proved in the quantitative data that has been collected two times a week. The amount of carpet waste that produce in daily production is around 20kg to 45kg per day for needle punching 1 machine. 5.2 Analysis the Use of Carpet Waste by Using 3R Initiative In average, the carpet waste that produce in production line do not have defect on the appearances. Carpet waste that generates in daily production sometimes can be used for other usage. The waste is not been used is mostly due to the dimension that not meet the machine requirement. In summary, to implement the 3R concept the study on the carpet waste need innovation thinking in utilize the carpet waste that comes with different sizing and reject. 5.3 Improve the Use of Carpet waste by Implement the 3R Initiative Based on the data collected. By implementing the 3R, there would be new source of income for the company which will generate that can give a better financial to the company. Managing the manufacturing industry present some unique challenges. Further, the company must maintain a good cash flow and reducing the waste to the zero reject in daily production to sustain the management of company. 5.4 Limitation Amount of carpet is the limitation in this study because the carpet waste that generate sometimes can be used in producing sometimes valuable and sometime cannot be used due to the different amount produce. 167
In this research, it has lack of available and reliable data. A lack of data or reliable data will likely have required researcher to limit the scope of analysis, the amount of carpet waste sometimes higher at the others process. Lastly, the biggest limitation in competitors the research study is to apply the study in company. This is because of everything wants to do is need the approval to the higher head of department. 5.5 Conclusion Based on the research conducted, this study success in achieving the objectives of the study as a result of the findings and data collected that has been analysed. The data obtained is enough to implement the 3R concept in optimizing the use of carpet waste and totally reduction of carpet waste generation. This finding also shows that from waste company can generate a new source of income and reducing the order on raw materials. 6. REFERENCES Telli, A., & Ozdil, N. (2015). Effect of Recycled PET Fibers on the Performance Properties of Knitted Fabrics. Journal of Engineered Fibers and Fabrics, 10(2), 47–60. LeBlanc, R. (n.d.). The Basics of Clothing and Textile Recycling. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/the-basics-of-recycling-clothing-and-other-textiles-2877780 R. A. Rogowsky (1999), Certain Polyester Staple Fiber from Korea and Taiwan, Invs. 731-TA-825-826 (Preliminary), Washington, DC: DIANE Publishing. A. Introduction, “Waste reduction and raw material conservation.” Vadicherla, T., & Saravanan, D. (2015). Roadmap to Sustainable Textiles and Clothing, 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-164-0 Scheirs J (1998) Polymer recycling, science, technology and application. Wiley, New York Wang Y (2006) Recycling in textiles. Woodhead Publishing, Cambrige M. Patel and D. Bhramhatt (2010), “Needle punching technology,” p. 10. Yeadon, B. (2012). The No BS Cleaning Seminar, 20-23. Retrieved from www.jondon.com Arif Reza, “3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) Action Plan for the City Corporations in Bangladesh: Paradigm shift of Waste Management to Resource Managemet,” no. February 2013, 2014. L. Amelia, D. A. Wahab, C. H. C. Haron, N. Muhamad, and C. H. Azhari (2009), “Initiating automotive component reuse in Malaysia,” J. Clean. Prod., vol. 17, no. 17, pp. 1572–1579. Giudice F, La Rosa G, Risitino A (2006). Product design for the environment. Boca Raton: CRC Press. Ogushi Y, Kandlikar M (2005). The impact of end-of-life vehicle recycling law on automobile recovery in Japan. In: Proceedings of the 4th international environmentally conscious design and inverse manufacturing symposium. Tokyo, vol. 1:626–33 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recovery Technique in Sustainable Construction Waste Management Mohd Firdaus Bin Mustaffa Kamal A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Construction Manage,” Waste Manag., 2009. 168
Analysis of Industry and Institutional Feedback for Students With Hearing Problems at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan Using The Weka Application Ismalyza Binti Mt Arif1 , Rafiuddin Bin Rohani2 1, 2 Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, KM10 Jalan Kong Kong, Pasir Gudang, 81700, MALAYSIA *Corresponding Author: 1 [email protected], 2 [email protected] Abstract: With the aid of TVET, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 is currently being developed. Polytechnics and community colleges, which provide certificates, diplomas, and bachelor's degrees, serve as the foundation for Malaysia's TVET programme. Additionally, the Certificate of Skills for Disabled Students is one of the programmes available (Hearing Problems). To complete the prerequisites for graduation, students with special needs who enroll in the Certificate of Skills programme at Polytechnic Malaysia must complete industrial training. Through three academic sessions, 32 students who were pursuing the Graphic Design Skills Certificate finished their coursework. In this study, Presentation (PR) and Practical Task (PT) were the two key areas where the efficiency of industrial training in preparing students for employment was examined. Participants in this study included academics and business leaders. Weka 3.8.6 will be used to analyze the study's findings. Data that has a mean that is at the highest end of the range is estimated at its best. Additionally, industry comments obtained through typical scoring forms will be used as information for improvement. Keywords: Disabled Students, Industrial Training, TVET, Industry, Weka 1. INTRODUCTION According to Nur Dalilah Dahlan (2017), the government is in fact paying attention to the needs of the disabled. Also, a variety of amenities are offered by both the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). To the extent that these people are capable of becoming self-sufficient and looking for work without anticipating compassion from their family or society at large. While Aidah et al. (2016), the majority of students with hearing impairment are eager and more inclined to employ interactive and moving visual images. The usage of moving images can close the communication gap with them by attracting their attention and enhancing their visual awareness. Based to the Guidelines for the Implementation of Inclusive Policies of Persons with Disabilities in Higher Education Institutions, there are four levels of hearing impairment, ranging from slight to very severe. In this sense, everything is done to support students with disabilities in achieving academic and professional selfsatisfaction so they can become independent. Additionally, there are three basic classifications of this hearing impairment issue: Bilateral hearing loss, Single-sided deafness (SSD)/profound unilateral hearing loss, and persistent ear deformity or ear and hearing associated syndrome. The investigation of hearing impairments will be considered if: a. Based on an average of four frequencies, the adult hearing threshold is 40 dBHL or better: (500Hz, 1 KHz, 2 KHz, 4 KHz) b. Improved hearing levels (in children's ears) of 30dBHL based on an average of 500Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, and 4KHz. Additionally, there is a very severe level of hearing above 91dBHL close to the ear based on an average of four frequencies: (500Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, 4KHz). On the other hand, conditions like microtia, atresia, and anotia are referred to as persistent ear deformities, ear-related syndromes, or hearing-related syndromes. Without a doubt, kids with disabilities excel in the area of skills as well. Abylimpics is one of them. Young people from all throughout Malaysia took part. They must demonstrate a high degree of originality when being assessed on relevant abilities. 169
