What is the definition of student centered teaching?

Answer 1

"There may be no universally accepted definition of 'student-centred learning' but some things can be said about it.

it is characterised by not being 'traditional' or 'chalk-and-talk' teaching.
from the information we collected from teachers, they say that it happens much more in National Certificate programmes than in other courses, and that there is more of it now than before. 95% of teaching staff in FE colleges said that 'non-traditional' methods formed a significant part of their teaching of NC modules, with very nearly two-thirds saying that they used these methods 'to a large extent'. This far outstripped the reported use of these methods in other types of course taught by these same teachers.
Teachers reported significant increases in the use of methods which involved students actively in their learning. Group work, practical work, projects and assignments, simulations and role play were all used more than before. Many more teachers now allowed students to progress at their own pace and over 60% used 'whole class' teaching less than before. Both students and teaching staff reported frequent use of diagnostic assessment as an aid in teaching and learning.

On the whole, teachers welcomed the changes in teaching which had taken place; students appreciated the new emphasis on practical work, projects, assignments and diagnostic assessment; and employers thought, as one put it, that 'anything's better than chalk and talk - what happens is better and deeper than that'.

It would seem, therefore, that the National Certificate has been successful in encouraging more adventurous teaching but that is not the whole story. It became apparent that what the teachers valued was less the teaching methods themselves than the freedom they now had to extend their repertoire and increase the range of techniques used. 'Variety' was the keyword. Few teachers wished to abandon 'chalk-and-talk' altogether, but its role was being re-defined and it was no longer seen as the sole method of teaching.

While some teachers welcomed student-centred learning wholeheartedly, others identified factors preventing its full use. Chief amongst these were time and resources. Comments such as 'student-centred learning is the most effective approach but is very difficult to implement in the time allowed for a module' were common. This was one reason why chalk-and-talk remained in use: it was seen as a relatively efficient method of imparting information quickly:

'For me to give individual tuition to 20 students... is quite difficult. Two minutes spent showing something on the board can save an awful lot.'
Teachers were also reluctant to commit themselves completely to student-centred learning because they felt that some of their students were unready to take on the responsibility:

'Some students experience difficulty as they are not always able to work independently to discover information.'
There was some evidence from students that some were not fully aware of their own learning processes , and so could not take full advantage of student-centred techniques.

Institutional context matters
Colleges differed in the support their staff gave to changes in teaching methods. We identified a group of colleges where there was a high degree of support for student-centred learning, combined with positive attitudes to team teaching, flexible and open learning strategies, inter-college co-operation and changes in assessment. All these colleges had more staff development and support from the college administration in implementing the National Certificate than the other colleges studied. It would seem that student-centred learning is more likely to be accepted where an appropriate infrastructure has been established to support it.

We conclude that the National Certificate has introduced substantial changes in teaching which are largely welcomed but that staff are taking a pragmatic view about appropriate teaching methods. More traditional methods still have their place. Nevertheless, given appropriate support and encouragement, many teaching staff now see these changes as very worthwhile."

Learner-centered education places the student at the center of education. It begins with understanding the educational contexts from which a student comes. It continues with the instructor evaluating the student's progress towards learning objectives. By helping the student acquire the basic skills to learn, it ultimately provides a basis for learning throughout life. It therefore places the responsibility for learning on the student, while the instructor assumes responsibility for facilitating the student’s education. This approach strives to be individualistic, flexible, competency-based, varied in methodology and not always constrained by time or place.

Instructional Delivery. Learner-centered education advocates a student-focused teaching and learning environment. Educators attempt to maximize student productivity, knowledge acquisition, skills augmentation and development of personal and professional abilities. Such educators may use a variety of instructional tools and methods, as well as flexible arrangements of time and place. Student-centered educators urge students to join them in the learning process. Learners assume primary responsibility for their choices and have opportunities to exercise control over their learning. These efforts may often lead to collaborative partnerships among university faculty, administration, staff and the community at large.

The learner-centered environment facilitates the exploration of meaning and content knowledge through personal and interpersonal discovery. The process implies active involvement by the student and the integration of academics with the student’s total development. Examples of learner-centered educational practices include, but are not limited to:

Collaborative group learning, both inside and outside the classroom;

Individual student research and discovery;

Research and discovery by students and faculty together;

Problem-based inquiry learning;

Student-faculty studio and performance activities;

Asynchronous distance learning;

Synchronous interactive distance learning;

Service learning activities;

Hands-on, experiential learning activities;

On-site field experiences;

Self-paced tutorials.

Learner-centered education also creates an environment that supports the individual as a whole person. It attempts to meet the individual needs of a broad range of learners who have different ways of knowing, skills and cultural backgrounds. Different learning styles may be addressed by a variety of means, such as music, art, performance, visual representations and auditory input.

Credit hours and time in the classroom may not necessarily be coupled in learner-centered education. Although students with background knowledge and experiences in a content area may quickly master the course material and required skills, others may need more time and additional help. Consequently, students in learner-centered environments will often complete courses at different rates. Flexible course time frames can be accomplished through such varied means as instructional contracts and self-paced modules.

Services. Educational services that support the whole student may include:

Providing appropriately focused counseling, advising and tutoring services;
Offering supplementary services such as child care, elder care and referral to community agencies;

Encouraging co-curricular activities such as debate, public lectures, fine arts performances, intramural athletics, museum exhibits, workshops and community outreach;

Accommodating special needs, such as handicap access, interpreters, readers for the blind, note takers, and adaptive technologies.

Assessment. Learner-centered education must retain the rigor and standards that traditionally have characterized higher education. The emphasis is on the student's competence and proficiency in specific areas of academic and professional knowledge, skills and understanding. Competency-based assessment is an integral part of learner-centered education. The learner is asked to achieve and demonstrate competence in academic and professional disciplines. Assessment may take a variety of forms, such as: tests, demonstrations, papers, portfolios, performances, individual reports, group reports, individual projects, group projects, and electronic presentations. Competence in an academic or professional area may be demonstrated by the learner’s application of knowledge in solving real or simulated problems."