In the 1930s, if not earlier, American educators used the terms “teacher-centered” and “student-centered” to describe two approaches to instruction. In the teacher-centered approach, teachers are the primary origin for knowledge. On the other hand, student-centered approach emphasizes on each student's interests and abilities, placing the teacher as a facilitator of learning for individuals, and for the class as a whole. Theorists like John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky focused on how students learn and informed the move to student-centered learning. Furthermore, Armstrong claimed that traditional education ignores or put down responsibility of learner.
Student-centred learning put responsibility for learning in the hands of students by relating them with skills and basis on how to learn a specific subject. When students are given the chance to work out their learning, learning becomes a stimulant. Maria Montessori focused on preschool children learn by independent self-directed interaction with previous activities. (Pedersen & Liu, 2003) and there are many studies like her.
But what about university students? I believe that methods and approaches in school sittings should be modified in order to suit university sittings. Also, there should be different methods and approaches according to the specialty. Furthermore, the instructor should keep in mind that there is variety of students’ abilities, so some of them still need help from instructors, specifically low students.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Teaching Methods and strategies
Feedback and evaluation
Conflicts Of Interest
References
Introduction
In the 1930s, if not earlier, American educators used the terms “teacher-centered” and “student-centered” to describe two approaches to instruction. In the teacher-centered approach, teachers are the primary origin for knowledge. On the other hand, student-centered approach emphasizes on each student's interests and abilities, placing the teacher as a facilitator of learning for individuals, and for the class as a whole. (Pederson & Liu, 2003) Theorists like John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky focused on how students learn and informed the move to student-centered learning. Furthermore, Armstrong claimed that traditional education ignores or put down responsibility of learner. (Kraft, 1994)
Student-centred learning put responsibility for learning in the hands of students by relating them with skills and basis on how to learn a specific subject. When students are given the chance to work out their learning, learning becomes a stimulant. Maria Montessori focused on preschool children learn by independent self-directed interaction with previous activities. (Pedersen & Liu, 2003) and there are many studies like her.
But what about university students? I believe that methods and approaches in school sittings should be modified in order to suit university sittings. Also, there should be different methods and approaches according to the specialty. Furthermore, the instructor should keep in mind that there is variety of students’ abilities, so some of them still need help from instructors, specifically low students.
Teaching Methods and strategies
Student-centered learning environments show effectiveness in higher education.
(Wright, 2011) For public health specialty, effective approaches in my opinion could be group discussion at classroom, presentation, peer-to-peer learning, problem-solving, critical thinking and reflective thinking. Also, select a topic out of prepared list will provide an opportunity for the student to choose a preferable topic. Moreover, challenging questions would stimulate students specially those who like challenges, and weekly open-book quiz would encourage students to read the content of the course week by week. The latter strategy would bring big benefits for students, especially at exams of midterm and final.
Benjamin Franklin said “Tell me ... I forget. Teach me... I remember. Involve me … I learn”. (Bean, 2011) Group discussion would give the chance to all students to say their ideas and opinion on a certain subject. It increases student's listening skills and confidence in expressing opinions. (Aamodt, 1983) it could be topic-based or case-based group discussion. However, some people do not prefer group-discussion strategy as it is easy to get cast away; may cause conflict within the class when opposing opinions are given; will be harder for visual learners to understand; and a few students will dominate the discussion. (Bean, 2011)
Regarding oral presentation, according to Girard & Trapp in 2011, the possible benefits include: higher interaction and participation, more interest in learning, new perspectives not covered else ways, boost communication and presentation skills. Presentation generally, helps students to function successfully in the future profession, and preparing them for their possible academic careers. (Živković, 2014).
For Peer-to-peer learning, it means students teaching other students. (Beth and Cutts, 2012) It refers to any instruction makes students interact with one another, and that includes approaches like collaborative and cooperative learning, small group work, and peer education. (Cerbin, 2010). Peer Instruction which developed by Eric Mazur, usually takes place in large lecture classes, in which the instructor poses a thought-stimulating question. Written responses of Students will take a minute; discusses their answers with a classmate partner so as to reach consensus; thereafter the instructor can ask them to find out the preferred responses and subsequently decide whether and how to teach the concept under study. Another type of peer instruction is study Groups which has been criticized that students perform more poorly on memory tasks than if they learn individually. (Cerbin, 2010) Other type is learning cells in which consisted of 2-3 students who mutually ask and answer questions, or assess each other’s written work. (ASHE, 2009) It is an effective strategy because it is a cost-effective method of both training and development. Also, learners share similar experiences and circumstances. (Albright, 2018) Effective peer depends upon many factors, like learning goals, students' skills, facilitation by instructor, etc.
