Learner-Centered Teaching

In teaching, consider the following questions:

  • What is the role of the teacher?
  • What is the balance of power?
  • What is the function of content?
  • Whose responsibility is it for learning?
  • What is the purpose and process of evaluation?

Most respond to these questions from a traditional point of view. The faculty give students content to learn. Evaluation is for students to show faculty what they know. Faculty have all the power. Another perspective to these the questions is called Learner-Centered Teaching (LCT). In their seminal paper, Barr and Tagg (1995) argue that teaching needs to shift from an instruction-centered focus to a focus on student learning. So to move to a learner center approach, Weimer invites us to consider the five questions that we posed at the beginning of this blog post. These questions challenge our assumptions about teaching and invite us to rethink our approach to undergraduate education.

What does LCT look like in practice? Phyllis Blumberg (2009 pg 19-20 table 1.2) developed the rubric below that contrast instructor-center and learner-center approaches to teaching based on Wiemer's 5 dimensions of of LCT. 

 

Dimension

Definition of this Dimension 

An Essential Component

Instructor-Centered Approach

Learner-Centered Approach 

The Function of Content

Content includes building a knowledge base, how the instructor and the students use the content.

Level to which students engage content.

Instructor allows students to memorize content.

Instructor encourages students to transform and reflect on most the content to make their own meaning out of it. 

The Role of the Instructor

An essential role of the instructor is to assist students to learn. 

Instructors uses teaching and learning methods appropriate for student learning goals. 

Instructor:

  • Does not have specific learning goals

and/or

  • Uses teaching and learning methods that conflict with learning goals

Instructor intentionally uses various teaching and learning methods that are appropriate for student learning goals.

The Responsibility for Learning

Students should assume greater responsibility for their own learning over time. 

Responsibility for learning should rest with the students. 

Instructor assumes all responsibility for students learning (provides content to memorize, does not require students to create their own meaning of content, tells students exactly what will be on examinations).  

Instructor provides increasing opportunities for students to assume responsibility for their own learning, leading to achievement of stated learning objectives. 

The Purposes and Processes of Assessment

There are additional purposes and processes of assessment beyond assigning grades. 

Formative assessment (giving feedback to foster improvement. 

Instructor

  • Uses only summative assessment (to make decisions to assign grades)
  • Provides students with no constructive feedback 

Consistently throughout the learning process, instructor integrate

  • Formative assessment
  • Constructive feedback 

The Balance of Power

The balance of power shifts so that the instructor shares some decisions about the course with the students. 

Flexibility of course policies, assessment methods, learning methods, and deadlines.  

Instructor mandates all policies and deadlines.

or

Instructor does not adhere to policies.  

Instructor is flexible on most

  • Course policies
  • Assessment methods
  • Learning methods
  • Deadlines

and

Instructor always adheres to what instructor has agreed to with the students. 

 

 

Barr, R. B. & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning - a new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change, 27(6), 12-26. 

Blumberg, P. (2009). Developing Learner-Centered Teaching: A Practical Guide for Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Keys to Practice 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass