Five Key Changes to Practice
The Balance of Power
Radical and feminist pedagogues and those who study self-directed learners posit
that to be truly learner-centered, we must begin with greater insight into the
role of power in our classrooms: who exerts it, why, and with what effects and
what benefits. With a more explicit understanding of the power dynamic, we are
ready to explore how the balance of power changes in a learner-centered environment.
And then we can ascertain whether involvement in the decision making associated
with learning has a positive impact on students' educational experiences. Do
the benefits justify their involvement?
Questions that emerge when the balance of power changes.
How much power is enough?
How much freedom can they handle?
When do teachers compromise professional responsibilities?
The Function of Content
Strong allegiance to content blocks the road to more learner-centered teaching.
Unlike power, where the influence is largely unrecognized, the content barrier
explicitly impedes faculty. Most of us have no trouble acknowledging that the
need to cover content strongly influences, if not dictates, most instructional
decisions. Our thinking about content has long been dominated by one assumption:
more is better. The time has come to challenge that assumption—not with
content-free courses but with new thinking about the function of content. Learner-centered
objectives allow us to do just that.
Questions that emerge when the function of content changes.
How much content is enough?
How do we change attitudes about the role of content?
What about students at different skill levels?
How do I adapt generic learning activities to fit the content I teach?
The Role of the Teacher
Widespread interest in active, collaborative, and cooperative learning and other
inquiry-based approaches has raised indirectly the issue of the teacher’s
role. Indeed, the effectiveness of these more learner-centered methods depends
on faculty being able to step aside and let students take the lead. However,
having been at the center so long, we are finding it tough to leave that spot,
even briefly. As a result, what happens in most college classrooms continues
to be very teacher centered, despite the interest in, support for, and some
use of these more learner-centered methods.
How the Role of the Teacher Changes (Guiding Learners)
Principle 1: Teachers Do Learning Tasks
Principle 2: Teachers Do Less Telling; Students Do More Discovering
Principle 3: Teachers Do More Design Work
Principle 4: Faculty Do More Modeling
Principle 5: Faculty Do More To Get Students Learning from and with Each Other
Principle 6: Faculty Work to Create Climates for Learning
Principle 7: Faculty Do More with Feedback
Questions that emerge when the teaching role changes.
Do you intervene, and if so, when?
What do you do when you intervene?
The Responsibility for Learning
With this chapter, the locus of the change shifts to action required of students.
They must accept the responsibility for learning. This involves developing the
intellectual maturity, learning skills, and awareness necessary to function
as independent, autonomous learners. The faculty contribution to this process
is creating and maintaining conditions that promote student growth and movement
toward autonomy. To date, faculty have not accomplished these goals with much
success.
Climates that build student autonomy and responsibility
Principle 1: It’s All About Who Is Responsible for What in the Teaching-Learning Process
Principle 2: It’s About Logical Consequences, Not Discipline.
Principle 3: It Is About Consistency in Word and Deed
Evaluation Purpose and Processes
Currently, when faculty consider evaluation, what typically comes to mind first
are grades. In fact, students, parents, society, and faculty regularly focus
on grades more than learning. The learning is assumed; it occurs automatically,
an all but inevitable outcome of the evaluation process. Learner-centered teaching
abandons tacit assumptions about automatic learning. Evaluation is used to generate
grades and to promote learning. The new purpose is larger and better balanced.
Elements of Evaluation That Promote Learning
Focus on learning processes
Reduce the stress and anxiety of evaluation experiences
Do not use evaluate to accomplish hidden agendas
Incorporate more formative feedback mechanisms
Questions that arise when the purpose and processes of evaluation change.
Should students have any involvement in the actual grading process?
Address questions or comments about TEP or this site to:
Georgeanne Cooper, Program Director, 64 PLC
Phone: 541-346-2177 Fax: 541-346-2184
Teaching Effectiveness Program, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Oregon.
Last Modified:
07/07/09