EDUC.

104 FACILITATING LEARNER-CENTERED TEACHING

Facilitated learning is where the students are encouraged to take more control of
their learning process. The trainer's role becomes that of a facilitator and organizer
providing resources and support to learners. ... They might also set their own objectives
and be responsible for learning assessment.

FACILITATING LEARNING INTRODUCTION

1. The knowledge base

• One’s knowledge serves as the foundation of all future learning.

2. Strategic processing and control

• Learners can develop skills to reflect and regulate their thoughts and behaviors in order to learn more
effectively.

3. Motivation and affect

• Factors such as intrinsic motivation, reasons for wanting to learn, personal goals and enjoyment of
learning tasks all have a crucial role in the learning process.

4. Development and Individual Differences

• Learning is a unique journey for each person because each learner has his own unique combination of
genetic and environmental factors that influence him.

5. Situation or context

• Learning happens in the context of a society as well as within an individual.

10 Characteristics of Learner-Centered Experiences

1. "Are Personal"

 "Personal learning connects to learner’s beliefs, strengths, experiences, and passions to start from
where the learner is and move forward from the towards the desired learning goals."

 The goals may be the same with the difference being "in the flexibility and resources to learn in ways
that met ... unique goals and needs ..." as students work at their own pace and "set milestones to
reach along the way."

 Note that, in the post, the final product (and the working time-frame) was the same for all: it was the
process that differed.

2. "Allow Users to Exert Agency"

 "[W]e can’t control the learners and simultaneously expect them to be motivated without
opportunities to exert agency in the learning process."

 "Agency comes from the power to act and requires learners to have the ability to make decisions and
take ownership of their own behaviors in the process."

3. "Are Inquiry-Based"
  "[W]hen learners are posing questions and seeking answers, they are more invested than if they are
being told what to think or do."

 "When challenges are presented or learners can find their own to solve, they are often more
intrinsically motivated to seek answers to questions that they are genuinely interested in figuring out."

4. "Are Collaborative"

 "Creating opportunities for learners to build on the strengths of others and work together allows for
new and better ideas to emerge."

 "When we are exposed to diverse ideas and perspectives, we grow in our own practice and impact
others as well."

5. "Are Authentic"

 "Create opportunities for students to share their work beyond the classroom."

 "Connecting students with experts, peers and other learners allow[s] for a different level of
accountability and authentic feedback than one gets from simply handing something into a teacher for
a grade."

 "Experiences, where learners get to solve a challenge that is meaningful and relevant to their context,
can empower learners to take action and do something that matters to them and others."

6. "Ensure Time for Critique and Revision"

 "Feedback, by nature, will unearth some things that need to improve and is not always easy to hear."

 "But if we don’t create conditions where feedback is part of the process, how can we expect real
growth in our learning?"

 "Deliberately create the conditions where learners feel valued and can openly share challenges to grow
and improve as a critical part of the learning process."  

7. "Allow for Productive Struggle"

 "Creating an environment where learners are encouraged to take risks in pursuit of learning and
growth rather than perfection is absolutely foundational to shifting practices."

 "The learning task has to be within the right zone and allow for a productive struggle or some learners
will shut down if they feel it is too far out of reach, even if you threaten them with a failing grade."

 "This also means that the right task or product will likely be different based on the learners in the
class."

8. "Have Goals and Accountability"

 "Because it is easier to measure, we hold people accountable for standardized tests, grades, and other
data that is easy to capture."

 "Set goals and hold others accountable for developing the skills that we say we actually care about like
creative thinking, complex thinking and problem solving, communication, and innovation."
9. "Provide and Use Models"

 "There is a lot of talk about creating rather than consuming but to create something better, I relied on
models to inspire new ideas, build off of and stimulate my own thinking and creativity."

 "Models are so powerful in the learning process but so often in school, we have this fear of copying or
cheating."

 "If an assignment has only one right answer or final product, maybe there are some opportunities for it
to be revised."

10. "Ensure Time for Reflection"

 "[T]aking time to pause and reflect can easily get cut when we lack time but it is often the most
valuable part of the learning process."

