Strengthening the Competencies of Gen-Z Students as Future Change Agents: Learning from Extension Science and Communication of Innovation Course (KPM121C)

Abstract

The rapid development of communication and information technology is capable of supporting the learning and teaching process in higher education. This leads to the consideration of self-evaluation by the course team teaching “Extension Science and Communication of Innovation”. Therefore, the research aimed to develop the course best suitable to equip Gen-Z (Z Generation) students with future change agents’ skills. In this development process, the teaching team engaged in a competitive learning innovation known as Hibah Kompetitif Inovasi Pembelajaran (Competitive Grant for Learning Innovation) at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University, also known as Bogor Agricultural University, through an experiential approach modified with an action research model. In addition to face-to-face meetings, the team uses Learning Management System (LMS) to plan, monitor and assess student performance. Several data were also obtained from the course, including curricula, learning contents, and students’ projects. Moreover, the context, input, process, and product evaluation models were used for the analysis. The results showed that the learning and teaching transformation adjusted from course content fulfilment to strengthening the students’ competencies. Based on the HKIP-based evaluation, the score for course performance also improved from 75/93 to 85/93. To strengthen students’ competencies, the teaching team updated learning outcomes, completed course regulations and documents, documented academic experiences, and co-operated with technical staff for more effective use of LMS. From the results, the teaching team also implemented additional approaches to develop the skills of students, including (1) practicing collaborative learning, (2) learning from real-world situations, (3) group projects based on problem-solving, and (4) mixed media for extension education. In this case, the regular adjustment of the course to present and future challenges assisted the students in meeting the learning outcomes.