Where does the term “student-centered learning” come from

Where does the term "student-centered learning" come from, and what terms are similar?

· Carl Rogers’ client-centered therapy

· Bruner’s "discovery learning"

· "Inquiry learning"

· Problem-based learning

· Current interest in constructivism

What do these terms have in common?

§ Teacher does not present finished product for learning

§ Trusts students enough to let them make many choices about their own learning

§ Emphasis on process

§ Belief that learning is more effective if students build it themselves

Examples of this kind of learning:

§ Science lesson on magnets

§ Shared inquiry method of Junior Great Books

§ Might be guided discovery as in a field trip…pre, post, and during

§ "Active learning" and "applied learning" in video

Good teacher-facilitators have these traits:

 Genuineness – no façade

 Accepting and prizing each student as a human being with worth

 Empathetic

 Know their subject well

 Believe that students can learn

 Have a positive self-concept

 Believe in helping all students do their best

 Use many different methods of instruction

Belief in this approach to teaching does NOT mean that you can get by without lesson plans or objectives.

Structure is still important, but it may not be an obvious kind of structure.

"Hands-on" activities have little worth in and of themselves. They should be connected to the curriculum and help achieve objectives.

In a Constructivist Classroom...

Student autonomy and initiative are accepted and encouraged.
By respecting students' ideas and encouraging independent thinking, teachers help students attain their own intellectual identity. Students who frame questions and issues and then go about analyzing and answering them take responsibility for their own learning and become problem solvers.

The teacher asks open-ended questions and allows wait time for responses.
Reflective thought takes time and is often built on others' ideas and comments. The ways teachers ask questions and the ways students respond will structure the success of student inquiry.
Higher-level thinking is encouraged.
The constructivist teacher challenges students to reach beyond the simple factual response. He encourages students to connect and summarize concepts by analyzing, predicting, justifying, and defending their ideas.
Students are engaged in dialogue with the teacher and with each other.
Social discourse helps students change or reinforce their ideas. If they have the chance to present what they think and hear others' ideas, students can build a personal knowledge base that they understand. Only when they feel comfortable enough to express their ideas will meaningful classroom dialogue occur.
Students are engaged in experiences that challenge hypotheses and encourage discussion.
When allowed to make predictions, students often generate varying hypotheses about natural phenomena. The constructivist teacher provides ample opportunities for students to test their hypotheses, especially through group discussion of concrete experiences.
The class uses raw data, primary sources, manipulatives, physical, and interactive materials.
The constructivist approach involves students in real-world possibilities, then helps them generate the abstractions that bind phenomena together.
These suggestions are adapted from In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms by Jacqueline G. Brooks and Martin G. Brooks (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1993)