-Advantages and disadvantages. -How to implement student centered learning in a class. - Effectiveness and critiques of student centered learning.

Student-Centered Instruction
When a classroom operates with student-centered instruction, students and instructors share the focus. Instead of listening to the teacher exclusively, students and teachers interact equally. roup wor! is encouraged, and students learn to colla"orate and communicate with one another.

Pros

#tudents learn important communicative and colla"orative s!ills through group wor!. #tudents learn to direct their own learning, as! questions and complete tas!s independently. #tudents are more interested in learning activities when they can interact with one another and participate actively.

Cons

$ecause students are tal!ing, classrooms are often "usy, noisy and chaotic. %eachers must attempt to manage all students& activities at once, which can "e difficult when students are wor!ing on different stages of the same pro'ect. $ecause the teacher doesn&t deliver instruction to all students at once, some students may miss important facts. #ome students prefer to wor! alone, so group wor! can "ecome pro"lematic.

#tudent-centered learning has advantages for "oth students and teachers. #tudents develop learning and other s!ills and gain meaningful !nowledge that will help thern throughout life. %he relationship "etween rights and responsi"ilities is learned. #tudents discover that learning is interesting and fun. #everal have written in their course evaluations that they learned more "ecause they were involved and liad fun "eing involved.

The following is a list of some of the benefits of a constructivist approach, broken down by specific area of learning:

evelops thinking skills

( )ro"lem solving teaches students to consider multiple perspectives on a given situation or phenomenon. ( %his develops flexi"ility in thin!ing and reasoning s!ills, as students compare and contrast various possi"ilities in order to draw their conclusions. ( #tudents tap into their prior !nowledge and experience as they attempt to solve a pro"lem. %hus, students continually integrate new !nowledge into existing !nowledge, there"y providing context and creating a personal *storage room* of resources that will "e availa"le for future pro"lem-solving needs. ( #tudents also learn to ma!e connections and associations "y relating the su"'ect matter to their own life experience. ( #tudents learn to support their conclusions with evidence and logical arguments. ( #tudents learn to synthesi+e several sources of information and references in order to draw conclusions and then evaluate these conclusions. ( #tudents learn to question ideas and !nowledge through the process of comparing and contrasting alternative ideas and contexts. ( #tudents are encouraged to engage in individual reflection in order to organi+e and understand the world. ( #tudents experience insights as they thin! through a pro"lem or inquiry activity, and draw inferences that allow them to go "eyond the simple acquisition of facts and information "y learning how to see implications and apply them to other situations.

evelops communication and social skills

( #tudents must learn how to clearly articulate their ideas as well as to colla"orate on tas!s effectively "y sharing the "urden of group pro'ects. #tudents must therefore exchange ideas and so must learn to *negotiate* with others and to evaluate their contri"utions in a socially accepta"le manner. %his is essential to success in the real world, since they will always "e exposed to a variety of experiences in which they will have to navigate among others, ideas. ( #tudents learn how to communicate their ideas and findings with others. %his "ecomes a self-assessment activity, where"y the students gain more insight into how well or poorly they actually understand the concepts at hand.

!ncourages alternative methods of assessment

( %raditional assessment is "ased on pen-and-paper tests where"y students demonstrate or reproduce !nowledge in the form of short responses and multiple-choice selection, which often inspire little personal engagement. -onstructivist assessment engages the

students, initiative and personal investment through 'ournals, research reports, physical models, and artistic representations. Engaging the creative instincts develops a student,s a"ility to express !nowledge through a variety of ways. %he student is also more li!ely to retain and transfer the new !nowledge to real life.

"elps students transfer skills to the real world

( #tudents adapt learning to the real world, gaining pro"lem-solving s!ills and a"ility to do a critical analysis of a given set of data. %hese s!ills ena"le the student to adapt to a constantly changing real-world environment. %hus, classroom learning does not result in .only/ acquisition of a canon of a"solute *truth*0 it also results in a resource of personal !nowledge.

Promotes intrinsic motivation to learn

( -onstructivism recogni+es and validates the student,s point of view, so that rather than "eing *wrong* or *right,* the student reevaluates and read'usts his !nowledge and understanding. #uch an emphasis generates confidence and self esteem, which, in turn, motivate the student to tac!le more complex pro"lems and themes.

#hat is lesson design and implementation and how does it affect learning$
%his topic covers what the teacher intended to do. 1nce the instructor is familiar with how students can interact effectively with one another and with the instructor, it will "ecome easier to design and implement a more student-centered learning environment. A lesson that is organi+ed to explicitly engage students with their existing ideas and actively explores new concepts through authentic inquiry can help students to change what they already !now, ma!e connections, and integrate this new !nowledge. %he On the Cutting Edge 2esigning Innovative and Effective -ourses module has a lot to offer in terms of help for developing courses and activities that engage students with the material, including a -ourse 2esign %utorial.

Characteristics%e&amples of classes with low and high lesson design and implementation scores
-lasses with poor lesson design and implementation are not designed to explore students, prior !nowledge or encourage student input. %hese classes typically focus on convergent pro"lems, are completely instructor directed, and don,t provide opportunities to explore ideas "efore instruction. Instructors often miss opportunities to pose questions to students or they ma!e generic inquiries .*Any questions3*/. In contrast, a well-designed lesson might "egin with the instructor ma!ing an effort to determine how much students already !now a"out the topic through a small group discussion followed "y a report-out activity. As the lesson proceeds, the instructor can pause at !ey "rea!s in the lesson to as! a few low-sta!es multiple choice questions .individually or in groups/ to chec! for understanding. Alternatively, she might assign students to wor! in teams to complete an exercise lin!ed to previous material or as! them to explore a new concept in a non-technical way. %his instructor solicits multiple ways to approach a pro"lem or investigation and provides students with opportunities to influence the direction of the lesson.

Consider structuring your class so that it:

"egins with a short exercise to assess students, pre-existing !nowledge of topics from a prior lecture. incorporates references to students, personal experiences or material from other classes. includes opportunities for students to complete tas!s in pairs or small groups on more than one occasion during the class period. incorporates an exploration activity at some point that is well integrated with the su"sequent material. provides an opportunity for students to plan an investigation or analysis using a method of their devising. includes a couple of pauses for students to reflect on the material and as! clarifying questions.

Tips and e&amples for improving lesson design and implementation'

I want to use and assess students, prior !nowledge from previous lessons, assigned readings, everyday experiences or other courses. o $ring in students, prior !nowledge. $egin with a review of the previous class. As! students to discuss what they remem"er. If you,re "eginning a new topic, open class with an open-ended question. ive students a chance to discuss, write, and4or thin! and then respond to an inquiry a"out previous material. o As! students to interpret a map or diagram that incorporates local features or recent events to further encourage students to reflect on personal experiences. o %ry an interactive lecture demonstration. 5efer "ac! to student input from the demonstration throughout class. o #tart your class with a few conceptual multiple choice questions .-oncep%ests/ that investigate previous course content or readings and use the response to guide the direction of your course. o 6se analogies or as! students to come up with their own analogies for a concept. I want to engage students in see!ing and valuing alternative modes of investigation or multiple ways to solve pro"lems. o As! open ended questions and create exercises where students have an opportunity to come up with alternative correct answers. 7or example, have students in small groups design a 8-item chec!list for assessing earthqua!e ris! or for the development of a groundwater aquifer. o When you get multiple answers to a question, value them and refer to them during the course of the class. I want students to feel that they are mem"ers of a learning community that explores content and generates ideas that determine the direction of the lesson. o #ee! feed"ac! from your students "y as!ing them to respond to a question. 5efer "ac! to multiple students, answers. o 6se !nowledge surveys to assess how much your students !now. As! them to rate their confidence in their a"ility to complete a specific tas! or answer a question, or report "ac! on items they want to cover in more detail. o 6se a minute paper to have students descri"e the main idea from the lesson or the muddiest point. Items "rought up in the *muddiest point* can "e used to guide the next class. o #mall group wor! or %hin!-)air-#hare Activities9 %hese exercises give students the opportunity to vet their ideas "efore responding to a question posed "y the instructor-thus strengthening the sense of "eing a part of a learning community. o Ad'ust your lesson using student input.

The effectiveness and criti(ues of student-centred learning

%he use of student-centred learning appears to "e reflective of today&s society where choice and democracy are important concepts, however is it an effective approach to learning3 :ea et al. .;<<=/ reviewed several studies on student-centred learning and found that overall it was an effective approach. A six-year study in Helsin!i, which compared traditional and activating instruction, found that the activating group developed "etter study s!ills and understanding, "ut were slower in their study initially .:on!a and Ahola >??8/. Equally, Hall and #aunders found that students had increased participation, motivation and grades in a first year information technology course .>??@/. In addition, ?AB of the students would recommend it to others over the more conventional approach .Hall and #aunders >??@/. #tudents in a 6C 6niversity ela"orated on the impact of student-centred learning on them, i.e. they felt there was more respect for the student in this approach, that it was more interesting, exciting, and it "oosted their confidence .:ea et al. ;<<=/. #tudent-centred learning, despite its popularity, is not without its critics. %he main critique of student-centred learning is its focus on the individual learner. In addition, there are some difficulties in its implementation, i.e. the resources needed to implement it, the "elief system of the students and staff, and students& lac! of familiarity with the term. #imon .>???/ descri"es that student-centred learning, in the #chool system, can "e in danger of focusing completely on the individual learner and ta!en to its extreme does not ta!e into account the needs of the whole class. #imon highlights the point that Dif each child is unique, and each requires a specific pedagogical approach appropriate to him or her and to no other, the construction of an all em"racing pedagogy or general principles of teaching "ecome an impossi"ility& .#imon >???9A;/. Edwards .;<<>9A;/ also highlights the dangers associated with student-centredness in adult education where in empowering an individual there is a potential danger of Da person&s physical isolation from other learners&. %he importance of the social context of learning and the value of interaction with peers is emphasised in the socio-cultural view of learning .$redo >???/. %he concept of "eing an independent learner choosing his4her own route of learning, may in fact drive some of the socia"ility out of the learning process if care is not ta!en to emphasise the importance of peers. In relation to this individuality, :ea et al.&s study on psychology students highlighted their concern over "eing a"andoned or isolated from other supports in a student-centred learning approach .;<<=/. 1&#ullivan .;<<=/ descri"ed student-centred learning as a Western approach to learning and may not necessarily transfer to the developing countries, such as Eami"ia, where there are limited resources and different learning cultures. It can "e equally hard at times to see how the approach can "e economical in the large classes associated with many current 6niversity undergraduate courses. A comprehensive study was conducted in ;<<A, "y the 6niversity of lasgow, on the use of student-centred learning with fulltime undergraduate students .;<<A/. In this study they found that student-centred learning .#-:/ was more prevalent in the later years of the student degrees, and this they "elieve is often down to class si+es. Another concern regarding student centred learning is the "elief that students hold in relation to their learning. #tudents who value or have experienced more teacher-focused approaches, may re'ect the student-centred approach as frightening or indeed not within their remit. )rosser and %rigwell&s wor! in higher education emphasises the different

"elief systems held "y staff and students .;<<;/. %hey found that lecturers with a teacher-centred approach to teaching held views that students should accommodate information rather than developing and changing their conceptions and understanding. %he reverse was true for those with more student-centred approaches to their teaching. )erry&s wor! on the development of 6niversity students highlights how students move from a dualistic view that !nowledge is right or wrong to a relativist view that all answers are equally valid .)erry >?@</. %his study highlights that even during the 6niversity years, students can change their view on learning and as they move through the years so to may their views on student-centred learning change. In support of )erry&s wor!, #tevenson and #ander .;<<;/ highlighted that >st year medical students were suspicious of the value of student-centred learning methods. 7inally, students& familiarity with the term can "e poor. :ea et al. .;<<=/ conducted a study on AF psychology students in the 6niversity of )lymouth on students& attitudes to student-centred learning. %hey found that, despite a 6niversity student-centred policy, G<B of the students had not heard of the term.

