Student centered learning

Dr. Sherwan Rahman Sulaiman

MD MSc PhD
College of Medicine
Hawler Medical University
2016-2017
 Learning Outcome
By the end of the lecture the participant must
be able to:
1. Describe what is student centered learning
and its benefits.
2. Be able to implement SCL in the class.
Student Centered Learning SCL
The shift from teachers teaching to
students learning: more than
semantics
 Why shift?
• Need to produce students who are
good critical thinkers, problem
solvers, and creative
• Explosion of information: need to
make sense of it, not memorize it
• Improve student engagement and
ownership of learning
 Indicators
CLASSICAL SCL
Instructional methods Instructional methods
include lecture, teacher include cooperative
led discussion, book learning (working in
work groups), inquiry (hands
on), debates and
simulations
Instructional skills used Instructional skills used
include presenting, include questioning,
giving directions, facilitating, monitoring
demonstration by
teacher
 Indicators
Teacher is the Teacher is the guide,
information helping students to
provider/gatekeeper make meaning,
anticipating and
correcting
misconceptions
Goal is to cover Goal is student
discrete set of content, mastery/deep
knowledge, skills understanding of
content, knowledge,
skills
 Indicators
Room arrangement Room arrangement is
likely to be in rows likely to be flexible,
with teacher in front tables, chairs moved
to accommodate tasks

Conversation Conversation pattern

pattern likely to be is teacher-student-
teacher-student- student-student-
teacher-student teacher
 Indicators
Whole group Learning takes place
instruction: single in whole group and
form of delivery and small, flexible work
assessment groups

Single anchor text Multiple texts at

various reading levels
provided on the same
topic or theme
 Indicators
Whole class Multiple options for
assessment using a assessment,
standard assessment assessment until
tool mastery

What else ?
Student-Centered Classrooms Focus
on
• What do we want students to know
(deeply and forever) and be able to
do?
• How will we know when they know
it? (assessment of mastery)
• How will we respond when they
don’t/can’t learn it? (interventions)
• How will we respond when they
already know it? (enrichment)
 Implications for curriculum
• Written by teachers
• Based on State and National
Standards
• Coverage versus depth of concepts
• Facts and trivia versus big ideas
• Isolated command of content versus
real world connections
• Balance between content and skills
Shift in Role of Assessment
Did the students “get Did the teacher make
it”? good instructional
choices?

Test at the end of Test provides

learning: on to next information to adjust
topic teacher’s plan to
assure learning for all
 Shift in role of assessment
Instructional focus on
exposure and/or coverage,
teacher puts information out
there, students responsible
for learning it
Goal to cover
everything, test
everything
Focus on students’ mastery,
teacher makes adjustments
and changes on the fly in
response to student
strengths and weaknesses,
teacher responsibility for
learning
Teacher teaches key
concepts deeply,
assesses for main
ideas
 Importance of alignment
• Curriculum aligned to standards
• Teaching aligned to curriculum and student
needs
• Assessments accurately reflect student
mastery
• Student mastery of curriculum results in
school improvement
• Teacher Evaluation Plan and contract reflects
district expectations
• Staff development and resource allocation
supports the instructional core
 Questions ?
• Do it …