1.3-Learner-Centered-Teaching

8Module1.3Learner-CenteredTeaching1AnEducationParadigmShiftinUniversityTeachingLearner-centerededucationhasrootsinK-12educationinthe1990’s,wheretheterm“student-centered”wasmorecommonlyused.Aftertheusualiterativeprocessofreviewandrevision,theUniversity’s2004StrategicPlanwasadoptedwithlearner-centerededucationasasignificantpartofUSC’snewvisionforincreasingacademicexcellence.WhatisLearner-centeredTeaching?Theterm,“learner-centered”describesaconceptandapracticeinwhichstudentsandprofessorslearnfromoneanother.Itproposesaglobalshiftawayfrominstructionthatisfundamentallyteach-er-centered,attimesgliblytermed“sageonthestage,”focusinginsteadonlearningoutcomes.Itisnotintendedtodiminishtheimportanceoftheinstructionalsideoftheclassroomexperience.Instead,instructionisbroadenedtoincludeotheractivitiesthatproducedesirablelearningout-comes.Learner-centeredteachersarticulatewhatweexpectourstudentstolearn,designeduca-tionalexperiencestoadvancetheirlearning,andprovideopportunitiesforthemtodemonstratetheirsuccessinachievingthoseexpectations.Alearner-centeredenvironmentgrowsoutofcurriculardecisionsandin-classstrategieswhichencouragestudents’interactionwiththecontent,withoneanotherandtheteacher,andwiththelearningprocess.Itencouragesstudents’reflection,dialogue,andengagement,andrequiresareli-ableassessmentoftheircontentmastery.Conventionalwisdomhasbeenthatiffacultyteachwellandofferinsightful,clear,rigorous,chal-lenging,andevenenjoyablelectures,ourstudentswilllearn.Learner-centeredpedagogyques-tionsthisassumption,givendifferencesinhowstudentslearn.Theemergenceoflearner-centeredinstructionarisesfromthequesttohaveallstudentsachievemoresuccessintheireducationalenterprise.Interestinglysomestudentsandfacultyhaveresistedthechange.Therearestudentswhothriveinteacher-centeredinstructionandmanyclaimtoprefertheexperience.Weimer(2002)suggeststhisisbecauseasitmakeslessdemandsuponthem,untiltheeveningbeforeanexam,whereaslearner-centeredpedagogyrequiresamoreactiveroleintheclassroomexperience.Forfaculty,itcanmeanashiftofsomelevelofresponsibilitytostudents,whichmayfeellikealossofcontrol.Zemsky,Wegner,andMassy(2005)arguethatstudentsarenotalwaysmotivatedtomaximizetheirlearning;studentschooseschoolsonthebasisofthe“competitiveadvantage”theyexpecttheschooltoprovideaftergraduation.Thefactthatstudentsbringothermotivationstobearontheirchoiceofeducationalenvironmentspresentsothercomplicationsforapedagogicstrategybasedonstudent-learningpreferences.Tobeeffective,achangetowardlearner-centeredteachingmayrequireare-centeringofassess-mentpracticestoincludemoreanddifferentevaluationsofthelearningexperience.Inmanycases,thismaymeansubstantialrevisionofmid-semesterandend-semesterclassevaluationstoincludequestionsregardingthelearningexperience.UniversityofSouthernCaliforniaCenterforExcellenceinTeaching9Learner-CenteredTeachingModule1.32ImplementingLearner-centeredTeachingWeareinanemergingeraof“classroomswithoutwalls”andtheacademicparadigmshiftfromteachingtolearning,andthus,itbecomesevermoreimportantthatfacultyfindnewandcreativewaystoengagestudents.Moreover,asmethodstoteachandlearncontinuetoexpandintogreaterusageofvariedformsoftechnology,itisimperativethatstudentsandteacherscontinuetoconnect,throughcurrentlysuccessfulandevolvingmeans.Theshifttowardlearner-centeredteachingisachangeinemphasisthatwillcausefacultytorethinkhowweteachandassessourteachingtowardthegoalofrealisticappraisalofstudentlearning.Inhisbook,WhattheBestCollegeTeachersDo(HarvardUniversityPress,2004),KenBainoffersseveralcharacteristicsoffacultywhoembracelearner-centeredinstruction.Includedare,thattheytouchthelivesoftheirstudents,includingeffectoncareergoals;theyplaceastrongemphasisonstudentlearningandoutcomesthroughvariedformsofassessment;andtoachievethesegoals,theymayevenplantheircoursesbackward.Bain’sresearchalsoledtotheconclusionthatthesefaculty,regardlessofuniversityorcollegesetting,knowtheirsubjectmaterialextremelywell,areactiveandaccomplishedscholars,andvaluecriticalthinking,prob-lemsolving,andcreativity.Bainfurtherconcludedthatthesefacultyvalueteachingandcon-sideritasdemandingastheirresearchandscholarship;thattheyseektocreateacriticallearn-ingenvironmentandaspiretochallengestudentstoconfrontimportantproblems.AccordingtoBain,theyhaveastrongtrustinstudents,believethatstudentswanttolearn,systematicallycollectfeedbackonteaching,readilyassessoutcomes,andmakeappropriatechanges.Thesefacultyworktocreateasafelearningenvironmentwhichallowsstudentstotry,fail,andtryagain.Bain’sfindingsalsoconcludethatthesefacultyhaveagreatfaithinstudentabilityandofferstudentsownershipofclassobjectives.PerhapstheultimateconclusionofBain’sstudyisthatlearner-centeredteachersviewteachingasbeginningwiththestudentandappreciatetheindividualvalueofeachstudent.Inhiswords,“Theydon’tteachaclass.Theyteachastu-dent.”MaryellenWeimerinherbookLearner-CenteredTeaching(WileyCo.,SanFrancisco,2002)offersaparallelassessmentbutalsooneperhapsbuiltforsmallcollegeanduniversityclasseswherethestudentischallengedtohaveownershipinthelearningexperience,inclu