Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key

Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice
Anna W.E. Fahraeus1
Citation: Weimar, M. (2013) Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to
Practice. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9781118119280.
Publisher description: In this new edition of the classic work, one of the nation's
most highly regarded authorities on effective college teaching offers a
comprehensive introduction to the topic of learner-centered teaching in the college
and university classroom, including the most up-to-date examples of practice in
action from a variety of disciplines, an entirely new chapter on the research
support for learner-centered approaches, and a more in-depth discussion of how
students' developmental issues impact the effectiveness of learner-centered
teaching. Learner-Centered Teaching shows how to tie teaching and curriculum to
the process and objectives of learning rather than to the content delivery alone.
In 1991, Jonathan W. Zophy wrote a short article for the Teachings Innovations column in
Perspectives where he repeated some of the things he had written about a decade earlier in The
History Teacher. In his article, he talks about the resistance among faculty in making the move
from a teacher-centered approach that views students as passive recipients of knowledge to a
learner-centered approach that views students as active learners and classrooms as marked by
somewhat chaotic discussions. This idealized view of an egalitarian learning environment that
de-emphasizes the role of the teacher and stresses processes over product as students take control
over their own learning is, however, only tangentially similar to Maryellen Weimar’s (2002)
book-length manifesto Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. She
presented a method that is much more complex than Zophy’s advocation of a return to Socratic
teaching. Where Zophy’s work seems today to be idealistic and hard to implement, Weimar’s
vision seems fairly realistic. She set out a theory and a methodology that targeted the key issues
in the classroom that needed to change to make the ideal of creating classrooms that support
student self-responsibility and learning more accessible.
One of the central points in Weimar’s (2013) revised version of her book, however, is that
things have not changed. Teaching is still often focused on what the teacher knows and on
unilateral transmission followed by recitation and evaluation rather than on the facilitation of
learning (p. 65). She states that classroom observation shows that teachers continue to be lecturefocused
even after attending workshops on learner-centered methods (p. 67). So, one of the
things she does in the updated book is to ask why teachers are resistant to change in the
classroom. Here, her conclusions run surprisingly – or perhaps not so surprisingly – parallel with
the same observations made by Zophy (1991): teachers want to show what they know, there is
too much content to cover, using new methods is initially awkward and uncomfortable, and
stepping out from behind the lectern often increases the teacher’s sense of vulnerability because
teaching becomes less scripted (pp. 70-71).
1 Department of English Language and Literature, Halmstad University, Box 823, 301 18 Halmstad, Sweden.
[e-mail].
Fahraeus, A.W.E.
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Vol. 13, No. 4, October 2013.
josotl.indiana.edu
127
Weimar then proceeds to set out seven principles that should guide the implementation of
learner-centered teaching. Below they are set out with a summary of her clarifications:
1. Teachers let students do more learning tasks, i.e. let them summarize, draw conclusions,
pin point difficult areas in the reading, etc.
2. Teachers do less telling, i.e. get better at asking questions.
3. Teachers do instructional design work more carefully, i.e. create more in-class
assignments that help students apply cognitive skills to relevant material.
4. Faculty more explicitly model how experts learn, i.e. are willing to share their own
learning process and thought process in answering unexpected questions.
5. Faculty encourage students to learn from and with each other (self-explanatory).
6. Faculty and students work to create climates for learning. This is less fuzzy than it sounds.
It is about e.g. giving students options so that they accept responsibility for their learning.
7. Faculty use evaluation to promote learning, i.e. use peer assessment and feedback as a
point of departure for a discussion.
These principles are linked both to her definition of what learner-centered teaching is and the
five key practices that need to change. Her definition is set forth in five points at the beginning of
the book: it engages students in learning, i.e. does not allow them to be passive; it motivates
them by sharing some of the control over what happens in the classroom and what assignments
they do; it encourages collaboration; it includes specific learning skills instruction and promotes
student reflection on how and what they learn (p. 15). Getting students to think about what they
are reading is something we all want. Each point is, however, interwoven with the others.
Getting them to think about what and how they read is connected to getting students to be active
since the aim in learner-centered teaching is to make them independent confident learners even
outside the classroom (p. 9). In order for this to happen, they need to learn how to reflect on how
they learn as well as on what they are learning. In order to do this, they need to learn about
cognitive skills. It is a win-win situation if we making learning skills explicit in the classroom.
As students come to understand how they learn, it makes learning skills consciously accessible to
them. This is Weimar’s theory.
The five key practices are well-known and have not changed since the 2002 edition. What
has changed is that the implementation chapter ‘Making Learner-Centered Teaching Work’ has
been removed and while some information has been put into individual implementation sections,
Weimar has left most of it out in favor of making a plug for her 2010 book Inspired College
Teaching (Jossey-Bass). For those unfamiliar with her earlier work, the key practices that need to
change are: the role of the teacher towards facilitation of learning rather than transmission of
knowledge; a shift in the balance of power in the classroom; faculty attitudes towards content;
facilitation of increased student responsibility for learning, faculty attitudes towards the purposes
and processes of evaluation.
Two of these areas are more provocative and tend to raise more hackles among faculty
than the others: the issue of content and the idea of giving students more power. One of the core
ideas in Weimar’s learner-centered teaching philosophy is that a university education is not only
about learning a specific area of expertise. That is important but there is another primary focus:
learning to learn. A successful teacher makes herself (or himself) redundant. That’s a scary
proposition to accept at face value in a time when university administrations are increasing in
size and teachers and departments must justify their existence, let alone the need for more
funding and more time in the classroom. However, it misses Weimar’s point. She is not saying
Fahraeus, A.W.E.
Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Vol. 13, No. 4, October 2013.
josotl.indiana.edu
128
that students are independent learners but that they need to become more independent and that
teachers have the key role in making that happen.
Weimar’s manner of presenting why faculty attitudes towards content needs to change is
candid but also evidence that she knows about negotiation technique. She begins by
acknowledging that, “Coverage does not necessarily equal learning, something most teachers
recognize” (p. 115). This is an affirmation. She then makes the observation that most of us have
heard or said variations of, “Students may fail to learn or understand what we have covered, but
that is their problem – not ours.” This is a second affirmation, but then she states boldly, “Less
often do we confront ourselves with the fact that when little or no learning results from teaching,
teaching serves little or no purpose” (p. 116). This deflates the whole support of the faculty
position. What makes it work is that she does not argue that teachers are wrong; it is the
responsibility of students to learn. However, she circumvents the traditional question of covering
content by advocating a change in attitude toward content based on viewing it as one of wheels
on a two-wheeled cart. Both wheels have to function for the student’s education to be successful.
She states that, “learner-centered teachers opt for those instructional strategies that promote deep
and lasting learning” (p. 123). They are willing to cover less in order to ensure that students
remember more and know how to apply what they know.
Weimar points out that changing the balance of power in the classroom is central because
research does not support education programs where teachers have all the control over what and
how students learn. She cites Singham’s (2007) article, “Death to the Syllabus” in Liberal
Education: “a detailed, legalistic syllabus is diametrically opposed to what makes students want
to learn. There is vast research literature on the topic of motivation to learn, and one finding
screams out loud and clear: controlling environments have been shown consistently to reduce
people’s interest in whatever they are doing” (p. 90). Thankfully, Weimar does not leave the
reader to wonder how power can be shared; she sets out clear examples of how to share decisions
about activities, assignments, course policy, content, and evaluation. She also highlights that it is
not about ceding all control to students. S

