Round Table Model: A Cooperative Learning for Engineering Education

Abstract

The subjects in this research is the Construction Building for PTB departement on UNG. The author concluded that most of the learning activity has a low presence, the same problem also occur in the students assigned tasks. This is due to a lack of enthusiasm, participation, and activeness of students. Therefore, we need an effort to overcome the problem of learning strategies which can improve student learning outcome. The Learning strategies applied in this study is a model of the Round Table. This study is a classroom action research that aims to improve learning result of students in the PTB department of Gorontalo State University through Round Table model. The Subjects are 17 students in the second semester. This study was conducted in two cycles. From the analysis it concluded that the results of the students outcome on the second semester in PTB departement at the subjects of Building Construction increased from cycle I to cycle II, after conducted Round Table model. The results of the qualitative analysis showed good progress in the attitude of students and student interest during the learning process. The quality of education in Indonesia still become unresolved problem and continues to be developed by education experts. We observe that many lecturer as spearheading a success in the teaching process still use the old method to find the material that will be presented to the student. The material also made based on the syllabus which does not consider the interactions process to make students understand better. Lecturers still use the conventional method without considering the mental development of students, so the knowledge is easily forgotten. There are still found lecturers who teach without consider new model or learning pattern that made good atmosphere in the classroom. In the learning and teaching process, students are expected to acquire the ability to manipulating social issues, ask and answer questions, propose to solve the problem, examine the various social phenomena and so on. So the students really involve in the learning process. Another phenomenon that also found is the lecturers provide much knowledge and it's only focused with student activity without regard to the essence of quality. It is rarely found the lecturers have good preparation and proper methodology in teaching. So we need to make a model or pattern that can make better condition in the classroom. After the learning process we expect the student can acquire the ability to try and examine more deeply about the material being taught, including asking questions, answering questions, and solving problems, so that students have an involvement in the learning process. The criticism also is the habit of lecturers to take a shortcut and easiest way to mastery a curriculum targets, regardless of the level of mastery of educational goals in particular, so it is necessary to develop a learning strategy in engaging students both physically and mentally for acquisition process and make it possible to achieve a more adequate educational purposes. This contrasts with the educational goals that the purpose of education is not only transfer the knowledge and skills to children, but more important is to create opportunities and allow the child to be able to hold its own investigations and discoveries. The emphasis in the teaching and learning process should be shown to the acquisition of learning outcomes. The concept of teaching which is conducted by lecturers is expected to interact actively with students, also the teaching material can be mastered and fully understood by the students. So, the better learning atmosphere can be achieved. As educational expectations that are intended to improve the ability of students, both in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor.