Fostering 21st-Century Skills of Undergraduate English Students through Blended Learning: An Experimental Study.

Abstract

The current education system needs to adopt advanced approaches, methods, and techniques to enable undergraduate students to acquire and practice 21st-century skills effectively. A study has been conducted among undergraduate students to analyse their learning approaches, competencies, and skills, and to develop their 21st-century skills. It has been found that students were having difficulties communicating, critical thinking, problem-solving, and developing digital competence. These challenges have affected their ability to actively participate in academic activities and prepare for the demands of the modern workforce. A sequence of 21st-century skills and Blended Learning activities has been presented to the students using interactive e-Games, Web 2.0, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, Infographics, Brain Gym, Vlog, and Social Websites. These innovative learning tools and activities were designed to create an engaging and student-centred learning environment that promotes collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Students were able to learn through Blended Learning and develop 21st-century skills effortlessly. The integration of technology-supported learning activities enhanced student participation, motivation, and engagement throughout the learning process. There were notable developments from pre-test to post-test among students, indicating significant improvement in their competencies and skill acquisition. Rubric analysis has been used as an assessment technique to assess the competence and performance of students. The findings suggest that Blended Learning is an effective approach for fostering 21st-century skills among undergraduate learners and supporting meaningful educational outcomes