Student Centered Learning: Successes, Failures & Strategies

"It's not that student-centered instruction doesn't work when done correctly,  [...]   Although the promised benefits are real, they are neither immediate nor automatic.  The students, whose teachers have been telling them everything they needed to know from the first grade on, don't necessarily appreciate having this support suddenly withdrawn.  Some students view the approach as a threat or as some kind of game, and a few may become sullen or hostile when they find they have no choice about playing. 
[...]
Good lecturers may feel awkward when they start using student-centered methods, and their course-end ratings may initially drop.  It is tempting for professors to give up in the face of all that, and many unfortunately do.  But giving up is a mistake."

--Felder & Brent (1996)

In this session we take a look at some of the common challenges and how to address them.  



Outline

• Introduction (10 min): The data on SCL & mapping common challenges
• Break-out groups (20 min): Solutions to common challenges
• Synthesis (20 min): group Presentations

References

Sample case-study:

• Armbruster et. al (2009)

Some meta-analyses of SCL:

• Cornelius-White (2007)
• Dochy et. al. (2003)
• Vernon & Blake (1992) 

And an excellent discussion of Challenges & suggestions