Focus on learning

advantages of learner-centered teaching over

instructor-centered especially for underprepared students
concepts and principles of learning-centered
teaching
characteristics of learner-centered institutions,
educational programs
characteristics of students or graduates of
learner-centered programs
how you can use learning-centered approaches
a plan to teach a learning to learn skill

Our current methods are not working

They are not consistent with learning
principles
They often fail to engage the student

Students who enroll in programs using

traditional didactic methods of instruction do
not retain what they learned and do not have
the ability to apply what has been learned
This is often due to having learned through
memorization without meaning
This is especially true with under-prepared
students

The more engaged a person is with the content,

the better the person learns it because (s)he
adds his own meaning and associations to it
The more connections people have to a
concept, the more likely that person will be
able to retrieve it later and in another context

Draw a graphic representation or

mind/concept map of what you know about
learning centered teaching

shifts the emphasis from what instructors do to

what the students do to learn.
makes students responsible for learning
focuses not only on what students are learning
but how they are learning
Instructors are now guides, facilitators, coaches
and not just sages
Can be used in most courses
Has many approaches

Research comes from:

Psychology
Education
May be especially
helpful with
under-prepared,
non-traditional
students

Focus on:

deep learning
learning for life
Uses
meta-cognitive knowledge
formative (feedback) assessment
resources responsibly to learn

I will explain all of these aspects

Knowledge of strategies for learning and

thinking
How and when to use different strategies or
tasks
Knowledge of ones own strengths and
weaknesses, abilities to learn
Awareness of individual differences

Think and Write:

What content topics do you have the most
trouble getting students to learn?
What alternative approaches have you tried?
What can you do differently?
I will not ask you to share these
ideas

Surface learning

Deep learning

Studying for multiple choice exams equals

learning for school
Learning for school = learn and dump
phenomenon.
Developing a project that uses the knowledge
is learning for life

Giving students feedback on their work helps

them to improve

This is called formative assessment

Try to integrate formative assessment within

the learning process as much as possible

Examples of formative feedback include clicker

questions, classroom assessment techniques (Angelo
and Cross), peer assessment, online quizzes that can
be taken repeatedly for mastery
Under-prepared and non-traditional students benefit
from continual feedback and encouragement

Why does giving frequent feedback to students,

especially underprepared, non-motivated, or
non-traditional students help them to learn?
How can you use formative assessment more?

With everything available on the Web,

information is easily obtained

But students must learn to question what they read

on print and electronic resources
Students must learn how to paraphrase and cite
properly

Create an environment for learning

Foster interactions among student about the
content
Help students to appreciate why and how they
need to learn content
Teach students learning to learn skills so they
can take responsibility for their learning

Fosters students learning

Accommodates differences in way
students learn, their background
knowledge, and their interests

Designs activities in which students interact

with the material, the teacher and each other

Working in small groups to create a concept map of

the content
Using the content to solve real world problems in
small groups

Instructors:
help students to appreciate why and how
they need to learn content
build an appreciation for value of content
build discipline-specific learning
methodologies
practice using inquiry or ways of thinking in
the discipline
learn to solve real problems

Examples of such skills include:

Time management
Self-monitoring
Goal setting
Note taking
Study skills
Self-assessment of learning, of ones strengths
and weaknesses
Information literacy skills

How well do your students use these skills?

Do you explicitly teach any of these skills in the
context of your course?
How can you teach these skills?
Why does teaching them help students to take
responsibility for their own learning?

Benefits of learner-centered
teaching to the educational
institution and beyond

Students have increased motivation for learning

Greater satisfaction with school
These outcomes lead to:
greater achievement
higher rates of student retention
have better-prepared graduates

Students actively engaged in their learning

Motivated to learn, as a result earn good grades
Material is meaningful for the learners
Students are invested and empowered in the
course
Students have some choices about their
learning
Instructor gives feedback to help
students to improve

Best to make incremental changes

There are low-risk, easy to make changes that
can have a large effect

Add new knowledge that you now know

about learning centered teaching

TECHNIQUES WE USED

Small group discussion

Creating graphic
representation
Answered questions
Think pair share
Reflection on your
abilities
Revised summary of
knowledge
Review of content

LEARNING-CENTERED
PRINCIPLES
Created environment
for learning
Active engagement with
content
Making content
meaningful for learner
Self assessment
Meta-cognition
Social interaction
during learning
Fostered deep learning

Within small groups, decide on 1-2 skills you

would like to teach to help student take
responsibility for learning

Handout of slide with arrow and target lists some

possibilities
After you decide which skill you want to teach,
answer questions on worksheet to help you plan
how to teach that skill

Be prepared to share with others

Each group will report how they will

assist students to take more
responsibility for their learning by
teaching one skill