Posts Tagged ‘learner-centered teaching’
February 7 - Long-Term Benefits of Learner-Centered Instruction
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching and Learning
Often these questions are raised about courses using learner-centered approaches: What if this is the only learner-centered course taken by the student? Is one course enough to make a difference?
There is growing evidence that courses with learner-centered approaches—those approaches that use active learning strategies to engage students directly in learning processes—enhance academic achievement and promote the development of important learning skills, such as critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to cooperatively work with others. But does the experience of being made responsible for learning transcend that individual course?
December 5 - How Technology Can Improve Learner-Centered Teaching
By: Mary Bart in Instructional Design
For faculty looking to create a more learner-centered environment there are always a few bumps in the road. First they need to get used to no longer being the “sage on the stage” and then there’s the adjustment period for students who aren’t used to being active participants in their learning. In many ways, technology
September 14 - Learner-Centered Technology: Aligning Tools with Learning Goals
By: Mary Bart in Online Seminars
The technological tools available for learner-centered instruction continue to advance, presenting faculty with opportunities and challenges. This seminar provides faculty with a roadmap for matching the best tools to course learning outcomes.
September 8 - Student Learning in Progress: Deciding When and How to Intervene
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
I’ve been a bit surprised as I continue to work on the new edition of my Learner-Centered Teaching book at the number of things I still haven’t figured out in the 10 years since I first wrote the book. There are some challenging conundrums associated with implementing these approaches.
July 21 - 7 Learner-Centered Principles to Improve Your Teaching
By: Mary Bart in Online Seminars
Most of us are being asked to do more—teach more, assess more, report more, publish more. This seminar will help you use your limited time wisely, because it’s done all the heavy lifting. You’ll not only gain new insights into how students learn but also learn about practical and effective teaching strategies that reflect the latest research.
July 15 - A Learner-Centered Approach Affects Student Motivation
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching and Learning
Most of the time research evidence grows by bits and pieces—not all at once, and the evidence documenting the effectiveness of learner-centered approaches is no exception. It continues to accumulate, as illustrated by this study. It occurred in a third-year pharmacotherapy course in a doctor of pharmacy program. The students were randomly assigned to five- and six-member groups, with each group being assigned a patient case with multiple drug-related problems.
June 27 - Designing Effective Clicker Questions by Going Beyond Factual Recall
By: Mary Bart in Instructional Design
At one point, a General Chemistry course at Penn State Berks had a success rate of about 50 percent, giving the multi-section course the dubious distinction of having one of the lowest GPAs on campus. After a thorough redesign, the course now consistently achieves a success rate of well over 70 percent, while the student ratings of the course and the instructors have never been higher. The key element in this chemistry course’s redesign? Clickers.
June 21 - A Role for Student Choice in Assessment?
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
Giving students some choice about which assignments they will complete or letting them decide how much the assignments will count in a grading scheme are learner-centered strategies that help develop student responsibility for learning. The ideas are simple: rather than a teacher mandated sequence of assignments, students are presented with assignment options and they decide which ones they will complete. Or, students do all the teacher selected assignments but determined what percentage of the grade each assignment is worth. Lots of variations are possible. In my graduate course on college teaching, students completed all five assignments, with each being worth 10 percent of their grade. I gave students the other 50% of their grade and let them divvy up that amount between the assignments.
June 1 - Changing the Way We Teach: Making the Case for Learner-Centered Teaching
By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching Professor Blog
“Why should we change the way we teach?” a marketing professor asked with an honest gaze and a smile that bespoke sincerity. It was early in a workshop session just after I’d introduced the idea of learner-centered teaching and explained why students should be doing more of the learning tasks themselves.
April 20 - Using Clickers to Engage Students and Maximize Learning
By: Mary Bart in Online Seminars
You know student engagement is important for learning, but it’s not always easy to activate, especially in large classrooms. Students may limit participation because they’re intimidated, unprepared, shy or scared. Worse yet, if they’re lost, you won’t know it. Find out how clickers can help you connect with students, even in the largest lecture hall.
Dr. Ike Shibley is an associate professor of chemistry at Penn State Berks, a small four-year college within the Penn State system. An engaging and animated presenter, his pedagogical research interests involve exploring ways to facilitate cognitive development in college students and finding the most productive methods for enhancing student learning. He has won university-wide teaching awards and enjoys mentoring new faculty.