Teacher-Centered

1. Essentialism – One camp that proudly promotes teacher-centered education includes those who hold to a
philosophy of education known as essentialism. The earliest champion of essentialism was William Bagely,
author of Essentialist’s Platform for the Advancement of American Education in the late 1930s. A more recent
name associated with Essentialism is E.D. Hirsch with his focus upon “core knowledge.” He is the one to
popularize that series of books about what every kindergartener (or name your grade) should know.
Essentialists argue that a key function of school is to root young people in the essential knowledge for good
citizenships, the basics. This is teacher-centered because the teacher is the one to direct the class, promote
high academic standards and discipline, and lead student practice and rehearsal of the basics. The content is
not selected because of student interest but because it represents the essentials.

This is where things get confusing for those who want to put each idea into crisp non-overlapping categories.
While essentialism is typically a teacher-centered approach, core knowledge curricula is most recently
promoted through computer-based instruction (like what is use by K12, a very large curriculum provider for
public virtual schools). In the case of K12’s curriculum, much of the content is introduced through readings
and computer-based instruction, with teacher facilitation of some online sessions and careful review of
student progress. This is not what might initially come to mind for a teacher-centered environment, but it is
teacher-centered in that the teacher or authority selects and delivers the content.

2. Perennialism – This philosophy is also teacher-centered, and there can be similarities between the content
in essentialism and perennialism. However, perennialism is not just about the basics or essentials. It is rooted
in the classics, the great ideas that have stood the test of time. Students learn by studying and analyzing the
great texts, led by a teacher. The teacher decides what is taught, when it is taught, and how it is taught.

However, as with essentialism, there are models today where the great ideas and books are a focus, and
students are directed to texts and analyze them. Yet, it might be done more independently, with students
having a greater measure of (at least partial control) over the time, pace, and learning pathways. In other
words, the teacher leads the content and the class, but some measure of student voice may well help inform

Learner-Centered

1. Progressivism – This is the educational philosophy that comes to mind for many people, and John Dewey
(sometimes Jean Jacques Roseau) is a common name associated with it. Progressivists emphasize learning
through experience and experimentation. Hands on and real world learning is the priority. The emphasis is less
upon a planned curriculum and more about the needs, interests, and readiness of each child. Progressivists
place a heavy emphasis upon the learning community, and the teacher serves more as a guide and facilitator.
2. Existentialism – This is a philosophy of education that has high value for student freedom. Students have
choice about what they learn and how they learn it. Teachers serve as guides and facilitators, but students
typically have immense choice, sometimes almost all the choice. The democratic schools (schools like
Summerhill and Sudbury) are examples of existentialism in action. In the example of democratic schools, there
may or may not be teachers who facilitate classes. These schools sometimes don’t even have people called
teachers. However, there are also more moderate examples of existentialism, where there teachers are
stronger and more visible guides for student learning and progress, as is the case with some of the project-
based learning charter schools around the United States. In fact, in these schools, there is often great choice
and freedom for students, but they must still show (with the help of a teacher or learning coach) how they are
meeting various required standards or fulfilling requirements for graduation.

From Teacher to Learning-Centered

Then there is another approach, one that we might called learning-centered. This one recognizes that
sometimes students don’t know what they don’t know. They might not know the most important questions to
ask to grow in readiness to become a doctor, for example. There is a curriculum and an expert teacher/mentor
to direct instruction. However, the teacher’s job is to help students progress toward greater levels of
independence as a learner. As learners are ready, the teachers relinquish greater control to the leaner.
Learners eventually come to own more of the learning process, even to the point of being able to select what
is to be learned (when appropriate), how to learn it, how to self-monitor for progress, along with how to
assess and prove what is learned. Learners are given growing levels of control over the time, pace, and path of
the learning. Proponents of this approach warn of doing the educational equivalent of throwing students into
the pool with the hopes of their learning to swim. Give only as much guidance as needed, with the goal of
them eventually being able to swim independently. Different students will be ready for such independence at
different times.

A Look at the Differences Between Teacher-Centered and Learner-Centered Learning

Teacher-Centered Learner-Centered

Focus is on instructor Focus is on both students and instructor

Focus is on language forms and structures (what Focus is on language use in typical situations (how
the instructor knows about the language) students will use the language)

Instructor models; students interact with instructor

Instructor talks; students listen
and one another

Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone

Students work alone
depending on the purpose of the activity

Students talk without constant instructor

Instructor monitors and corrects every student
monitoring; instructor provides feedback/correction
utterance
when questions arise

Instructor answers students’ questions about Students answer each other’s questions, using
language instructor as an information resource

Instructor chooses topics Students have some choice of topics

Students evaluate their own learning; instructor

Instructor evaluates student learning
also evaluates

Classroom is quiet Classroom is often noisy and busy

 

1)Challenge

Challenges, without a doubt, stimulate the brain. They force the learner to think about their previous
knowledge, process the new information, reflect, and then make a decision. Learners who face appropiately
challenging decisions require them to apply knowledge, not just recall it.

