The Relevancy of Outdoor Classroom for PBL Approach in Selected University in Kuala Lumpur

Abstract

Outdoor classroom could be described as outdoor learning space that provides varying experiences and learning activities that could enhance students’ learning performances, particularly in Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach. It also has become the main role in providing effective and dynamic learning environment for PBL practices. By investigating the relationship between the outdoor classroom and the students’ PBL approach, one could reveal the interconnectedness between the outdoor classrooms in campus settings with the students’ learning performances in PBL approach. Hence, the objective of this study is to analyze the relevance of outdoor classroom in adapting PBL approach in selected universities in Malaysia. A questionnaire survey, was conducted among landscape architecture and architecture students in UIAM, UPM and UiTM Puncak Alam. The results of this study confirm that outdoor classroom improves students learning performances, particularly in designing skills and work presentations. Furthermore, the results also indicate that outdoor classroom enhance students’ ideas and inspiration in designing.

Perceiving the Transition of Urban Campus Open Spaces Under the Influence of Covid-19

“…They felt that the quality of our education diminished due to eliminating some extracurricular activities on campus. This finding highlights the positive psychological influence of the outdoor environment on learning performance (Yaman et al, 2018). On the other hand, the others thought it was more convenient to stay at home because it saved them time and money to travel to their faculties.…”

“…Green spaces benefit urban residents by providing opportunities for contact with nature (Fatiah et al, 2021). Exposure to natural landscapes during activities has improved psychological health (Yaman et al, 2018). After the campus was closed due to the lockdown, students were no longer the primary users of the open spaces, resulting in a greater or lesser decrease in daily frequency.…”

“…Restrictions on access to the physical campus and "social distancing" measures have expanded online learning approaches and reduced the use of adjacent open spaces (Ali et al, 2020). Compared to the various evaluations of student academic performance, there is less information on how open spaces affect students' mental health (Yaman et al, 2018). Chen et al (2016) have suggested that user satisfaction with design features and the use of facilities are the factors for assessing the salutogenic aspects of green spaces.…”

Linking 21st Century Learning Skills to Outdoor Learning: Exploring the Experiences of Primary School English Language Teachers in Malaysian Private Schools

“…In Malaysia, outdoor learning can be described as being in early stages of adoption with most studies concentrating on non-English language learning contexts (see Dhanapal & Lim, 2013;Siti, 2017;Syaida et al, 2018;Tuan Mastura & Tamby, 2013;Yaman et al, 2018;Foo & Foo, 2022). These studies investigated outdoor learning in the context of learning science subjects (Dhanapal & Lim, 2013;Tuan Mastura & Tamby, 2013); university courses such as landscape architecture (Yaman et al, 2018) and sustainable related courses (Siti, 2017). These studies reveal that outdoor learning can positively contribute towards students' learning experiences.…”