In regard to the technical and vocational disciplines that he engaged in, this student has demonstrated that TVET polytechnic graduates are competitive and can compete on an international level (Nurhasni Mohd Noor, Mohamad Faithal Hassan, 2017). Ironically, the Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan students engaged have a variety of hearing issues. At polytechnics and community colleges, industrial training is one of the main focuses of the curriculum. All students must successfully complete industrial training in order to get a certificate, diploma, or possibly a first degree. Students will work in the industry for six months to expose them to the real working environment. In accordance with the objective of industrial training to generate semi-skilled TVET graduates, students will put all the knowledge and skills they acquired in the lecture hall into practise during this time. As a result, students pursuing the Certificate of Skills at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan are also not excused from completing 10 credit hours of Industrial Training in the second year (fourth semester) under the course code SUL40110. The Department of Visual Design and Communication at Polytechnic Ibrahim Sultan offers the Graphic Design Skills Certificate and the Fashion & Clothing Skills Certificate, while the Department of Tourism and Hospitality offers the Hotel & Catering Skills Certificate. Students will be assessed by institutional and industry assessors in accordance with the 2013 Industrial Training Guidelines (Students) Edition as a requirement for approval. For appraisal purposes, the institution received a total score of 60%, while the industry received a score of 40%. Even if students are covered by the students with special needs skills certificate for an individual who is classified as impaired (OKU), this fact does not prevent them from seeking academic excellence and fulfilling their objectives and aspirations in the same way as other average people. According to the Disability Bill Act of 2007, individuals with disabilities are those who lack one or more physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory qualities that, when combined with other barriers, can limit their capacity to fully participate and have an impact on society. They are able to lead regular lives despite their physical limitations (hearing and speech), and they can contribute significantly to the socioeconomic development of the nation. Students with disabilities ought to be provided the same possibilities as other people, according to Agus Suwignyo's 2018 study. As a result, they can participate in the stream of national learning together because some of them have cognitive intelligence that is on par with that of ideal people. Some of them have a higher level of ability than typical students. To avoid falling behind in this trend of globalization, the disabled should also not be excluded from the creation of human capital (Alias et al., 2016). 1.1 Purpose of Study In this study, the efficiency of industrial training was assessed based on the components of observation and practical tasks. 1.2 Objectives of The Study The objectives of the study are stated as below: 1.2.1 Assess the Presentation component of Industrial Training for according to: 1.1.1 PRCLO1P Psychomotor - Apply pertinent knowledge and abilities in the workplace; 1.1.2 Affective PRCLO2A - Capable of effective multilevel communication. 1.2.2 Examine the opinions of industry professionals through the evaluation of practical tasks: 1.2.1 Psychomotor PTCLO1P - Utilize pertinent knowledge and abilities during work; 1.2.2 Affective PTCLO2A - Capable of various degrees of effective communication; 1.2.3 Affective PTCLO3A - Integrate teamwork within oneself; 1.2.4 Affective PTCLO4A - Comply with the organization's policies, procedures, and rules; 1.2.5 Psychomotor PTCLO5P - Describes the tasks given (during LI) in the format required. 1.3 Problem Statement When they interact with society, they feel less confident and inferior due to physical limitations and flaws (hearing and speech). Being a minority group suits them better, if you ask us. In order to prepare for the world of real employment after graduation, they are using this industrial training. In some places, their 170
accomplishments and abilities are still not appreciated due to prejudice. This is shown in their readiness to hire disabled people to work alongside them. When students applied for industrial training in other industrial sectors, they encountered similar restrictions. 1.4 Scope of Study This study involved students of the Graphic Design Skills Certificate, Department of Visual Design and Communication, Semester 4 for the December 2018 Session, December 2019 Session, and the December 2020 Session of 32 people. The data analyzed only involves aspects of Presentation and Practical Tasks. 1.5 Methodology of Study The study's main instrument is the evaluation of Appendix 1 score by the industry and Appendix 5 scoring by the evaluator lecturer. Additionally, the comments and changes made by the evaluator and the industry were used in the formation of the findings. The Weka 3.8.6 application was used for the analysis of this study. The report lists nine key characteristics: a. Registration Number b. Presentation P (PRCLO1P) – Appendix 5 c. Presentation A (PRCLO2A) – Appendix 5 d. Practical Task P (PTCLO1P) – Appendix 1 e. Practical Task A (PTCLO2A) – Appendix 1 f. Practical Task A (PTCLO3A) – Appendix 1 g. Practical Task A (PTCLO4A) – Appendix 1 h. Practical Task P (PTCLO5P) – Appendix 1 i. Study Session The level of assessment created by Mohamed Najib is referenced in the determination of the level of acceptability through the range of mean score values. Table 1 refers to the acceptance level determined by the mean score value. Table 1: Levels of Acceptance Based on Mean Score Mean Score Interpretation 1.00 – 1.80 Very Low 1.81 – 2.60 Low 2.61 – 3.20 Moderate 3.21 – 4.20 High 4.21 – 5.00 Very High Source: Moidunny (2009) 2. IMPORTANCE OF STUDY For the hearing impaired to receive equitable chances as indicated by the government in the National Education Policy and Philosophy, this study is crucial. 3. FINDINGS Weka 3.8.6 was used to evaluate the data that went into this study's conclusions and discussion. Descriptive statistics were the primary analysis tool utilised by the researcher, which was appropriate given the research's objectives. It is possible to draw conclusions and make generalisations while using this strategy, according to Moidunny (2009). Based on Figure 1, the mean for PRCLO2A is 4.352 (Very High). It shows the communication level for students and interviewers (lecturers) are very comfortable and high confidence. In addition, students need to show their projects based on the courses using software such as adobe photoshop, In Design, adobe illustrator. Institutions will without a doubt accept the use and deployment of ICT in a world where information interchange is now thought of as being borderless (Hamzah, M. I. M., Juraime, F., & Mansor, A. N., 2016) 171
Figure 1: Presentation Data (PRCLO1P and PRCLO2A) The lowest mean score, as shown in Figure 2, is 3.594 (High) for PTCLO2A. Rereading, determining the meaning of the offending words or sentences, questioning, and other techniques are some of the ways to deal with issues. This is why, the issue of effective communication been raised up to ensure better performance of the students. While, we did see the highest mean score is 4.438 – PTCLO3A. They are very comfortable with their own deaf members, but not to the new comers. Figure 2: Practical Task Data (PTCLO1P, PTCLO2A, PTCLO3A) Figure 3: Practical Task Data (PTCLO4A, and PTCLO5P) 172
Meeting-related challenges were most frequently cited, with respondents noting a lack of captioning, interpreters, or assistive listening devices (Punch, Renée., 2016). That is why the second-lowest mean score for PTCLO5P is 3.813 - Describes the tasks given (during LI) in the format necessary. Table 2 shows the summary of overall study findings: Table 2: Summary of Overall Study Findings Objectives of Study Mean Value Level Presentation P (PRCLO1P) 3.703 High Presentation A (PRCLO2A) 4.352 Very High Practical Task P (PTCLO1P) 4.031 High Practical Task A (PTCLO2A) 3.594 High Practical Task A (PTCLO3A) 4.438 Very High Practical Task A (PTCLO4A) 4.156 High Practical Task P (PTCLO5P) 3.813 High Based on Table 2, Numbers 1 and 2 represent the conclusions of the mean score value from the appraiser lecturer, while Numbers 3 to 7 are from industry representatives. The greatest and lowest mean scores for the overall findings were the main emphasis of this study, which had high standards for all of its objectives. The CLO2A - Can communicate well at multiple levels category has the highest mean score of 4.352 for the evaluation lecturer. For industry assessors, the opposite data was discovered. The lowest of the same category's mean score values are displayed, at 3.594. 3.1 Highlighting Several Remarks Some significant remarks made by the six appraiser lecturers should be highlighted. They include the necessity of repeating instructions, students exhibit awkwardness, and skills enhancements. 3.1.1 The necessity of repeating instructions Each student has a different level of potential and intelligence because some of them struggle with dyslexia, slow learning, and other issues. They are of adult age, but their mindset is still that of a youngster. As a result, since they are easy to forget, each instruction should be repeated. Due to their limited language skills, students have also struggled to learn certain terms. The mean score for CLO5P - Describes the tasks assigned (during LI) according to the provided format is level 3.813 when looking at Figure 2. This is in line with institutional and industry recommendations to enhance soft skills and communication, particularly when describing a subject and doing technical activities. Additionally, according to the Course Outcome Review Report (CORR), the CLO for CLO5P group achievement percentage falls short of the required level (Under 75%). 3.1.2 Students Exhibit Awkwardness The monitoring lecturers selected to evaluate the deaf students are only partially known to the students. This makes it seem awkward, ashamed, unconfident, and uncomfortable to face for the first time. Furthermore, several lecturers still lack sign language proficiency. When hiring these impaired students for the first time, employers also encounter this issue. For these impaired students, current employees must make accommodations. As a result of being exposed to the realities of the real working world, the student also goes through a culture shock. Respondent R2 comments "She doesn't comprehend. Consider asking more questions. Can't think for herself, so no need for a second job." This implies that students struggle more with two-way communication with employers. Students may experience awkwardness or fear due to the unfamiliar job setting and presence of regular staff. The issue of coworkers misinterpreting one another at the time was also brought on by communication skills limits in sign language. A stress-related issue at work may result from this. This calls for both the learner and the employer to instantly get over their initial feelings of embarrassment. 173
3.1.3 Skills Enhancements The typical score value for CLO1P - Applying relevant knowledge and skills is 3.703, according to Figure 1. This is consistent with upskilling requirements, particularly in terms of technological and communication abilities. The employer's representative (Respondent R32) discovered through improvement suggestions that students need to dive in or consult ideas to further develop the idea to be developed. This is a crucial ability to improve employer satisfaction, particularly when it comes to themed design. According to the R1 respondents, students need to be more creative, conduct more informed searches for examples on social media, and put forth a lot of effort to grow as people. This indicates that despite the restrictions and limits of having hearing loss, there is no difference in quality in the workplace competition. What is impressive is that the analysis demonstrates that students have the capacity to develop their collaborative skills. This is supported by the fact that CLO3A has the greatest mean point score overall, 4.438 compared to the other groups. In accordance with Respondent R12, the students are excellent at following instructions and are highly hardworking. The company is pleased with his performance, and he gets along well with his coworkers. Students are very responsible and disciplined, according to R21 responders. In addition, students also do well while interacting with colleagues. Overall, the feedback agrees with the mean value conclusions drawn from the study data for the three study sessions. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the research, a number of recommendations have been presented. To ensure that deaf students do better, attention must be given to five key areas. 4.1 Knowledge of Sign Language According to this study, a number of variables influence how well the monitoring process for industrial training works. The evaluators' own sign language communication abilities should be highlighted among these. This is done to get over PTCLO2A's feedback issue, which has the lowest study-wide mean value. The inclusion of an interpreter is thought to facilitate two-way communication and the assessment process. This may make the potential suitor more at ease during the interview. 4.2 The Implementation of Soft Skill Courses To bring back specialized soft skills classes in core subjects for hearing-impaired students in Malaysian polytechnics and community colleges to make sure they are prepared before face the realities of industrial training and the world of employment. This will address the issue of PTCLO5P, which has a score of 3.813 and states that throughout industrial training, students struggle to clearly explain the work process. This requires expertise that must be developed in polytechnics and community institutions. 4.3 ‘Love and Action’ Employers should have the concept of ‘Love & Action’ in providing for students with hearing impairment. This is due to the fact that these students are very sensitive in many respects. The approach used by both employers and colleagues should be considered. 4.4 Revision of The Guidelines The 2013 version of the Industrial Training Guidelines (Students) should be revised and cleaned up in accordance with the most recent syllabus and requirements. Additionally, the 2013 revision of the standards does not account for students with hearing impairment when grading assignments using the rubric. For the purposes of assessment, the suggested scoring level is inappropriate for pupils with disabilities. In order to develop the most recent, useful guidelines, the relevant parties must examine and realign. 4.5 Increase in The Number of Respondents In Malaysia's polytechnics and community colleges, data analysis utilizing the Weka application can be used for all programmed including impaired students. The goal of this is to view the mean value using more detailed data. 174
5. CONCLUSION A disabled person actually has a heavier load of being a student than a typical person. The same is true of their capacity to carry out the process of absorbing skills and values while undergoing industrial training. These groups demand more time and effort than average people to deliver and accept. Additionally, not only at the institutional level but also on the industry side, it is important to highlight their improved ability to concentrate. The goal of developing the disabled must be accomplished by a coordinated effort from the government, organizations, institutions, employers, families, and other stakeholders, including the person with the disability. From the industry respondents (R1-R32), it was found that they were satisfied with the achievements of the students with hearing problems in their place. Acceptance of employers and colleagues is also seen as not experiencing any major problems. However, improvements from the point of view of communication and the description of the scope of the task should be noted. On behalf of the institution, Industrial Training for students with hearing impairment needs to be maintained. For students of the Graphic Design Skills Certificate, creativity needs to be emphasized through the search for scientific resources to ensure that the ideas presented to the employers better meet the standards 6. REFERENCES Aidah Alias, Mustafa Halabi, Adzrool Idwan Ismalil, (2015), Enhancing Learning Ability Among Deaf Students Buy Using Interactive Images, International Journal of Education and Research, Vol.3 No.3 March 2015. Agus Suwignyo, R. D. A. Y. (2018). Praktik Sosio-Kultural Sebagai Bentuk Kewargaan Masyarakat Tahun 1950an:Melihat Kembali Historiografi Kebangsaan dalam Bingkai Non-Negara. Journal Patrawidya, 19(1), 1–18. Alias, A., Sharif, N. M., Baharuddin, N. O. R. F., Hasmadi, M., Hamzah, M., Zahari, F., … Children, I. (2016). Penerokaan Kesan Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Menggunakan Visual Imej dalam Kalangan Pelajar Cacat Pendengaran. Jurnal Komunikasi Malaysia Journal of Communication Jilid 32, 32(1), 335–350. Domagała-Zyśk, Ewa & Kontra, Edit & Moritz, Nuzha & Urdarevic, Iva & Sedláčková, Jitka & Gulati, Beata & Nabiałek, Anna & Malec, Monika. (2022). ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PERSONS -CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES. Hamzah, M. I. M., Juraime, F., & Mansor, A. N. (2016). Malaysian Principals’ Technology Leadership Practices and Curriculum Management. Creative Education, 7, 922-930. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ce.2016.77096 Jabatan Pengajian Politeknik dan Kolej Komuniti (2013), Garis Panduan Latihan Industri (Pelajar). Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (2019) Garis Panduan Pelaksanaan Dasar Inklusif Orang Kurang Upaya Di Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Mohamed Najib Ghafar. (1999). Penyelidikan pendidikan. Skudai: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. Moidunny, K. (2009). The Effectiveness of the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL). Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Bangi: The National University of Malaysia. Nur Dalilah Dahlan, T. A. M. (2017). Kekuatan Mental dan Prestasi Akademik Atlet Bola Sepak Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Journal of Sports Science and Physical Uducation,Malaysia, 1(1), 21–35. Nurhasni Mohd Noor, mohamad Faithal Hassan, S. K. S. A. (2017). Kebolehpercayaan Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport dan Sport Motivation Scale Versi Bahasa Melayu: Satu Kajian Rintis. Jurnal Kepimpinan Pendidikan, 4(4), 56–64. Punch, Renée. (2016). Employment and Adults Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Current Status and Experiences of Barriers, Accommodations, and Stress in the Workplace. American Annals of the Deaf. 161. 384-397. 10.1353/aad.2016.0028. 175
Readiness, Suitability and Acceptance of TBEm4U Application for Basic Takaful Basic Examination (TBE) At Polytechnic Malaysia Dr Muhammad Nazri Abdul Halim1 , Faizah Sahbudin2 , Ts Dr Saipol Hadi Hasim3 1, 2 Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA 3Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA *Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract: Students at Malaysian Institutions of Higher Learning currently belong to the Z or 'Digital Natives' generation, which will shape the direction of success of e-Learning introduced in each institution. Literature studies suggest that Teaching and Learning (R&D) using Multimedia is believed to stimulate learning and enhance students' academic achievement. Not only e-Learning acceptance can convert traditional modules, program costs and classrooms into online versions, but the use of technology can contribute to a very flexible R&D environment. This mobile learning is a learning approach that determines knowledge and skills of learning through mobile technology. The content development process of this TBEm4U application is based on the Appy Pie Website. The prototype of the application is packaged in the form of an Android application to enable this R&D Takaful Basic Examination (TBE) course. Therefore, this study looks at the potential implementation of the design and development of TBEm4U applications for this TBE course to create a more exciting R&D experience. The purpose of this study was to study the comparison of traditional conceptual teaching on the achievement of Semester 5 student exams in five Malaysian Polytechnics offering Diploma in Finance and Islamic Finance courses in Premier Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic, Polytechnic Values and Johor Bahru Metro Polytechnic involving 108 students. The questionnaire consisting of 30 items on TBEm4U application acceptance was used as an instrument. Data were analysed using SPSS version 22.0 to obtain mean values. The findings indicate the level of student readiness, the level of adaptability and the level of acceptance of mobile learning. Based on the findings, several suggestions have been made to realize mobile learning in Polytechnic Malaysia. Keywords: Takaful Basic Examination, e-Learning, Work Based Learning 1. INTRODUCTION The usage of smartphones is not a new issue to the millennial community. Studies show that the number of smartphone users in the world has increased by 1 billion in five years. The number of smartphone users around the world will reach 2.7 billion in 2019. Malaysia itself is among one of the countries that has a high percentage of smartphone ownership, which is about 65 percent (Ismail, 2019). In addition, the impact of technology in the scenario of the education sector is now seen to be changing more and more significantly. Now, the number of Public and Private Higher Education Institutions (IPTA and IPTS) that have implemented mobile learning is increasing due to the benefits and advantages that can be obtained from the integration of the technology. The use of mobile devices such as Netbook computers, iPads, tablets, smartphones, iPods, electronic readers and PDAs is increasingly becoming the first choice for teachers and students in the teaching and learning process because mobile technology offers learning that is more flexible. Smartphone users in Malaysia has reached 11 million this year and it brings Malaysia to qualify to rank 10th in the world that monopoly in the worlds of technologies. Different from the previous years, now as early as in school, the usage of smart phones has become common issue and it is a necessity due to the changing currents of globalization in line with the rapid development of Technology and information communication technology (ICT). (Ismail, 2019; Nordin et al., 2018; Rahim, N. A., 2013; Aziz et al., 2017). 1.1 Background of Study A major challenge in today's education career is referring to the delivery in Teaching and Learning which is still using conventional method. Therefore, a paradigm shift towards design and delivery methods in the education system needs to be implemented to meet the educational needs of the 21st century. In addition, the 176
delivery method through lectures is still widely practiced and most lecturers are still bound by the use of textbooks, whiteboards and handouts. Lecturers are seen to play the main role as knowledge transmitters and students as passive receivers of knowledge. According to Maycock, (2019), the majority of courses are taught using the lecture method, "chalk and talk" is identified as the main teaching method while textbooks are the main teaching materials. According to Talib et all (2019), the use of multimedia can be a positive and effective medium of communication because text, audio, video and animation of various colors and patterns can be displayed on a screen at the same time. A teaching and learning system that applies hypermedia elements such as animation, sound, graphics, hypertext, and color makes the presentation of the system more interesting and capable of attracting students' interest. The technology creates changes to learning methods. It is in line with the upcoming challenges. A hundred years ago, children came to school to sit in a row and be controlled by teachers (Sharples, 2006). Therefore, eLearning has been seen as one of the most important ways of learning nowadays and is widely used in both public and private educational institutions. It is able to make the teaching and learning process more effective. Mobile devices have become a tool that has been widely used by the whole society, regardless of age because it functions as a communicative tool and provides a variety of additional functions including taking pictures, collecting, storing and sharing data and connecting to a wider network through websites. The closest mobile devices to everyday life are smartphones and tablet computers. This study focuses on students' preferences in the use of mobile applications. It is not impossible if in the future mobile applications become the most preferred and easy-to-use learning method by all age groups. In recent developments, the creation of communication technology gives space to the use of mobile technology and wireless technology in education (Rahamat et al, 2017). In conjuction to that situationa, a learning pattern known as mobile learning or eLearning was first introduced in society. Mobile Learning or eLearning is a step forward in the development of electronic learning. With the production of mobile communication tools, education experts try to take the initiative to apply the use of these tools in teaching and learning (Kumar et al, 2018). 1.2 Problem Statement 1.2.1 Takaful Basic Examination (TBE) The Takaful course has exposed the students to the importance of the Takaful concept. It reflects the reality of the Takaful-related to the workplace in Malaysia which includes risk and insurance, the basics and principles of insurance and takaful, the takaful industry in Malaysia, legal aspects of takaful, types of takaful plans, general principles of underwriting and claims and finally takaful planning. Students are given the opportunity to gain experience through working in industry through a work-based learning environment. The concept that had practiced by Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru (PMJB) Academic Management, before these students start the Work Based Learning course in the assigned industry, they will attend the Basic Takaful Course for 2 days at the institution. The Academics Department will invite speakers who have expertise and experience in the field of Takaful in the industry to give lectures to the students. Once they have finished the course, on the next day these students will go through a special exam called the TBE. Once these students have passed the Basic Takaful Examination, they are eligible to carry out Work Based Learning in the Takaful Industry which has been given to enable them to be appointed as takaful agents. As long as these students do not reach the exam requirements, they have to repeat the exam. The Basic Takaful Examination is conducted by the Islamic Banking and Finance Institute of Malaysia (IBFIM). An IBFIM which has been operating since 2001 is a talent development institution specializing in industrial technical certification. The exam is conducted for one hour and it is implemented by online. For PMJB students, the examination center for the fifth semester students is usually conducted at the Open University, situated at Jalan Ibrahim Sultan. Each exam session will accommodate a maximum of 20 candidates. The exam results are divided into two levels, namely pass or fail. Pass for the participants if they get results A, B and C. On the other hand, potential takaful agents have to repeat the exam if the exam result is D or fail. Takaful agents are required to comply with the minimum service standards set by the Takaful Regulator and Association. The minimum standard of service ensures that takaful agents conduct their business with a high level of responsibility and professionalism. The Basic Takaful Examination is designed as a mandatory entry requirement that qualifies these takaful agents to be granted a license to practice and intend to be registered as a Takaful agent with the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) and as a basis for induction for individuals who wish to pursue a career in Takaful. 1.2.2 Work Based Learning (WBL) Work Based Learning (WBL) is a learning method that combines theoretical and practical learning according to the actual work environment in the organization. The current situation is the fifth semester students, Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance at PMJB need to study certain subjects practically in the industry. The implementation period is for 1 semester or six months. Between this period, students will take four courses together in the industry (Work Based Learning Guidelines, PMJB). The four courses in course requirement 177
are Takaful, Islamic Financial Management, Islamic Financial Planning and Customer Relationship Management. This article focuses on the implementation of eLearning in Teaching and Learning for Takaful Courses among PMJB students and to any third party who needs to use the application for the same purpose. 1.3 Problem Statement Referring to the 2-day Takaful course that has been practiced by the Polytechnic, the speakers will expose these students to their knowledge and experience in the field of Takaful. Notes are presented through PowerPoint software, which contains two parts; Part A: Basic Takaful and Medical & Health Takaful and Part C: Family and Investment Takaful. The next session was the students were given questions related to Takaful in the form of sets of paper copies of past questions and they will discuss with the course participants so that the participants can then practice these questions in order to reveal them to the real TBE exam. Each set of questions contains one hundred objective questions. Participants just choose the correct answer from A, B, C and D. During the 2 days of the course, from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm, students have to be in class and concentrate fully on the course. During this research, the 5th semester students were made up of those aged 20 who were born in 1999 and belong to Z Generation. Based on data obtained from the Head Department of the WBL Unit & PMJB Collaboration, it revealed that each semester there were 8.33 percent - 26.67 percentage of students had failed the Takaful Basic Examination (TBE) for the first time. This results where the students once again having to bear the cost of the exam fee to enable them to take the exam for the second time. The percentage of students who obtained Grade B is also quite low. Therefore, the Academic Management is trying to find a solution to reduce the percentage of students who fail in this course. The chalk and talk concept learning mode is felt not to attract the interest of these students to continue to focus and cultivate interest in the Takaful Course because the learning practiced in the classroom is simply not suitable for this generation. Table 1: Results of Students Taking Takaful Basic Examination SEMESTER RESULT GRADE December 2018 Passed – 91.67% A – 0% Failed – 8.33% B – 13.64% C – 86.36% June 2018 Passed – 73.33% A – 0% Failed – 26.67% B – 0% C – 100% December 2017 Passed – 82% A – 0% Failed – 18% B – 7.32% C – 92.68% June 2017 Passed – 87.5% A – 0% Failed – 12.5% B – 18.37% C – 81.63% 1.4 Research Questions Here are the research questions that have been identified; i. What is the level of user readiness for using TBEm4U eLearning. ii. To what extent is the level of user suitability towards the use of TBEm4U eLearning. iii. To what extent is the level of user acceptance towards the use of TBEm4U eLearning. 1.5 Study Objectives The following are the objectives of the study that have been set; i. Design and develop the TBEm4U application used by students for the Takaful Basic Exam (TBE). ii. Identify the students' Takaful Basic Exam (TBE) exam results before and after using the TBEm4U application. iii. Expand the TBEm4U application that can be used by members of the public who will take the Takaful Basic Exam (TBE). 178
1.6 Scope of the Study This study was conducted at Polytechnic Malaysia and Multi-Millionaire Group Company Takaful Agency. The sample of study consists of 5th semester students at Polytechnics that offered a Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance namely Premier Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic, Nilai Polytechnic and Johor Bahru METrO Polytechnic and a few prospective takaful agents from the Multi-Millionaire Company Takaful Agency, selected randomly. The purpose of this study is to see the extent of the use of eLearning in Teaching and Learning for TBE Courses from the level of readiness, suitability and acceptance of course participants in learning. From the level of readiness of application users in the use of eLearning, the researcher will study from several aspects of readiness, including the readiness of basic skills and facing the challenges of mobile phones used by students and the facilities available in their mobile phones. The Level of user suitability to the use of TBE eLearning covers the user's learning style, improving the quality of the teaching and learning process, the fun of using the application, and facilitating the teaching and learning process. The level of user accceptance towards the use of TBE Mobile Apps eLearning includes their interest in the application, more productive, encouragement from coursemates and lecturers, mental use ability and so on. 1.7 Importance of the Study This study is focus on the factors that encourage PMJB students to use the TBEm4U application in their learning activities. The study of interest is to: i. Provide guidance to Polytechnic Studies Departments and Community Colleges to plan structured programs in diversifying teaching and learning methods. ii. Provide knowledge to the institution about the level of use of TBEm4U for learning purposes. iii. Identify an effective method to increase students' awareness regarding the latest learning techniques. 1.7.1 Product Importance This product provides several benefits to users as follows: i. Users can use a variety of teaching and learning methods other than traditional methods. ii. Users can reduce the feeling of boredom when learning the Basic Takaful course. iii. Users can use the TBEm4U application and learn this course at any time. iv. Users are easier to use the TBEm4U application because most of them are made up of generation Z who are closer to technology. 1.7.2 Practical Contribution Figure 1: Proposed Theoretical Framework of the Study, Illustration from the Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model (TRAM), Lin, (2007). 2. LITERATURE OF STUDY 2.1 Readiness, Suitability and Acceptance A study on the awareness, readiness and acceptance of students in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions is very interesting to study because it illustrates the level of readiness of higher education students in Malaysia towards the concept of eLearning based learning that is being implemented by the majority of educational institutions in this country. Therefore, this section will discusses several studies that have been carried out by several Malaysian Higher Education Institutions on the use of eLearning in student learning activities. Yahaya and Ning, (2011) through a study on second year students at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia found that the level of knowledge and attitude of students towards the use of eLearning was at a high level. However, the Using TBEm4U eLearning Mobile Apps for Takaful Basic Examination Course. 1. Readiness 2. Suitability 3. Acceptance The effectiveness of Semester 5 students at 5 Malaysian Polytechnics who use TBEm4U Mobile Apps. 179
