What is Learner- Centred Education? Paul Stephenson M.Ed, M.App.Ling. ESL Instructor, Learning Centre Professional, former High School and Elementary teacher Reference: Learner-Centred Teaching by Maryellen Weimer

Learner-Centred Education Focuses attention on learning: WHAT is the student learning? HOW is the student learning? HOW does present learning prepare for future learning?

What Happens? the spotlight moves from the teacher to the student

Learner-Centred Education: promotes, encourages, expects, requires that students take more and more responsibility for their own learning

total faculty control of learning processes can be: restrictive confining unmotivating

Students can become: passive, uninterested dependent unwilling to assume responsibility for their own learning

Solution is not to give up faculty power but… redress the power imbalance find ways to responsibly share power with students

Learner-Centred Education involves re-assessing 5 important areas: 1. balance of power 2. function of content 3. role of the teacher 4. responsibility for learning 5. evaluation

1. The Balance of Power power is responsibly shared goal is to equip students with the ability to teach themselves

for example… Let students decide: “Class, this semester there are 20 assignments but you only need to complete 15 of them” “This semester we have two elective topics. Let’s make a list of areas you are interested in and then you will vote to make our selection”

2. The Function of Content content is a vehicle for learning how to learn constructivism: students actively construct their own knowledge rather than passively receiving

more content… in a learner-centred context, content is used not covered content is used to establish a knowledge foundation content is used to develop learning skills

for example… The Learning Centre comes to class: Invite a Learning Centre professional to class Present a short lecture: students and the Learning Centre representative take notes Students give their notes to the Learning Centre professional who returns to the next class with some suggestions

3. The Role of the Teacher the teacher becomes a guide, facilitator, designer lectures less and is more often around the class rather than in front of it action in the classroom features students

for example… wherever possible, design tasks so that students discover ideas for themselves be flexible as students may reach conclusions you had not considered encourage students learning from each other

4. The Responsibility for Learning students must develop a responsibility for learning students need the learning skills to function as independent, autonomous learners

for example… Empowering students: Choosing which assignments to do Establishing participation policies Agreeing on a deadline timetable

5. Evaluation evaluation should be used to promote learning as well as generating grades assessment should be seen as another chance to have students interact with content

for example… Students should learn how to assess their own work and that of their peers Leave a test question blank and have students write and answer a question they expected to see

Next Steps: 1. Get beyond techniques: think and reflect 2. Approach change systematically 3. Approach change incrementally 4. Try, revise, re-use 5. Set realistic expectations

What is Learner-Centred Education? Energizing Humbling Sophisticated Satisfying Needed

Learner Centred Excellence Project Website Located on the Okanagan College website: Click on Faculty Click on Designing Our Future Click on Learner Centred Excellence Project The purpose is to encourage an on-going dialogue about Learner-Centred Education

Questions for discussion: Do you have any passive learners? What should/could we do? Do you have any dependent students?

Thank you Paul Stephenson M.Ed, M.App.Ling. ESL Instructor, Okanagan College Learning Centre Professional Former High School and Elementary teacher Please contact me with any questions and/or comments at : ext. 4684 pstephenson@okanagan.bc.ca The Learner Centred Excellence Project on OC’s website