Educational Reform Through Industry Collaboration: Enhancing Student Competencies in Publishing Course

Abstract

This study examines the management of pedagogical innovation through industry collaboration and authentic assessment in PUB253, a publishing course within UiTM’s Diploma in Communication and Media program. It explores how curriculum reform, guided by managerial strategies and policy alignment, enhances student competencies in communication, leadership, and teamwork while addressing challenges of conventional teaching methods. A mixed method design combined entrance–exit surveys with rubric based evaluations of publishing projects, presentations, and exhibitions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t tests, and correlation analysis, while qualitative reflections provided contextual insights. Results revealed significant competency gains, with mean scores rising from 1.23–1.24 at entry to 4.70–4.74 at exit, reflecting improvements of more than +3.45 points. Rubric evaluations corroborated these outcomes, with students consistently scoring above 4.2 in leadership driven tasks. A strong correlation (r = 0.72) confirmed alignment between student perceptions and observed performance. The findings highlight the managerial importance of embedding industry informed pedagogy and authentic assessment in diploma level education. PUB253’s transformation from the program’s highest failure course to one of its most successful was enabled by UiTM’s Curriculum Review Policy and the HETVET@UiTM model, which institutionalized industry partnerships and resource mobilization. PUB253’s competency gains directly fulfill MOHE’s Education 4.0 employability agenda and MQA’s graduate attributes, demonstrating how curriculum governance can sustain innovation to enhance course performance as well as students’ academic achievement.