findings for the level of student motivation towards the use of eLearning are moderate. The results of the study show that students have realized the importance of knowledge in the use of eLearning and need to be positive during their studies at UTM. According to Masood et al, (2015), as a results of his study on the use of eLearning among students of the Ministry of Higher Education, where the sample of respondents was taken from the students of Merlimau Polytechnic Melaka, it was found that the level of knowledge and motivation of students who used eLearning was also moderate. In this study, he stated that in order to increase students' willingness to use eLearning, they need to try to change their attitudes and increase their motivation in order not to left behind in the current era of student-centered learning or Outcome Based Education. A study on the perception of first semester students at Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic towards online learning made by Nafisah et al. (2012) showed the level of use virtual learning systems, CIDOS was high. The level of student awareness of the existence as well as student perception of the importance of virtual learning systems is also high. This shows how important it is to reform the learning style along with the development of the education system in this country. Azhani et al. (2012) conducted a study on the perception of students from the field of Electrical Engineering at Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic towards the use of CIDOS in learning activities and found that overall students have a good perception of the use of CIDOS in the concept of eLearning even though the frequency of using CIDOS is only at a moderate level. This shows that students gave a positive response to the acceptance of the concept of using CIDOS as one of the learning mediums at Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic. The same study was also done by Hafiza et al. (2016) on the readiness of students from the Civil Engineering field of Sultan Azlan Shah Polytechnic to use eLearning showed that the level of student knowledge, attitude and student motivation in using eLearning was at a moderate level with a mean score of 3.16. The findings of the study found that there is no difference in terms of the level of knowledge, attitude and motivation of students towards eLearning between the genders of students but there is a difference in terms of the level of student knowledge, attitude and motivation of students in the use of e-Learning between the classes studied. 2.2 Information And Communication Technologies In Education (Ict @ Information And Communication Technologies) An Information and Communication Technology @ ICT in education is usually associated with the use of the latest technology related to the use of computers. Technology related to ICT is considered as a potential and powerful tool to make any changes and reforms in education. The teaching and learning process will not only actively change, but will also help to expand access to education. However, this goal can only be realized if ICT is used wisely and appropriately. Therefore, the important aspect of the effective use of ICT in education is actually not the latest technology but the need to understand how and whether it can improve student learning. Technology-based learning activities actually offer more advantages and opportunities for the learning process to occur naturally and effectively. Furthermore, it shows that student achievement is also better compared to conventional learning activities. Activities that use technology are more flexible and can be developed more widely (Jamian & Ismail, 2016). However, the aspects related to the use of technology in education should be given more attention by always using the latest technology in the teaching and learning process. An important aspect is integrating technology into the curriculum with responsibility, understanding and efficiency (Fkrudin et al, 2018). 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study Population The study population consisted of Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance (DIB) students at 5 Malaysian Polytechnics that offer this program, namely Premier Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic, Nilai Polytechnic and Johor Bahru METrO Polytechnic. 3.2 Sampling Process, Sample Frame, Sampling Design and Sample Size Based on Krejcie and Morgan's table (1970) to determine the sample size for a population of 150, the sample size is 108 needed to represent the total population. A simple random sampling method is used for sample selection. Therefore the number of samples has been determined as stated in table 2 below. 180
Table 2: Sample Size from five Polytechnics 3.3 Respondents of Study The respondents of study consisted of DIB students at 5 Malaysian Polytechnics that offer this program, namely Premier Ungku Omar Polytechnic, Seberang Perai Polytechnic, Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic, Nilai Polytechnic and Johor Bahru METrO Polytechnic. Based on table 2, a total of 108 samples are required for this study. 3.4 Instrument of Study This questionnaire has four parts, namely Part A, containing the respondent's information, Part B, C and D contain items on the Level of Readiness, Suitability and Acceptance of users towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps, in 5 Malaysian Polytechnics that offer Diploma Programs in Islamic Banking and Finance. The Likert scale used in this study consists of Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree and Strongly Agree. The scale will be given starting from number 1 to 5 (Table 3). Table 3: Likert scale Scale Interpretation 1 Strongly disagree 2 Do not agree 3 Neutral 4 Agreed 5 Totally agree 3.5 Data Collection for the Pilot Study The Reliability refers to internal stability and consistency. The Cronbach Alpha value is also referred to when measuring the internal consistency of a construct. A Cronbach Alpha value that exceeds 0.60 is used as an index of the reliability of an instrument. A reliability value of less than 0.60 is considered low and unacceptable, an Alpha value between 0.60 to 0.80 is acceptable while an Alpha value that exceeds 0.80 is considered good. Based on the explanation above, the researcher has used the Cronbach Alpha value to determine the reliability of the questionnaire (Easterby-Smith et al 2021; Sekaran et al 2016). A Cronbach Alpha value that exceeds 0.60 is used as an index of the reliability of an instrument. Overall, the average Alpha value for the mobile learning use research instrument is α = 0.938. For the readiness level construct α = 0.912, the suitability level construct α = 0.952 and the acceptance level construct α = 0.951 (Table 4). No. Politeknik Population Sample 1. Premier Ungku Omar Polytechnic (PUO) 30 2. Seberang Perai Polytechnic (PSP) 30 3. Sultan Idris Shah Polytechnic (PSIS) 30 108 4. Nilai Polytechnic 30 5. Johor Bahru METrO Polytechnic (PMJB) 30 Total 150 181
