Education today stands at a critical crossroads. Around the world, schools and universities continue to invest heavily in preparing students for examinations.

Yet employers, policymakers, and educators consistently express concern that many graduates lack the practical skills needed to thrive in the real world, including problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and effective decision-making.

This raises an important question: if education is intended to prepare learners for life, why do so many educational systems still prioritise the recall of information over the application of knowledge?

The challenge is even more significant in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Information is no longer scarce; it is abundant and instantly accessible.

The value of education can no longer be measured solely by the amount of information students can memorise.

Rather, it lies in their ability to critically evaluate, integrate, and apply knowledge to solve complex problems, and respond effectively to real-world challenges.

Consequently, the central question facing contemporary education is not whether students know the answers, but whether they can ask meaningful questions and develop responsible solutions.

Within this context, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as a transformative educational approach.

By engaging students in authentic, real-world problems that reflect societal challenges, PBL shifts learning from passive knowledge acquisition to active inquiry, encouraging learners to think critically, collaborate effectively, and develop practical solutions.

Limitations of conventional education

While conventional teaching methods have successfully transmitted knowledge across generations, they are increasingly inadequate in addressing the demands of contemporary society.

Traditional classrooms often operate on the assumption that knowledge is a fixed body of information to be transferred from teacher to student.

Success is measured largely through standardised assessments that reward correct answers rather than thoughtful inquiry.

However, real-world challenges rarely come with predefined solutions. Issues such as media and technology ethics, community development, mental health, and environmental sustainability are inherently complex and multifaceted, requiring interdisciplinary perspectives and critical thinking.

Addressing these challenges demands more than academic knowledge alone; it requires sound judgment, creativity, empathy, collaboration, and the ability to navigate competing interests and diverse viewpoints.

PBL directly addresses this gap. Rather than starting with the delivery of content, PBL begins with a real-world problem that serves as the catalyst for learning.

Students are challenged to investigate issues, gather and analyse evidence, evaluate alternative perspectives, and develop informed solutions.

Learning occurs through the process of inquiry, supported by intentional instructional scaffolding, rather than through passive reception of information. Yet the significance of PBL extends beyond skill development.

It asks whether education should produce students who can reproduce existing knowledge or individuals who can generate new understanding and contribute meaningfully to society.

Naqli and Aqli perspective

This shift is particularly relevant within the framework of integrating Naqli (revealed knowledge) and Aqli (rational knowledge).

In the integration of knowledge perspective, PBL offers an opportunity to reconnect education with its broader purpose: the development of intellectually competent, ethically grounded, and socially responsible individuals.

The Qur'an repeatedly invites believers to observe, reflect, reason, and derive lessons from the natural and social worlds.

The concepts of tafakkur (reflection), tadabbur (contemplation), and ijtihad (intellectual striving) all point toward active engagement with knowledge rather than passive acceptance.

Consider the challenge of combating misinformation and harmful online content among young people.

Through the lens of Aqli knowledge, students can analyse digital media trends, examine audience behaviour, assess the credibility of information sources, and develop evidence-based communication strategies to promote digital literacy and responsible online engagement.

Through Naqli knowledge, they may explore Islamic principles related to truthfulness (sidq), verification of information (tabayyun), ethical communication, and social responsibility.

The educational outcome is therefore not merely a technically effective digital campaign, but a socially responsible intervention grounded in both analytical reasoning and moral values.

Such integration encourages students to recognise that rational inquiry and revealed guidance are not competing sources of knowledge but complementary dimensions of human understanding. PBL provides a practical environment in which this integration can occur naturally.

Rethinking education in the age of AI

The rise of AI has intensified debates about the future of education. Some fear that AI-based tools will diminish critical thinking by making information retrieval effortless. However, this concern often stems from a misunderstanding of what education should prioritise in the first place.

If education remains focused on memorisation and information recall, AI undoubtedly presents a challenge because machines can perform these tasks faster and more accurately than humans.

However, if education emphasises critical thinking, ethical reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving, AI becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.

Within a PBL environment, AI serves as a cognitive support tool rather than a substitute for learning.

Students may use AI to brainstorm ideas, identify research directions, summarise information, or generate design prototypes.

What remains uniquely human is the ability to evaluate the reliability of information, consider ethical implications, negotiate differing perspectives, and make context-sensitive decisions.

This distinction is crucial. AI can generate answers, but it cannot assume responsibility for the consequences of those answers. Responsibility remains a human obligation.

Therefore, educational institutions must focus not only on technological competence but also on moral and intellectual discernment.

Here, the integration of Naqli and Aqli knowledge becomes increasingly important.

While Aqli knowledge enables students to understand how technologies function, Naqli knowledge provides ethical frameworks for determining how technologies ought to be used.

The challenge of AI is therefore not merely technical but deeply human.

In a PBL environment, students should be encouraged to move beyond asking, “Can this technology solve the problem?” and instead engage with more critical questions such as, “Whose problem does it solve?”, “What unintended consequences might emerge?”, and “How can technological innovation be aligned with ethical responsibility and the public good?”

Such questions cultivate a more holistic understanding of problem-solving, ensuring that solutions are not only effective but also socially responsible and morally grounded.

A Problem-Based Learning (PBL) workshop, organised by the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), was held from 10 to 12 June 2026.

Conclusion

The ultimate purpose of education is not merely to produce graduates who possess knowledge, but individuals who can think critically, act ethically, solve problems responsibly, and contribute meaningfully to society.

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of knowledge and work, these human capacities will become even more valuable. PBL offers a more authentic approach to assessment by examining the entire learning process.

By creating work that extends beyond the classroom and addresses genuine community needs, students develop a stronger sense of ownership, accountability, and purpose.

Ultimately, education is about preparing individuals for meaningful participation in society. Students should not simply consume knowledge; they should be empowered to use it to drive positive change and contribute to the greater good.

-- BERNAMA

Dr Kartini Kamaruzzaman is the Deputy Dean (Academic and International) and Senior Lecturer, New Media Communications Programme, Faculty of Leadership and Management, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.