Student Centered Learning

One of a teacher’s most fundamental responsibilities is to create a classroom community: to facilitate in the building of a context where all students are able to engage in deep learning. While all teachers create classroom communities in some manner, those who have shifted their desired goal from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered demonstrate commitment creating classroom communities that are inclusive. That is, all students, regardless of the categories of social groups to which they belong, and other categorical ways of being sorted (e.g., dis/ability), are ensured access to and participation in learning and development. This chapter provides a discussion of the multiple forms of culture that converge in classrooms, and which provide the contexts for teachers to create inclusive learning environments where all students have access to, participation in, and success with the curriculum and interactions within them. In order to consciously build a classroom culture that is inclusive and supportive for all of its students, it is important to consider how culture both constrains and affords opportunities to learn within every classroom. These forms of culture include cultures in the classroom, which are the cultural practices and values that students and teachers bring with them, the school culture, or the ingrained practices of the educational system and school building, and classroom cultures, the work and activity that students and teachers do together (Artiles, 2007). This chapter relies on these notions to illustrate two teachers' approaches to student-centered teaching, and as a result, more inclusive classrooms.

Objectives
The aim of the study was to develop and consider the usefulness of a new mixed-methods approach to evaluate the student-centredness of teaching and learning on undergraduate medical courses. An essential paradigm for the evaluation was the coherence between how teachers conceptualise their practice (espoused theories) and their actual practice (theories-in-use).

Methods
The context was a module within an integrated basic sciences course in an undergraduate medical degree programme. The programme had an explicit intention of providing a student-centred curriculum. A content analysis framework based on Weimer's dimensions of student-centred teaching was used to analyze data collected from individual interviews with seven teachers to identify espoused theories and 34h of classroom observations and one student focus group to identify theories-in-use. The interviewees were identified by purposeful sampling. The findings from the three methods were triangulated to evaluate the student-centredness of teaching and learning on the course.

Results
Different, but complementary, perspectives of the student-centredness of teaching and learning were identified by each method. The triangulation of the findings revealed coherence between the teachers' espoused theories and theories-in-use.

Conclusions
A mixed-methods approach that combined classroom observations with interviews from a purposeful sample of teachers and students offered a useful evaluation of the extent of student-centredness of teaching and learning of this basic science course. Our case study suggests that this new approach is applicable to other courses in medical education.

The customization of education becomes an obvious option for total quality management-oriented universities, and, therefore, flexible and rapid reactions are expected from universities. In response, universities become more learning outcome - focused as well as more focused on the development of competencies recognized by employers. This paper aims at presenting an integrating perspective on the student-centred-learning concept as an accumulation of practices and learning experiences that determine an individual’s professional development and shape his personality. The research explores the best practices achieved through education based on learning outcomes and student-centred economic faculties, within eight universities in Romania. The research was conducted by consulting the websites of the universities and faculties included in the analysis. The review standard for each faculty included: the type and content of the programs of study offered in the three stages of education, organization and methods of disseminating research results, and services provided to students, including extracurricular activities. The results of the analysis confirm that the surveyed universities have dedicated and focused their efforts to reorganize the curricula according to the requirements of the labor market, and increase the overall quality of education. However, student-centred learning practices are dissipated and quite restricted in the study programs. As a result of this analysis, the paper presents various measures that universities may take into consideration in order to ensure the spread of active learning practices in all educational programs.

ABSTRACT

The objective of the research is to examine the process of student-centered learning (SCL) approach as a step for improving the quality in the Bridging Program (BP) at the Economics Faculty of Islamic University of Indonesia. The BP is held in 100 minutes of four meetings a week for the freshmen at the Departments of Management and Economics, designed to bridge the gap between student’s life in secondary schools and the higher learning education, and to facilitate students in developing their soft skills being active independent learners. Examination is focused on primary data obtained form documentation, interview, observation and focus group discussion (FGD) involving students and lecturers of the Program, using qualitative method that is a case study.
The results show that (1) the SCL approach employing a number of learning tools such as computer, projector, colorful paper and marker, bottle, water and so onhas significant impact in various learning activities such as small group and class discussion, debate, role play, simulation, and project.  The approach also encourages students to be more active and joyful to learn as compared to another approach namely teacher-centered learning approach. (2) As a consequence of the approach use, the class facilities such as chairs, sound systems, computers facilities are unable to accommodate the demand for the students who are more active, whereas the classes are unable to be conducted optimally due to lecturer-to-student ratio which is very small. (3) The SCL approach provides more satisfaction to the students as they can express their desire, capacity and ability to analyze the subject.

Keywords: Student-centered learning, bridging program, independent learners

A utilização da tecnologia como mediadora do processo de ensino e de aprendizagem tem sido um aspeto incontornável no Ensino Superior e nas prioridades institucionais. A sua utilização tem sido, no entanto, mais norteada por um paradigma de disponibilização em vez de ser norteada por um paradigma de potenciação. Este estudo procura discutir o papel da tecnologia como potenciadora da aprendizagem, através da introdução de um conceito de aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia. Nesse sentido o estudo procura apresentar um referencial de qualidade dos pressupostos para a existência de uma aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia que permita orientar os diversos atores para práticas de qualidade na utilização da tecnologia e facilitar o desenho de instrumentos de avaliação, autoavaliação e monitorização.
Assente num método de Grounded Theory, sustentado em abordagens interpretativas e qualitativas, o estudo procura identificar os alicerces da aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia através da identificação de instâncias e da formulação de conceitos reveladores de práticas de qualidade. Paralelamente, o estudo desenha um quadro referencial de qualidade que procura identificar dimensões e indicadores que permitam avaliar a qualidade dos pressupostos fundamentais para a concretização de uma aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia.
O quadro referencial, assim como a definição do conceito de aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia, foi sustentado metodologicamente em dois estudos: (i) um estudo teórico, no qual foram identificados os alicerces da aprendizagem potenciada pela tecnologia no Ensino Superior, assim como uma revisão de modelos e de instrumentos nacionais e internacionais; e (ii) um estudo empírico que inclui a realização de entrevistas individuais a docentes, membros de órgãos de gestão e staff de suporte; Focus-Group a estudantes; e entrevistas a especialistas no sentido de suportar a discussão e validação do referencial.

The use of technology as a mediator of the teaching and learning process has been one inevitable aspect in Higher Education and in the institutional priorities. Its use has been however more guided by a paradigm of delivery rather than
being guided by a paradigm of empowerment. This study intends to discuss the role of technology as learning enhancer through the introduction of the concept of technology-enhanced learning. Futhermore, the study aims to present a quality framework about the requirements for the existence of learning enhanced by technology. This framework can guide the various stakeholders for quality practices in the use of technology and facilitate the design of assessment, self-assessment and monitoring instruments.
Based in a Grounded Theory method and sustained in interpretive and qualitative approaches, the study aims to identify the scaffold of technology-enhanced learning through the identification of instances and the formulation of concepts that suggest practices with quality. Alongside the study draws a quality framework that identifies dimensions and indicators that allow evaluating the quality of the requirements for the existence of technology-enhanced learning.
The quality framework, as well as the definition of technology-enhanced learning, was methodologically sustained in two main studies: (i) a theoretical study, in which were identified the scaffold of technology-enhanced learning in Higher Education, as well as a review of national and international models and instruments, and (ii) an empirical study which includes individual interviews with teaching and non-teaching staff and management bodies; a Focus-Group with students; and interviews with e-Learning specialists to support the discussion and validation of the framework.