Table 4: Alpha Value, α For Each Question Item Construct Construct Number of Items Alpha value, α Level of tendency The Level of readiness 10 0.912 Very high The Level of suitability 10 0.952 Very high The level of Acceptance 10 0.951 Very high According to Easterby et al (2021), the overall of Alpha reliability of the construct must have a value at least 0.70 but a value of 0.80 or above is better. Alpha index value of 0.7 or above is good for an instrument scale that has ten or more items and an Alpha value of 0.5 is considered good for an instrument scale that has less than ten items. Therefore, the research done shows the reliability of each construct is very high and acceptable. 3.6 Data Collection Procedures The data collection is done by the researcher with the help of lecturers and students involvement. All student respondents who were involved in filling out the questionnaire have returned it directly to the researcher. 3.7 Statistical Data Analysis Procedures 3.7.1 Evaluating Descriptive Data Using SPSS The descriptive statistical analysis was used to obtain the mean using SPSS version 22.0 software. In this study, the researcher used the mean score interpretation to answer question one, question two and question three using a questionnaire as an instrument for the question. The interpretation of the findings from the questionnaire is analyzed as (Table 5). Table 5 : Interpretation of Min Score Group Range Level of propensity 1 1.00 – 2.33 Low 2 2.34 – 3.67 Moderate 3 3.68 – 5.00 High (Source: Adapted from Pallant, 2020) 4. DATA ANALYSIS 4.1 Respondent Profile The researcher found that 108 samples of students at 5 Malaysian Polytechnics that offer Islamic Banking and Finance Diploma programs were selected consisting of 19 (17.6%) males and 89 (82.4%) females, 18 respondents (16.7%) under 20 years of age and 90 respondents represent (83.3%). 75 respondents are students while the rest are takaful agents and a total of 104 respondents are Muslims while 4 are non-Muslims. All respondents are Polytechnic students and they are still single. In terms of education, a total of 43 respondents are SPM graduates while the rest have Diplomas. A total of 95 respondents (88%) gave an easy perception when using this TBEm4u application while 12% stated otherwise. 4.2 Data Analysis The discussion will revolve around the results of the study that have been analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0. Question items are formed according to codes to facilitate the analysis process. Data analysis is done descriptively which shows the level of readiness, suitability and acceptance of users towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps. For the level of user readiness to use TBE Mobile Apps eLearning, referring to item 10 (I am ready to use mobile apps because they are lighter than carrying a notebook) has the highest mean score value of 4.34 which is at a high tendency level, followed by item 2 (I know what is eLearning TBE Mobile Apps.) with a mean 182
score of 4.32. While the lowest mean score is for item 4 (I am proficient in using eLearning TBE Mobile Apps) with a mean score of 3.88. Overall, the level of student readiness towards the use of mobile learning tends to be high with an overall value of 4.19. Table 6 : Level of User Readiness towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps No. Item Mean 1. I am ready to use eLearning TBE Mobile Apps at anytime. 4.31 2. I know what eLearning TBE Mobile Apps is. 4.32 3. I am always learning how to use eLearning TBE Mobile Apps. 4.06 4. I am proficient in using eLearning TBE Mobile Apps. 3.88 5. I am ready to face challenges in the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps. 4.06 6. I consider the TBE Mobile Apps eLearning method to be the preferred method of learning other than using conventional methods. 4.26 7. The use of Mobile Apps in the TBE course can reduce the load for this course. 4.26 8. I always take opportunities in learning through eLearning TBE Mobile Apps. 4.23 9. I always use eLearning to communicate with lecturers 4.14 10. I am willing to use mobile apps because they are lighter than carrying a notebook. 4.34 Average 4.19 Table 7 shows the level of user suitability towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps, referring to item 6 (The use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps in the teaching and learning process does not burden me) has the highest mean score value of 4.34 which is at a high level of tendency, followed by item 4 and item 10 each have a mean score of 4.31. While the lowest mean score is for item 1 (eLearning TBE Mobile Apps suits my learning style) with a mean score of 3.87. Overall, the level of suitability of students towards the use of mobile learning tends to be high with an overall value of 4.20. Table 7 : Level of User Suitability to the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps No. Item Mean 1. TBE Mobile Apps eLearning suits my learning style 3.87 2. eLearning TBE Mobile Apps can improve the quality of my learning. 4.15 3. eLearning TBE Mobile Apps can form more unique learning network. 4.23 4. eLearning TBE Mobile Apps can improve the quality of the Teaching and Learning delivery process. 4.31 5. The use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps in the teaching and learning process is fun. 4.16 6. The use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps in the teaching and learning process does not burden me. 4.34 7. The use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps facilitates the teaching and learning delivery process. 4.27 8. The effective use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps can help me to plan Teaching and Learning activities. 4.14 9 . The use of TBE Mobile Apps can put value added to my learning. 4.18 10. Learning process by using TBE Mobile apps can help improve the achievement of better results for this course. 4.31 Average 4.20 183
Table 8 shows the level of user acceptance towards the use of TBE Mobile Apps eLearning, referring to item 10 (I think that by using TBE Mobile Apps, teaching and learning sessions will be easier) has the highest mean score value of 4.31 which is at a high level of tendency, followed by item 9 (I use TBE Mobile Apps to change my learning style) which has a mean score of 4.27. While the lowest mean score is for item 6 with a mean score of 4.05. Overall, the level of suitability of students towards the use of mobile learning tends to be high with an overall value of 4.21. Table 8: Level of User Acceptance towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps No. Item Mean 1. I like learning using eLearning Mobile Apps. 4.13 2. I became more productive by using eLearning Mobile Apps. 4.22 3. I got an encouragement from a friend to use eLearning Mobile Apps. 4.23 4. I got encouragement from the lecturer to use eLearning Mobile Apps. 4.26 5. I am confident of doing a good job when using eLearning Mobile Apps. 4.18 6. I can solve problems in the learning process by using TBE Apps. 4.05 7. I use a lot of higher mental ability when using TBE Mobile Apps. 4.15 8. I feel more comfortable when learning to use TBE Mobile Apps. 4.23 9. I use TBE Mobile Apps to change my learning style. 4.27 10. I think by using TBE Mobile Apps, teaching and learning sessions will be easier. 4.31 Average 4.21 5. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 5.1 Summary Overall, the results of the study show that the three objectives of the study, namely the Level of Readiness, Suitability and Acceptance of Users towards the use of eLearning TBE Mobile Apps are at a high level, the average mean is 4.20. This shows that students at 5 Malaysian Polytechnics that offer Diploma in Islamic Banking and Finance programs are ready to use this mobile learning and can accept the presence of the TBEm4U application in their world of teaching and learning. In addition, it is most likely that mobile learning has already started to be used among them even if not officially. The Department of Polytechnic Education and Community College should look at it from a positive angle by encouraging lecturers and students to use mobile phones as one of the ways of delivering teaching and learning nowadays. In addition, the Polytechnic should also provide extensive exposure to students about the importance of using mobile learning for learning purposes. In addition, when the pandemic hit, online learning was fully utilized and mobile devices began to be used as the main medium in formal teaching and learning of students. The Department of Polytechnic Education and Community College should look at it from a positive point of view by encouraging lecturers and students to use mobile phones as one of the ways of delivering PdP nowadays. In addition, the Polytechnic should also provide extensive exposure to students about the importance of using mobile learning for learning purposes. 5.2 Suggestions for Future Research In this study, the researcher did not study all the students who had taken the Takaful Course before since this application had just been created. Therefore, future researchers can expand the number of respondents to show the level of readiness, the level of suitability and the level of acceptance of users of this TBEm4U application more accurately. 6. REFERENCES Azhani Binti Hashim, Zainora Binti Kamal Ludin dan Noor Azizah Binti Mat Isa (2012). Persepsi Pelajar Terhadap Penggunaan CIDOS Dalam Aktiviti Pembelajaran. PSAS Digest. Dimuat turun daripada file:///C:/Users/sarizun/Downloads/psas%20digest%202012.pdf Aziz, N. A. A., & Ahmed, M. T. (2017). E-Pembelajaran dalam Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Bahasa Melayu di IPG Kampus Ipoh. Jurnal Penyelidikan Dedikasi, 11. 184
