STUDENT CENTRIC V TEACHER CENTRIC - I PREFER STUDENT CENTRIC

My experiences to date have not been all that positive, as the majority have been a teacher centred approach. During my schooling this was the way we were taught and upon reflection I can see the negative impact that it has had on me. We were not encouraged to enter into discussions about topics, nor have an opinion, nor understand ' why' we were undertaking tasks. The teachers were presenting the information to the students and required that we remember it, with little thought about what relevance this would have on our future careers etc. In relation to Dale's Cone, my experiences are at the other end of the spectrum. ( ) However, when I first started university in 1991 (nursing) - this was the first year of commencement- it was a problem based learning course(PBL) Coming from an environment where information was handed to me and I was told what I needed to learn, university was very daunting for me. As a very young person I struggled to learn how to be self directed, motivated and was thrust into the adult learning world very rapidly. Although technology was still in the infant stages, the type of course we well ahead of it's time. ( Well for me anyway) Perhaps if I had a better understanding of the course, I may have been able to cope better, but I soon learnt that I was in control of my own learning, and did the absolute minimum. Problem based Learning (PBL) is in line with Active Learning. ( ) These concepts encourage students to be responsible for their own learning, by asking questions, undertaking their own research, working out problems and working in groups. The long term benefits of engaging in this type of pedagogy are essential in creating life long learners who are responsible for their own learning. Students today are taught how to source information, discover it's relevance, co-operate and negotiate with peers, and are educated in a way that is meaningful to them. These are all skills that employers regard as important in our modern world. Technology offers students the opportunity to be in charge of their learning, and to use approaches that will encourage creativity and engage the learners. This approach will also encourage learners to apply real life knowledge into everyday learning situations, thus making lessons meaningful to both learning manager and students. ACU Adams Center for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Active learning online. Retrieved from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm