In pursuit of self-led wisdom in general education : challenges and implications

Abstract

The current practice in nearly every undergraduate degree in Malaysia is to divide each program into three components of learning: general studies (GE), program specialty and the practical component. The GE courses vary marginally among the government funded universities. In these institutions students are required to enroll in three compulsory courses: Islamic and Asian Civilizations, Malaysian Nationhood and Ethnic Relations, besides English proficiency courses, and one or two co-curricular courses. Whereas the former courses are intended to develop awareness and sensitivity to the different values and cultural orientations in the multiethnic Malaysian society, the proficiency courses are designed to prepare students to study and participate effectively in the coursework which are commonly delivered in English. At the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) which was established in 1984 with a focus on providing education and training to potential entrepreneurs and managers, an additional GE course on basic entrepreneurship is offered. Several other GE category courses such as critical thinking, ethics, literary appreciation, cross-cultural communication etc. are sometimes offered as part of the specialty program. In the final year students are expected to complete a capstone course which as a rule is conducted via a problem-based approach in which students are expected to conduct desk or field research to address a problem or an issue of interest in the professional sphere which allows them to apply the relevant concepts and disciplinary principles that they have acquired throughout a chosen program of study. Here the graduating students are expected to demonstrate a broad as well as a mature understanding of a topic which calls for an informed synthesis of the findings of the study. The GE courses contribute between 15 to 20 percent of the total undergraduate credit hours which in the UUM varies between 118 to 160 total credits. The GE courses are meant to develop an awareness of the history, culture, politics and governance, with the goal of inculcating a sense of patriotism and civic consciousness so that graduates, upon graduation, will become educated and responsible citizens in the future. The recent addition of the Ethnic Relations course arose out of the felt need among policymakers that a common understanding of history and interethnic realities in this country is necessary to dampen the threat of ethnic conflicts among the different ethnic groups in Malaysia.