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The Usage of Issue Finder to Improve The Student’s Answers In Problem Based Learning Questions In Business Law Siti Fatimatuz Zahra Binti Hussin1 , Nur Asikin Binti Aziz2 and Rafiuddin Bin Rohani 3 1Siti Fatimatuz Zahra Binti Hussin, Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru, 64, Jalan Suria 19, Taman Putera, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, MALAYSIA 2Nur Asikin Binti Aziz, Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru, 64, Jalan Suria 19, Taman Putera, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, MALAYSIA 3Rafiuddin Bin Rohani, Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, KM 10, Jalan Kong Kong, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor, MALAYSIA *Corresponding Author: [email protected] Abstract: Gamification in learning is regarded to have mass appeal among learners in terms of generating motivation, engagement, understanding, and memorization. This study focuses on improving student’s ability to identify key issues when attempting to answer problem-based question scenarios which are covered in the Business Law course. It is undeniably the most difficult skill to master and will have a significant impact on the student's marks and the final grade for the Business Law course. This is because the cognitive level required of diploma Polytechnic students is at least 60% of the assessment, and it focuses on the student’s ability to apply the concepts and principles of Malaysian business law in related business activities (Cognitive 3). Thus, identifying the correct legal issues is crucial to the successful implementation of a case study. Pre and post-test were distributed to 54 third-semester students of Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru currently taking the course of DPB3063 Business Law. Based on the analysis of the pre-test, the average group mark is only 8.29 out of 15 marks. It shows that most of the students are still having difficulties in identifying the main issues in the problem-based questions. The inability to identify the correct issue will limit the student's ability to apply their legal knowledge to the questions and result in a reduction of the total marks in assessments and final examinations. Issue Finder was applied to enhance the student’s ability to identify issues focusing on the topic of the law of contract. The result in the posttest shows an increase in the average score to 11.68 out of 15 marks. Therefore, teachers are encouraged to use Issue Finder as an alternative teaching tool to help students master identifying the issues in problem-based questions to achieve satisfactory results. Keywords: Issue Finder, Identify Issue, Business Law, Problem-Based Learning, TVET Education 1. INTRODUCTION The law course is a common core discipline that needs to be learned by many other fields including psychology, accounting, engineering, and social sciences. It is a compulsory subject to be enrolled by the students who are offered a diploma in Entrepreneurship and a Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain (DLS) 186
in Politeknik METrO Johor Bahru (PMJB). The subject which is offered for semester three students have been compulsory to be passed before they march in the practical stage or Work Based Learning in Semesters 4 and 5. Failure to do so will prevent them from graduating with their peers from the same batch intake and will force them to redo the entire semester for that particular subject. While acknowledging that the diploma polytechnic students have no legal experience and speak minimal English since the entry requirement is only by having a Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) by getting at least THREE (3) honors and passing in Malay and History subjects in the SPM exam (Pekeliling Kemasukan Ke Politeknik, 2020). The main reason for the compulsory enrolment of law subject to these non-legal background students is that it will develop broad generic skills developed by students during their law studies, such as incisive analysis, logical reasoning, creative problem solving, clear communication, and practical negotiation (Razak & Patel, 2020). It will also equip them for a variety of careers and generate valuable life skills (Alison & Irene, 2010). However, developing all those critical skills that are polished for a law student for their full 4 years of study compared to one semester of study in the other non-legal fields is quite difficult as these legal skills cannot be mastered for one or two hours of study each week. (Ridley, 1994). With the introduction of the concept of problem-based learning (Problem Based Learning - PBL) and Outcome Based Education (OBE), teaching and learning techniques have been adapted based on these two concepts. The Problem-Based Learning Approach (PBL) is highly effective to acquire the skills of acquiring and evaluating knowledge and using it to solve a problem. (Yaman and Yalçın, 2020). This is a highly important skill to be mastered before introducing students to the real world of employment. In this way, TVET colleges have upheld proactive measures to equip students with a variety of knowledge and fundamental abilities. In the law course offered by the Business Department at the Polytechnic which is offered on the subject of Business/Commercial Law or Company Law, questions based on case studies in the form of PBL have been widely practiced as it is the requirement imposed by the polytechnic education department and community college. (Garis Panduan Amalan Baik: Pembinaan Rubrik, 2020) which states that sixty percent of the questions must follow the requirements of applying the concepts and principles of business law in Malaysia in related business activities. This requirement must also fulfill the third cognitive level according to Bloom's Domain Taxonomy which aligns with the concept of the problem-solving method. In the field of legal problem solving, the students are given a hypothetical scenario upon which they will have to advise the parties as to their legal position. In doing so, they need to identify the key issue of the problem before proceeding to identify the law and apply the law and conclude the case (Arifin et al, 2019). The main hurdle of using this method is in applying the law to the problem, the students need to pass the first step which is identifying the legal issue. If the wrong issue is identified, it will cause the wrong legal rule, legal application, and legal conclusion which will cause a total reduction of marks of the said question as all the steps are interrelated with each other (Bench-Capon, 2020) The application of PBL in the Polytechnic education system particularly in the Business Law course (DPB3063) is established when students are given case studies based on a real case to be solved for continuous assessment and the final exam. Here, the students will be given a position as a legal representative for the client, and to speed up the process of learning, they are divided into small groups to discuss the legal issue of conflict in the case, determining the laws applicable to be used and they need to be able to apply the laws identified to the facts of the case. Finally, the students need to make a legal conclusion and a pleading on what they would seek from the court for their client. However, the main problem that they face is that if they do not fully grasp the fundamentals of law, they would not be able to properly respond to the questions. This issue can be evidenced by looking at the final assessment exam results for a total of 64 students enrolled in the Diploma in Entrepreneurship (DEN) and the Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Management (DLS) for the June 2020 session. Up to 39% of students failed to correctly respond to questions that took the form of case studies or PBL. A similar situation also occurred in the December 2019 session in the final Open Book Exercise (OBX) evaluation wherein a total of 80 students of the DEN (30 students) and the DLS (55 students), 82.5% did not successfully answer the PBL questions correctly In the June 2019 session. From the recorded file, it is stated that 11 students did not succeed in achieving a passing score in the final assessment resulting in repeating the course in the December 2019 session. This performance is worrying because the main reason for this problem is the student's inability to pinpoint the root of the case problem, which then makes the answer of related legal resources, applying case solutions, and writing precise case summaries all incorrect. 187