As an eLearning developer your main goal is to engage learners and challenge their understanding at all
times. To include this element, focus on the question: “What challenges will students face along the way, and
what can they do after completing the course?” 

2) Engagement

Forget clicking! Engagement goes beyond clicking a mouse. Genuine engagement happens inside the brain. It’s
called thinking. You can easily encourage students to think by adding moments of thoughtful reflection in your
program. Make them pause for a while and ask them how the content they have just consumed relates to
their work. The content has to reach them intellectually and emotionally as well. Only this kind of deep and
meaningful engagement allows for lasting change to happen.

There are many ways to engage students. You can drop them into real or imaginary situations where they
have to decide using your material. Use case-based learning and scenarios that get the learner to analyze
information and put it within a frame of reference. The skill of making sound and reasonable decisions is
definitely an outcome of a learner-centric approach.

3) Personalization

A learner-centered approach, first and foremost, is personal. It takes into account the real situation of your
student, not everyone’s ideal student. You may find that learners doing your course prefer reading to
listening. Or you may discover that majority of learners who complete your program appreciate on-time
feedback through emails.

Students have different learning styles and come from diverse backgrounds. It only makes sense to make your
material suitable or fit for their needs than ask them to adapt to your course. Such adaptability has to be part
of the design. Package your content in multiple formats for people to learn from – videos, graphs, charts,
quizzes, activities and so on. This will help you to reach each type of learner. Get to know your learners before
creating the course. Ask them questions about their educational background, interest and goals.
4) Control

All of the elements mentioned earlier won’t work if you don’t give students a sense of control and
responsibility. You need to empower learners. Learners who can control their own pace and pick what they
want to learn are much more effective than learners who passively receive instructions from the teacher. Trust
that your students will spend more time on chapters or sections they have not yet mastered.

5) Collaboration

Learning isn’t a solitary activity. Learning is a symbiotic relationship. We learn in a group inside a classroom,
with a partner, or from an author. Let students collaborate with each other by giving them opportunities to
actively seek and share information, construct meaningful insights, produce a diverse set of ideas and
appreciate multiple perspectives. Encourage dialogue and social interaction so that they can take ownership in
the learning process. By introducing the element of collaboration you are at the same time encouraging
students to learn more from each other.

6) Relevance

Relevance has a lot to be with student-material connection. Every course should address a learner’s current
needs or learning gaps. Will your course resonate among students? Will they find it both useful and
meaningful? Make sure they answer yes to these questions before you hit publish. Otherwise, ask them for
feedback and modify your course to accommodate their needs. It is the goal of learner-centred eLearning
courses to bridge the gap between what is learned and the real world. 

Final Takeaway:

The core of eLearning design is centered on the interest of the learner. Learners should be active participants,
they should be able to learn at their own pace and use their own learning techniques. As well, learning needs
to be more personalized than standardized. But most importantly, problem-solving, critical thinking and
reflective thinking are at the core of the learning process. 

In these assessments you'll be tested on the following items:

 Definition of a facilitator of learning

 Best example of activity led by a facilitator

 Reason why being a facilitator is very beneficial to students

 Difference between a teacher and a facilitator of learning

Skills Practiced

This quiz and worksheet allow students to test the following skills:

 Reading comprehension - ensure that you draw the most important information from the related
facilitator of learning lesson

 Interpreting information - verify that you can read information regarding the benefits of being a
facilitator of learning for students and interpret it correctly

 Distinguishing differences - compare and contrast topics from the lesson, such as a traditional teacher
and facilitator of learning

 Information recall - access the knowledge you've gained regarding the role of a facilitator of learning
Additional Learning

To learn more about the differences between a traditional teacher and a facilitator of learning, review the
corresponding lesson on Facilitator of Learning: Definition & Concept. The lesson addresses the following
objectives:

 Define facilitator of learning

 Provide examples of a traditional teacher and a facilitator

 Discuss the reasons why many schools are choosing facilitators of learning over traditional teachers

 Analyze Michael Sunnarborg's views on making the transition from teacher to facilitator

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