Learner-Centered Principles

Learners are individuals. They are not all at the same stage of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development.

Learners differ. Learners differ in the clarity of their personal goals and expectations for success and failure.

Personality influences learning. Learners have varying degrees of self-confidence.

Learning does not occur in a vacuum. Discover and construct meaning from info and experience based on their unique perceptions, thoughts, feelings.

Learners link new knowledge to existing information in ways that make sense to them. The remembering of new knowledge is facilitated when it can be tied to a learner’s current knowledge (scaffolding).

Learners want to learn. They are naturally curious and enjoy learning, but personal insecurity and fear of failure often interfere.

Learners like challenges. They are most creative when it is challenging and meets their individual needs.

Learning environment is important. Learners learn best in a friendly, socially interactive, and diverse environment.

Learners like positive reinforcement. Learning environments that support self-esteem and respect of the individual learner tend to be more successful.

More information does not necessarily mean more learning. Learners seek to create meaningful uses of knowledge regardless of the quantity and quality of information presented.

Create an inspiring and safe learning environment where students can and want to:

• Question

• Discover

• Debate

• Experiment

• Learn from failure and feedback

• Contribute to the learning of self, peers, and faculty

• Leverage their learning styles to maximize their growth

• Have fun

• ???

Activities Supporting Student Centered Learning

Research Supports Student Centered Active Learning

Faculty Challenges

Define the course in terms of measurable student outcomes

Construct an assessment that measures to what level the students have mastered the learning outcomes

Design the pedagogy to best meet the students’ learning needs

Know the students

Be very explicit on their expectations for students

Encourage diversity of thought

Have multiple assessment and feedback opportunities during the class to sense how well the students are mastering the outcomes.

Be willing to:

Give students voice

Give students time

Accept challenges

Say I don’t know

Adapt in real time the pedagogy to better meet needs of students

Reflect and change course based on analysis of students’

4. Active Learning Methods

It is not an „universal remedy“

but a good way to improve learning!

You can only improve someone

by using what remains of the good in them.

(Kant)

Active learning requires

• Read

• Write

• Discuss

• Solving problems

• Thinking about what they are doing

• …. and a lot more!

Active learning be defined as instructional activities involving students in doing things and thinking (opposite of passive learning)

Active learning requires specific learning methods

It requires self-reflection of the faculty

Five phases of a seminar with different learning methods:

• Start of the seminar

• Introduction of new topics

• Gathering information

• Active processing

• Conclusion phase

• ABC-Method

• Feedback

  • Four colors

  • Backpacking

  • Barometer

  • Flash light

• One-minute-paper

• Generate test questions

• Transfer thinking/questions

Active Processing

• Debate

• Discussion

• Learning Journal/Learning Portfolio

• Case Studies

Active Processing – Case Studies

• Expectations

• Allow interactive processing

• Train openness in thinking

• Train respect and tolerance for other opinions

• Co-existence of different opinions (Pluralism)

• Definition

• Real or imagined situation

• Training for complex topics

• Analysis and discussion

• Positions and/or solutions

• Methodology

• Complex problem

• Interlink theory and practice

• Exposition to a real-life situation

  • decision-making skills

  • conflict potential inherent

• Timeframe

(3-4 hours)

• 5 min: introduction and remarks

• 30 min: reading and initial analysis

• 10 min: questions for clarification

• 90-120 min: analysis, discussion and finding of solution

• 30 min: present and explain solution

• 15 min: Q&A

• 15 min: criticism by the moderator

• Criticism

regarding Result itself and The way the result was achieved