Resources Technology Workshops Services

Schedule of Events

Teacher Training

Teaching to Diversity

Using Technology

Large Class Teaching

Beginnings

Search TEP site

 

 

 

Home > Workshops and Classes > Teacher Training > The Learner-Centered Teaching Series > Creating a Syllabus for the Learner-Centered Classroom > 36 Ways to Make Your Classroom More Learner-Centered

36 Ways to Make Your Classroom More Learner-Centered

The KEY questions to ask yourself: What is it my students need to know and be able to do during their professional lives? What skills and knowledge will stand the test of time, given the dynamic nature of knowledge and information?

Some Ideas for Your Syllabus
(Note: Tim's comments are in parentheses.)

1. Allow students to have input into entire syllabus. Students interview each other about what they want to learn and teacher puts that information on the board/newsprint. Teacher brings a DRAFT syllabus to the class and distributes. Given all this, how should the course be revised?
   
2. Allow time for students to debrief their experiences--exams, projects, and papers--and write their own suggestions for next time. (Consider including time for this debriefing in the syllabus.)
   
3. Allow time for students to discuss how their projects are going, while they are in the midst of doing them. (Consider including time for this discussion in the syllabus.)
   
4. Ask students, "what do you remember from this course?" (or from yesterday's or last week's class)
   
5. Ask students: "how did this activity affect your learning?" "What about it needs to change so that if we do it again, you will learn more?" (Consider allowing time for this activity in the syllabus.)
   
6. Ask, "what do you remember from this course?" (Consider putting some of these comments into the syllabus.)
   
7. Be willing to make changes if/when things don't go well.
   
8. Debrief the exam in ways that promote learning--"show me why you think that answer was correct"--discuss/debate it; maybe give some points. (Consider including time for this debriefing in the syllabus.)
   
9. Develop and prioritize a list of skills and awarenesses that students need to be successful with the content of this course. (Consider putting this prioritized list into the syllabus.)
   
10. Devise your own feedback mechanisms. (Consider putting the dates for collecting this feedback into the syllabus.)
    
11. Discuss classroom climate the first day of class. Have students talk about a class in which they learned a lot and one where they didn't learn much. Have them free write on the conditions that could create a good learning climate. Have students complete sentence stems relating to climate written on newsprint and placed around the room. Revisit whatever principles are developed and assess their presence, absence, and quality of the condition. (Consider putting these comments into the syllabus.)
    
12. Give a quiz on the syllabus, individually and then in pairs and then the whole class. Don't count the quiz.
    
13. Have students decide which assignments they will complete--teacher may make some mandatory, provides specifics about the assignments, including due dates.
    
14. Have students discuss the details of an assignment. (Consider including time for this discussion in the syllabus.)
    
15. Have students self assess own work before submitting it. (Consider using this self-assessment as a portion of their grade for the assignment.)
    
16. Have students self-assess their level of participation in the class. (Consider using this self-assessment as a portion of their participation grade.)
    
17. Have students write a short paper at the beginning of the term/semester outlining why they are taking the course and what they want to learn and the content that might help them accomplish these learning goals. Share in small groups and then prioritize a list of topics. (Consider putting these prioritized lists of topics into the syllabus and using them to determine course content.)
    
18. Introduce assignments by having students get out syllabus and read it.
    
19. Let students learn how to summarize--don't do it for them--by writing short summaries or possible test questions at the end of class. (Consider including time for this summarization in the syllabus.)
    
20. Sequence educational activities in an order that facilitates growth.
    
21. Solicit feedback early and often. Don't wait until the end of the term. (Consider putting the dates for soliciting this feedback into the syllabus.)
    
22. Students decide which assignments they will complete--teacher may make some mandatory, provides specifics about the assignments, including due dates.
    
23. Students have input into entire syllabus. Students interview each other about what they want to learn and teacher puts that information on the board/newsprint. Teacher brings a DRAFT syllabus to the class and distributes. Given all this, how should the course be revised?
    
24. Students have input into selection of textbook--for example, teacher selects five possibilities from which a group of students makes a recommendation.
    
25. Students make significant decisions about what content will be covered in the class--teacher provides a list of possible topics from which students select. (Consider putting the results of these decisions into the syllabus and using this information to help structure course content.)
    
26. Students set due dates and deadlines for major group projects. Students identify the major steps that need to be completed and when they need to be done in order to complete the assignment. They also include the parts of the assignment about which they would like formal feedback with associated dates. Students identify penalties if deadlines are missed. (Consider putting these dates and penalties into the syllabus.)
    
27. Students write a short paper at the beginning of the term/semester outlining why they are taking the course and what they want to learn and the content that might help them accomplish these learning goals. Share in small groups and then prioritize a list of topics. (Consider putting this prioritized list in the syllabus.)
    
28. Students, at first working in small groups, establish participation policy for the course. (Consider putting this information into the syllabus.)
    
29. Talk about why you are teaching this way. Focus on how the teacher and students want the same thing--a course worth the money they've paid for it. (Consider putting a statement of your teaching philosophy into the syllabus.)
    
30. Teach students how to read the texts. (Consider including time for teaching this skill in the syllabus.)
    
31. Use matrices and concept mapping. You'll need to take the time to teach students how to do both of these. (Consider including time for teaching these skills in the syllabus.)
    
32. Use matrices to help students break large tasks into steps, sequence the steps (with approximate time needed to complete the step), and assign to individuals with specifics about what is to be done (if it's a small group project).
    
33. Use supplementary materials--note taking, learning style inventories, etc. (Consider including time for using these materials in the syllabus.)
    
34. Use the class content to cover learning skills and to promote a self-awareness of learning. (Consider including time for teaching these skills in the syllabus.)
    
35. Utilize learning center staff. (Consider including time for a presentation by these staff members in the syllabus.)
    
36. With small groups, have them think and write about successful/unsuccessful groups of which they've been members. Best and worst experiences studying in groups. What gifts and liabilities do they bring to a group? Use an inventory to assess students' attitudes about working in a group. (Consider including the results in the syllabus.)

(Weimer, 2002)

 

---