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Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher

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Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions, believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn.

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PDF - Insight into Theory and Practice

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10 Top Tips for More Student Driven Learning

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10 Top Tips for More Student Driven Learning

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Photo credit: Francisco Osorio

If there's been a single educational buzzword with traction over the past few years, "student-centered learning" certainly tops the charts. From the TED stage to experimental classrooms, an increasing number of thought leaders, schools and teachers are advocating a handover of the learning experience to the students who must do the learning.

To seasoned educators, the basic concepts that undergird student-centered learning won't strike them as particularly new. After all, Paulo Freire's famous critique of the "Banking Model of Education" - the model in which knowledge is a resource that students passively withdraw from the bank (teacher) without active engagement - made waves all the way back in the early 70s. Even earlier in the 20th century, John Dewey, Carl Rogers, and Maria Montessori advocated for student-driven learning, while Theodore Sizer's 1987 book, Horace's Compromise, advocated for collaborative learning.

And yet, while student-centered learning did take off in some places (often in private schools), it has only recently begun to take firm hold in public schools. This may be due in part to the renewed influence of educational reformers and an increased urgency to fix a struggling education system. However, the influence of the Common Core's tough critical thinking requirements can't be underestimated, as well as the spread of technology that is increasingly making personalized learning a reality.

If we accept the premise that student-centered learning can be a highly effective strategy for many kinds of classrooms and school populations, how can we ensure it is implemented effectively, with intelligence, and without the rigid dogma that so often leads to the failure of so many sweeping educational reforms?

It Starts With Definition

At its most general, student-centered learning is an educational experience that is driven by its students. This can manifest in many different ways. In student-centered learning, students might choose what they want to learn within a set range of topics, lead their own discussions after doing research online, or complete a mixture of online classes and independent study. Student-centered learning can encompass (but is in no way limited to or defined by) project-based learning, active learning, and collaborative learning. As a personalized form of learning, student-centered approaches can mean many different things, as long as they employ that essential pivot from teacher- to student-lead learning. The core goals are to motivate and interest students and to foster critical thinking skills that employ active rather than passive engagement in the classroom. For a deeper look at what student learning is - and what it can be - we can't recommend this guide from the Education Writers Association highly enough.

How to Make It Work

Using a struggling New Hampshire school as a case study, the recent Atlantic article, " What Happens When Students Control Their Education?" provides an excellent review of what proponents see as the benefits of student-centered learning and critics see as weaknesses. Here are the key takeaways for overcoming obstacles and successfully making this shift in your classroom or school.

1. Turn Teachers into Facilitators and Coaches

Critiques of student-centered learning often focus on the unruliness that may result when a teacher is no longer firmly in control. But a true student-centered approach in no way means taking the teacher out of the process. Rather, the teacher remains key as a coach and facilitator - the person who puts the structure in place and then makes sure it is maintained as students move within it. This is different from traditional approaches, in which the structure in itself can often feel like an end rather than a mean, but, when done correctly, it should not be a free-for-all.

Importantly, the teacher should also act as a guide to deeper insights, whether that means refereeing so that every person's input is heard and not just that of the most vocal students, or asking students probing questions at the right moment to prompt them into thinking deeper. This kind of intervention is key in ensuring students move beyond the simple gathering of information via Google search to ingesting and examining it at a deep, integrative level.

2. Push Students to Apply Their Knowledge

Similarly, it is important that the guiding doesn't stop at discussion and analysis. As the next step in the learning cycle, it is crucial that students then apply their knowledge in new settings. Students should again drive this process, whether it's determining what kind of projects or further investigations they would like to do, or it's choosing from a number of choices a teacher has provided. This can also be combined with collaborative learning as a group project.

3. Give Teachers the Resources and Support They Need

When student-centered approaches don't work, it's often because teachers are simply given a bunch of new jargon to imbibe that is indecipherable from previous jargon, and then are sent out into the wilds of the classroom. Schools that are interested in implementing student-centered approaches should provide ample professional development opportunities, workshops, and mentoring on the subject. This should cover both the deeper philosophical shift at hand as well as specific, concrete lesson plans and coaching techniques. Teachers should also be given training on using individualized classroom devices like iPads to foster a personalized learning environment.

Keep in mind that supporting teachers is also about finances. A 2012 study by the Center on Reinventing Public Education found that new student-drive programs worked best in schools that reallocated resources in that direction. Even better were schools that generated revenue through private-public partnership - though that financing approach, of course, comes with its supporters and detractors.

4. Establish Rules

Similarly, teachers should take the time to explain the coming changes to their students before implementing them. In doing so, they should of course gather student input, but they should also set boundaries - including the crucial point that this is not about "doing whatever you want" so much as it is "asking your most burning questions" and "exploring topics in which you've always been interested." Students will need to fully buy-in to the idea in order for it to be successful.

