1. 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

2. 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?

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

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

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

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

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

8. 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

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

10. 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”

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

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

22. 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

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

24. 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
The Learner Centred Excellence Project on OC’s website