Improving creative problem solving performance of mathematics students by digital multimedia in graph theory course

Abstract

Abstract Integrating learning through digital multimedia can be a disruptive learning innovation in high education. One subject in Mathematics that can has integration with the digital multimedia is graph theory. The reason is that some graph theory topics has application in the real world, hence students implementing these topics to solve problems can be analysed using creative problem solving (CPS) performance. Topics in Graph theory to be analysed by CPS are minimum spanning tree, traveling salesman problems and shortest path. Main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the integration of digital multimedia to improve creative problem solving performance of mathematics students. Sequential mixed method was used in the study. Students are divided into 2 groups: experimental group that has integration of digital multimedia in the teaching-learning, and control group that has conventional learning. Phase of this study are 1) involving quasi-experimentation to determine the effect of the integration of digital multimedia to improve creative problem solving performance, and 2) exploration of creative problem solving performance through qualitative interviews. Instrument to measure creative problem solving are direct assessment using CPS indicators: understanding the challenge, generating ideas, preparing for action, and planning approach. Finding from this research is a significant increase creative problem solving performance of mathematics students by integrating graph theory course with digital multimedia. Student’s ability in generating ideas and preparing for action mostly is good. Student’s perception about the implementation of digital multimedia is that 67.7% of students very agree that learning activities improving creative problem solving. This digital multimedia implementation can be used as an alternative to disruptive learning innovation in mathematics learning.