When leading a discussion group in particular, teachers may want to experiment with setting and enforcing firm moderating rules that still put the students in charge without letting a minority of vocal students dominate or derail the discussion. These rules can be set by students up front. Alternatively, you might try having one student become the teacher for a session, putting all of the research on the topic at hand onto the student's plate, and then having them lead the discussion, with each student stating what they'd like to comment about beforehand, and the student determining whether or not they find the comment relevant for discussion. This is a very regimented approach, but it can be highly effective in keeping chatty or unruly classes on track, while still putting control of the discussion firmly in student hands.

5. Change the Feedback Process

With a student-centered learning approach, grades should no longer be the primary learning metric. Comments and in-depth discussion can be far more useful in terms of learning, especially on written assignments. However, many students will still need a more concrete approach, and schools will still need a way of tying competency to Common Core standards. The New Hampshire school featured in The Atlantic article addressed this problem with "competency matrices," which detailed a number of skills students should master in each class, ranked on a scale of 1 to 4. This allowed the school to provide much more comprehensive and useful feedback than a simple letter grade, but could still be easily translated into traditional grades for transcripts.

Alternatively, in flipped classrooms that have students doing the bulk of their knowledge intake on their own time, quizzes and tests are still relevant and useful, especially in terms of gathering highly specific data to pinpoint where a student needs help. Feedback here can come not only in terms of a number grade, but also with a requirement that the student re-approach questions they missed until they demonstrate proficiency. Overall, tracking growth in a student-centered classroom is crucial to ensure learning is still on track.

6. Get the Families on Board

Student-driven learning requires an increase in student accountability and motivation. In theory, a student-centered approach will intrinsically draw these qualities out of students. In practice, many students will need coaching and support at home, especially in younger grades. Parents may also need education themselves in just what a student-centered approach is to ensure there is maximum buy-in at home.

7. Offer Extended Learning Opportunities

Student-centered learning isn't bounded by a school's cinder block walls. Whether it's time in a Maker studio, online courses or an externship or shadowing opportunity for a motivated student who wants to see what life is like outside of academia, giving students the chance for multi-modal, experiential learning is an effective way to broaden minds and teach specific skills - all while putting student choice at the forefront.

8. Re-Define the Metrics of Success

While increased test scores will certainly remain an important measure for student-centered schools (at the very least, in terms of funding), it is essential that the definition of success is broadened to include increased graduation and college enrollment rates, as well as any other indications of improvement. This point applies beyond student-centered changes, and is important to keep in mind for any major shift to an educational approach.

9. Localize the Approach to the Most Appropriate Content

Big educational reforms often fail when there is complete orthodoxy about how they are implemented, as well as a universal application to areas for which the given reform may not be the most effective strategy. As such, keep in mind that a student-centered approach may not be the best strategy for every kind discipline or subject area, nor for every student population. The Common Core standards can often be a great navigation tool in terms of determining appropriate areas for a student-centered approach, especially for areas that put a strong emphasis on critical thinking.

10. Divide the Principalship

As some schools are finding, student-driven education may very well require a rethinking of the principal role. In the New Hampshire school, the single principal was replaced with two deans, one in charge of building management and the other in charge of curriculum and instruction. At least throughout the long transition process, this seems essential for ensuring such a monumental shift in approach is given the resources and attention it deserves.

What Do You Think?

Student-centered learning represents an important, fundamental, and exciting shift in education. But it is still evolving, and it is not without its detractors. What have your experiences been so far? What has worked for you, and what hasn't? How would you like to see your school or district better support throughout this transition? Let us know in the comments below and also through Twitter @Edudemic!

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10 Ways to Get Student Centered Learning Right

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Photo credit: Francisco Osorio If there's been a single educational buzzword with traction over the past few years, "student-centered learning" certainly tops the charts. From the TED stage to experimental classrooms, an increasing number of thought leaders, schools and teachers are advocating a handover of the learning experience to the students who must do the learning.

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I know a high school student who is quite amazing. She's keen. She's hungry. She wants to be challenged. She's also bored out of her mind. Frustrated. Angry. Because the truth is, she's just jumping through hoops, and she knows it.

In the graded world, She's a 95-percent student, and like many of our most capable students, she's disengaged from her learning. Studies have shown that many of top students are simply "doing school." In fact, an entire book has been written about it.

She's a student who would thrive in an environment that allowed her to co-create her education. An environment that would allow her to spend 20 percent of school time pursuing her own interests â€" that would challenge her through inquiry, learning to collaborate on projects with students in other cities, provinces and countries.

She would thrive after being asked: "What do you want to learn?" "What do you want to read?" "What matters to you?" And then taking her answers and the curricular outcomes and designing a learning plan that incorporated all of this, plus embedded technology.
But she can't

She's stuck in a traditional school, in a traditional classroom, and she's just putting in time. What a waste. But the truth is there are thousands of students bogged down in this exact situation.

In all honesty, I used to run one of those classrooms. But at a pivotal point in my teaching journey, I was presented with the opportunity to do things differently. I won't pretend for a moment that it's been easy. It hasn't. But it's been worth every moment, to see my classroom come alive. I shared part of the story here in a recent TEDx talk:
We start in the wrong place
So often in education we focus on the wrong things. Test scores. Marks. Awards. Simon Sinek has it right. We need to start with why. So often we start with other things like the what (curriculum) and the how (instructional strategies). I'm not saying content isn't important. I want my doctor, lawyer & accountant to all know their content. But we've lost sight that it's what you do with the content that matters. Memorizing & regurgitating falls miserably short of equipping our students.

As Sinek states:

Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say why, I don't mean to make money - that's a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief. WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?

I think teachers and school organizations need to ask themselves the Why questions, beginning with: Why do we own the learning and not our students? Or, as Will Richardson so eloquently posits, Why School?

Why do we have so many students like the one I know, frustrated and bored, just waiting to be challenged? We've made education about manipulation and hoops instead of inspiring our students to pursue learning that matters to them - learning that can help them make a difference in our communities and the world.

When I ask someone why they became a teacher, often it's because they "love kids" or "want to make a difference." That's a pretty vague why.
So what do I believe? What is my why?
I believe students are fully competent to be co-creators of their own learning environments.

I believe that students can change the world; they are not the future; they are right now.

I believe that students need skills that go far beyond the content of most curricula.

I believe that students want to learn, but often they lack the environment that sparks the emergence of passionate, life-long learners.

I believe that my students have a voice and it should be heard.

I believe students can read at their appropriate grade level and still be illiterate.

I believe that each of my students has unique talents and interests that should merge with our learning environment at school.

I believe my students are not empty vessels waiting to be filled.

I believe that my students need to develop metacognitive skills and make their thinking visible.

I believe that students are fully capable of differentiating their own learning.

I believe my students are creative and can teach me important things.

I believe school shouldn't be a place where young people go to watch older people work hard.

I believe, if given the chance and the right support, my students will become more than they ever thought they could be.

I believe that once students begin to see their talents and gifts, they will grow in confidence.
As a teacher:
I believe that my classroom should be a place of joy, engagement, learning and play.

I believe that I should be less helpful.

I believe that I should ask more questions, and offer fewer answers.

I believe that I should model what learning, failing, grit & perseverance look like.

I believe that I should take risks, even when I'm afraid.

I believe it's crucial to use content to teach skills.

I believe that the most important question I often ask my students is, "What do you need?"

I believe that I am not the all-knowing guru, nor do I want to be.

I believe I need to be transparent with my learning and who I am.

I believe that kids need a life outside of school, so I don't believe in homework - at least not the rote, meaningless stuff that's usually assigned.
The how and what come from our why
What we truly believe about our students informs the structures of our classrooms. Whose voices are heard most frequently? Whose are silenced? Our beliefs about students dictate who designs and drives the learning.

In my own classroom, the how has taken the form of an inquiry-based, PBL, tech-embedded classroom. My students drive the learning, and starting with curricular outcomes, outline what they're going to learn, how they're going to learn it, and how they're going to show me their learning.

The what has resulted in my students creating a Holocaust museum, launching a multi-media campaign against modern day slavery, and (as you heard in the video) raising over $22,000 to help rebuild schools in a war-torn country. They also work on much smaller projects, individually and collaboratively. But we never start with what. We always start with why.
What stops teachers from putting the Why first?
Fear. I think we're afraid. I think we're afraid of losing control and looking incompetent. I think we're afraid of not knowing what will happen. I think we're afraid that we won't figure out how to shift our classroom or use the new technology. I think we're afraid of being different than the other teachers in our school - of being an outcast.

The truth is, I've felt all these fears and experienced all of these situations. But I still wouldn't teach differently than I do now.

There's a power in student-driven learning that's contagious and exhilirating. Being an inquiry teacher has made me a better thinker and learner. It's made me a better Educator with a capital "E".

If you want to join me in making a difference, start with WHY.

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Start with Why: The power of student-driven learning

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I know a high school student who is quite amazing. She's keen. She's hungry. She wants to be challenged. She's also bored out of her mind. Frustrated. Angry. Because the truth is, she's just jumping through hoops, and she knows it.

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Student-centered learning, also known as learner-centered education, broadly encompasses methods of teaching that shift the focus of instruction from the teacher to the student.

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TED talk

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The power of student-driven learning: Shelley Wright at TEDxWestVancouverED

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TED talk

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Blending technology and classroom learning: Jessie Woolley-Wilson at TEDxRainier

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ERIC - Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success, Jossey-Bass, An Imprint of Wiley, 2003-Aug

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This book draws on current research and best practice to show how to integrate technology into teaching in higher education. The book provides a theoretical and pedagogical foundation for helping instructors make critical decisions about the use of technology within the college curriculum.