Regarding Critical thinking, it includes a wide range of thinking skills leading toward good outcomes, and reflective thinking takes care of the process of making sense about what has happened. However, reflective thinking is most important in arousing learning during difficult problem-solving situations because it provides students with a chance to step back and think about how they actually solve problems and how a particular set of strategies is appropriated for achieving their goal. Whilst Critical thinking which is directed thinking because it focuses on a desired outcome (Hawaii, 2019)
With respect to open-book quiz strategy, the teacher is viewed as a facilitator who transfers information from the textbook to the minds of students. So, advantages vary according to perspectives of the student and the instructor. For students, there would to be less stress in studying because they don't have to memorize anything, (The Sunday times, 1998) and helps average students to get good scores. Cognitive load theory stated that the single most important thing for teachers to know. Therefore, reducing the level of information would avoids overloading or boring students. (Sweller, 1988) In general, if an examination is to test memorization, then closed book examinations are appropriate, but if the examination is to test skills of problem solving and critical thinking, then open book examinations are appropriate. (Gujral and Gupta, 2017)
However, instructor should keep in mind that more expert learners can study independently, but the vast majority will need careful guidance when encountering new information. (Hendrick, 2017)
Feedback and evaluation
It is important to check understanding of students of common misconceptions before moving to a new chapter. Dylan Wiliam suggests that “hinge-point questions” are of great use, which should take maximum two minutes, and ideally less than one minute, for all students to respond to the questions. (Hendrick, 2017)
In addition, to get sure that the applied method and strategy are useful the instructor should ask students and gets feedback. If the majority reply negatively, then the instructor should think of an alternative method / strategy. On-line evaluation would be a good idea on condition that the whole class participate in order to read all opinions of low, average and high students.
In short, involving students in teaching approaches will make learning experience more interesting, encourage them to participate, support learner independency, increase self-confidence, strengthen social ties between the classmates, stimulates deep thinking, and eventually improve the grades of students. However, effectiveness of student-centered learning depends on appropriate strategies, good instructor and good responses from students too.
Conflicts Of Interest
The author declares no conflict of interest. Financial disclosure: none.
References
1. Aamodt, Michael G (1983). "Academic Ability and Student Preference for Discussion Group Activities". Teaching of Psychology. 10 (2): 117–19. doi:10.1207/s15328023top1002_22
2. ASHE. (June 2009).Types of peer teaching used in higher education. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report. Volume 17, Issue 4, Pages: 13-32
3. Bean, John C. (2011).Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom, 2nd Edition. USA, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. SBN-13: 978-0470532904. ISBN-10: 0470532904
4. Bill Cabrin. (April 2010). Peer learning: Collaborative peer techniques. Exploring how students learn. Wisconsin: Center for advancing teaching and learning.
5. Carl Hendrick. (Oct 2017). Teachers: your guide to learning strategies that really work. The Guardian. Teacher Network. Retrieved on July 19, 2019. From: www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2017/oct/27/teachers-your-guide-to-learning-strategies-that-really-work
6. Gujral S., Gupta M. (2017).International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM). Volume 5, Issue07, Pages 6034-6038. DOI: 10.18535/ijsrm/v5i7.28
7. Hawii.edu. Reflective Thinking: RT. Retrieved on July 15, 2019. From: www.hawaii.edu/intlrel/pols382/Reflective%20Thinking%20-%20UH/reflection.html
8. Kraft, R. G. (1994). Bike riding and the art of learning. In L. B. Barnes, C. Roland Christensen, & A. J. Hansen (Eds.), Teaching and the case method. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, Pg. 41.
9. Pedersen, S., & Liu, M. (2003). Teachers’ beliefs about issues in the implementation of a student-centered learning environment . Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(2), 57-76.
10. Simon, Beth and Quintin, Cutts (2012). Peer Instruction: A Teaching Method to Foster Deep Understanding, Communications of the ACM, Vol. 55 No. 2, Pages 27-29, DOI: 10.1145/2076450.2076459
11. Sweller, J (June 1988). "Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning". Cognitive Science. 12 (2): 257–285.
12. The Sunday Times (1998) Open mind on open tests. The Sunday Times, 8 March 1998.
13. Wright, Gloria Brown (2011). "Student-Centered Learning in Higher Education". International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. 23 (3): 93–94. ISSN 1812-9129
Frequently asked questions
What is the main focus of this text?
This document previews content related to teaching methodologies, specifically focusing on student-centered learning approaches in higher education, particularly within public health specialties. It discusses various techniques, evaluation methods, and potential conflicts of interest.
What teaching methods are discussed in the document?
The document discusses group discussions, presentations, peer-to-peer learning, problem-solving, critical thinking, reflective thinking, and the use of open-book quizzes.
What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of group discussions according to the text?
Benefits include increased interaction and participation, diverse perspectives, and boosted communication skills. Drawbacks include the potential for getting sidetracked, conflicts arising from opposing opinions, difficulty for visual learners, and domination by a few students.
What are the different types of peer-to-peer learning mentioned?
The text mentions Peer Instruction (as developed by Eric Mazur), study groups, and learning cells as examples of peer-to-peer learning.
What is the difference between critical thinking and reflective thinking as described in the document?
Critical thinking involves a wide range of thinking skills directed towards a desired outcome. Reflective thinking focuses on making sense of past experiences and is particularly useful in problem-solving situations.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of open-book quizzes?
Advantages for students include reduced stress in studying and the potential for average students to achieve good scores. From a cognitive load theory perspective, it reduces the level of information, avoiding overloading or boring students. Appropriate for tests for problem solving and critical thinking. If the goal is memorization a closed book is more applicable.
What does the document suggest about evaluating student understanding?
The document suggests using "hinge-point questions" to quickly check for common misconceptions and regularly seeking feedback from students on the effectiveness of teaching methods and strategies, with online evaluations suggested as an option.
Does the author declare any conflicts of interest?
The author declares no conflicts of interest and no financial disclosures.
What theorists are mentioned in the introduction?
John Dewey, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.
Why is reflective thinking important during difficult problem solving?
Because it provides students with a chance to step back and think about how they solve problems and how to best achieve their goal.
- Quote paper
- Dr-Eham Al-Ajlouni (Author), 2019, Student-centred learning. How to apply at public health departments/health sciences colleges?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/496803