ive Characteristics of )earner-Centered Teaching

$y9 Haryellen Weimer, )h2 in Effective %eaching #trategies, %eaching )rofessor $log Add -omment

In Hay I finished a second edition of my :earner-Centered Teaching "oo!. 5evising it gave me the chance to revisit my thin!ing a"out the topic and loo! at wor! done since pu"lication of the first edition ten years ago. It is a su"'ect a"out which there is still considera"le interest. %he learner-centered la"el now gets attached to teaching strategies, teachers, classes, programs, departments and institutions. :i!e many trendy descriptors in higher education, with widespread use comes a certain definitional looseness. Active learning, student engagement and other strategies that involve students and mention learning are called learner-centered. And although learnercentered teaching and efforts to involve students have a !ind of "read and "utter relationship, they are not the same thing. In the interest of more definitional precision, I&d li!e to propose five characteristics of teaching that ma!e it learner-centered. *' )earner-centered teaching engages students in the hard, messy work of learning' I "elieve teachers are doing too many learning tas!s for students. We as! the questions, we call on students, we add detail to their answers. We offer the examples. We organi+e the content. We do the preview and the review. 1n any given day, in most classes

teachers are wor!ing much harder than students. I&m not suggesting we never do these tas!s, "ut I don&t thin! students develop sophisticated learning s!ills without the chance to practice and in most classrooms the teacher gets far more practice than the students. +' )earner-centered teaching includes e&plicit skill instruction' :earner-centered teachers teach students how to thin!, solve pro"lems, evaluate evidence, analy+e arguments, generate hypothesesIall those learning s!ills essential to mastering material in the discipline. %hey do not assume that students pic! up these s!ills on their own, automatically. A few students do, "ut they tend to "e the students most li!e us and most students aren&t that way. 5esearch consistently confirms that learning s!ills develop faster if they are taught explicitly along with the content. ,' )earner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it' :earner-centered teachers tal! a"out learning. In casual conversations, they as! students what they are learning. In class they may tal! a"out their own learning. %hey challenge student assumptions a"out learning and encourage them to accept responsi"ility for decisions they ma!e a"out learning0 li!e how they study for exams, when they do assigned reading, whether they revise their writing or chec! their answers. :earner-centered teachers include assignment components in which students reflect, analy+e and critique what they are learning and how they are learning it. %he goal is to ma!e students aware of themselves as learners and to ma!e learning s!ills something students want to develop. -' )earner-centered teaching motivates students by giving them some control over learning processes' I "elieve that teachers ma!e too many of the decisions a"out learning for students. %eachers decide what students should learn, how they learn it, the pace at which they learn, the conditions under which they learn and then teachers determine whether students have learned. #tudents aren&t in a position to decide what content should "e included in the course or which text"oo! is "est, "ut when teachers ma!e all the decisions, the motivation to learn decreases and learners "ecome dependent. :earner-centered teachers search out ethically responsi"le ways to share power with students. %hey might give students some choice a"out which assignments they complete. %hey might ma!e classroom policies something students can discuss. %hey might let students set assignment deadlines within a given time window. %hey might as! students to help create assessment criteria. .' )earner-centered teaching encourages collaboration' It sees classrooms .online or face-to-face/ as communities of learners. :earner-centered teachers recogni+e, and research consistently confirms, that students can learn from and with each other. -ertainly the teacher has the expertise and an o"ligation to share it, "ut teachers can learn from students as well. :earner-centered teachers wor! to develop structures that promote shared commitments to learning. %hey see learning individually and collectively as the most important goal of any educational experience. - #ee more at9 http944www.facultyfocus.com4articles4effective-teaching-strategies4fivecharacteristics-of-learner-centered-teaching4Jsthash. =As$E@.dpuf