In response to this research,
educators have developed "learner-centred" or
"student-centred" pedagogy, and Monash encourages teachers to take a
student-centred and active learning approach to designing, implementing and
reviewing their courses.
Why does student-centred teaching
work so well?
“Student-centred teaching is not just a different style of
teaching” (Margaret A.L.
Blackiea, Student-centredness: the link
between transforming students and transforming ourselves, (2010 p638). Student-centered teaching focuses on the student.
Decision-making, organization, and content are largely determined by the
student’s needs and perceptions. Student-centred teaching allows students to
create knowledge, as opposed to passively receiving information, and encourages
deep learning. A student-centred approach focuses primarily on what the student
needs to do in order to learn, rather than on the course content or the
transmission of information by the teacher. Even assessment may be influenced
or determined by the student. The instructor acts as coach and facilitator. In
many respects, the goal of this type of teaching is the development of the
student’s cognitive abilities.
How do I, as a language teacher, implement
student-centred teaching?
To be student-centred in our
teaching, I believe that I need to know the following about my students,
particularly in a large class of diverse cultures.
• Who Are My Learners?
Students are individuals. They differ from each other in
many ways, including how they like to learn.
• What Are They Learning?
My unit outline will set out the desired learning outcomes
of the course, which in turn will be aligned with Monash graduate attributes.
Where should I start when I write a unit outline?
• How Do They Learn?
The answer depends on the students themselves, the nature of
the content we're teaching and the learning activities we are devising to
enable them to construct their own learning.
With student-centred-teaching, what your students do
is as important for their learning as what you as the teacher tell them.
Reference:
- Thomas J. Shuell, Cognitive Conceptions of Learning, Review of Educational Research, Vol. 56, No. 4 (Winter, 1986), pp. 411-436
- Margaret A.L. Blackiea*, Jennifer M. Caseb and Jeff Jawitzc, Student-centredness: the link between transforming students and transforming ourselves, 4 May 2010, pp638
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