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Module 4
Lecture Notes: Part 1

 

Student-Centered and Project-Based Learning

"We never educate directly, but indirectly by means of the environment. Whether we permit chance environments to do the work, or whether we design environments for the purpose makes a great difference."
John Dewey, 1906 ["Self-activity in education: its conditions and obstacles," Columbia University Quarterly 8: 307]

All three types of learning addressed in this module are closely interrelated features of backward design, which is, more or less, a practical implementation of constructivism to education.
To be successful, each type must incorporate key features of the others. For example, student-centered learning must involve collaborative problem-solving activities, project-based learning must involve self-directed student-interaction contexts, and team-based learning must focus on student engagement in authentic real-world problems (Hacker and Niederhauser, 2000).
The three types of learning are presented separately simply to facilitate highlighting their distinguishing features. 
 

A. Student-Centered Learning

Overview

Student-centered learning (also referred to as learner-centered or self-regulated learning) is characterized by more varied assignment offerings, more first-hand exploratory learning experiences, and higher interactivity than traditional, teacher-centered approaches. Online learning lends itself well to this approach due to both necessity (e.g. the instructor of an online course can no longer be at the center of the learning process) and possibility (e.g. online environments support extensive exploration of multiple types of interaction contexts among students and between students and learning resources).

 
Well-designed, student-centered approaches have been shown to improve learning, as measured by the number of new concepts learned in a given course and by the students' ability to apply concepts learned to contexts different from those in which the information was originally presented (Doyle, 2008; Mazur, 1997). This has been shown to also be the case for counterintuitive concepts, which have traditionally been the most difficult to retain, let alone understand (Doyle, 2008; Wienman and Perkins, 2005).

 

Contrary to what its name may suggest, student-centered learning entails neither students freely shaping their own "classroom" experience nor instructors spending less time preparing for a class. Rather, it entails instructors creating student challenges that

1. apply and assess the course's learning objectives,
2. are supported by well-selected resources that present the material in a variety of contexts and address a variety of learning styles,
3. encourage students to work together and learn from each other, and
4. help reveal student attitudes towards learning, offering opportunities for mutual (i.e. by the instructor and the students) adjustment.

In other words, student-centered learning entails instructors helping students discover for themselves the knowledge and skills offered in a course, by carving a challenging but well-supported discovery path for them to explore. Course content and instructor expertise are, therefore, still central to learning. What is new is the manner in which learning unfolds (i.e. instructors lay down the path and students lead the path's exploration) and the final outcome (i.e. significantly improved motivation, satisfaction, confidence, and, not surprisingly, success). Discovering rather than being given knowledge provides students with a sense of ownership of the materials that helps promote deep learning.

When it comes to how and what students should learn, the false dichotomy between focusing on facts versus focusing on problem-solving and critical-thinking skills obscures the close interdependence between fact and skill acquisition. Without an adequate level of initial learning of facts, development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills cannot be expected. Both, fact and skill acquisition are therefore necessary and both are enhanced when attached to meaningful and interactive problem-solving activities (Bransford et al., 2003).

Questions and answers guiding student-centered course design

Q. What do I need to control to effectively teach this course?
A. Regular student involvement in objectives-based, challenging, and graded
    learning activities.

 

Q. What can I give over to the students?
A. The "spotlight" (i.e. priority on content commentary and discussions).

 

Q. How can I create a real community in the classroom?
A. Create engaging (i.e. authentic, relevant, interesting, well-supported, and important see "graded") interaction contexts.

 

Q. How can I get students to take more responsibility for their learning?
A. Provide students with the minimum necessary resources to address the
    course challenges, along with information on the type and possible
    location of additional relevant resources.

A. Learn who your students are and how they think [you may use a learning-
    styles survey, such as this concise survey by Conner (2003) or one of
    the many extensive surveys available online; see also the VARK Inventory of
    learning-styles questionnaires].

A. Address possible unconstructive preconceptions. E.g.:
         Dispel the myth that intelligence is fixed at birth.
         Help students appreciate effort as a tool to improve intelligence and
            abilities rather than a sign of weakness.
         Help students see failure as a constructive, intermediate step in the
            path to success.

 

Q. How do I address student resistance to teamwork and to the transfer of
     responsibility to them?
A. Don’t give in to the students’ initial complaining and unhappiness with this
    new approach. Communicate to them that learning is a social and
    emotional process, most learning occurs in community, and professionals
    rarely operate in isolation.

    Remain consistent, model expected behavior, and persist until their first
    success (usually by the first two to three assignments) eases their
    resistance.
 
 

For more information you may consult

• an expanded discussion on similar tips (Chickering and Gamson, 1987),
• some implementation ideas for the digital classroom (Chickering and Ehrmann, 1996), and
• a set of learner-centered assessment tips (Waterloo University, Canada).

Courses following the backward-design process are, by definition, student centered, while all well-designed, student-centered learning always also incorporates project- and team-based learning contexts.

 

B. Project-Based Learning

Overview

Project- or problem-based learning (PBL) is probably the most common form of challenge-based or authentic learning. Other forms include case-based learning, inquiry learning, learning by design, and more. Forms differ in challenge type and in the corresponding mental processes involved (e.g. exploration, reflection, role-playing, or construction/design respectively).

 

Regardless of the specific challenge in question, all versions are similar in that they first present students with a challenge, which becomes the context for seeking information. Consequently, learning is not the result of instruction but of working toward the understanding or resolution of a problem. Challenges must be carefully structured so that important course content is covered naturally, emerging from the exploration of the challenge. This is probably the most difficult course-design task facing instructors.

Features of PBL

• PBL is student-centered, integrated, and collaborative, with instructors assuming a facilitating/guiding role.
• PBL employs challenges that focus student efforts on the selected objectives and content, stimulate the students' desire to learn, and provide opportunities for the development of critical-thinking skills.

Students who engage in PBL ideally acquire

• an extensive, integrated, and multidisciplinary knowledge base,
• critical- and creative-thinking competencies,
• problem-solving proficiency,
• self-directed learning strategies, and
• collaborative skills.

 
For a more detailed outline of the features and advantages of challenge-based learning you may consult Tomorrow's Professor Mailing List (Stanford University) and the References and Additional Resources page of Module 4.

   

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Continue to Part 2 - Team-Based Learning