ผลลัพธ์ (อังกฤษ) 2:

Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice
Anna WE Fahraeus1
Citation: Weimar, M. (the 2,013th) Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to
Practice. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9781118119280.
Publisher Description: In this New Edition of the Classic Work, one of the Nation's
Most highly regarded Authorities on effective College teaching offers a
Comprehensive Introduction to the Topic of learner-Centered teaching in the College
and University Classroom, including the Most. up-to-date examples of Practice in
Action from a Variety of disciplines, an entirely New Chapter on the Research
Support for learner-Centered approaches, and a more in-depth discussion of How
students' Developmental issues Impact the effectiveness of learner-Centered.
teaching. Learner-Centered Teaching and Curriculum shows How to tie teaching to
the Process and objectives rather than to the content of Learning Delivery alone.
In one thousand nine hundred ninety-one, Jonathan W. wrote a short Zophy Article Teachings for the Innovations in column
where He repeated Some of the Perspectives. He had earlier written Things About a Decade in The
History Teacher. In his Article, He talks About the resistance among Faculty in Making the Move
from a teacher-Centered approach that students as Passive recipients of Knowledge Views to a
learner-Centered approach students as active learners and Views that Classrooms as Marked by
somewhat chaotic discussions. This idealized View of an egalitarian Learning Environment that
de-Emphasizes the role of the teacher and stresses processes over product as students take Control
over their own Learning is, however, only tangentially similar to Maryellen Weimar's (in 2002)
Book-Length Manifesto Learner-Centered. Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice. She
Presented a method that is much more Complex than Zophy's Advocation of a Return to Socratic
teaching. Work seems to be today's Zophy where idealistic and hard to IMPLEMENT, Weimar's
Vision seems fairly realistic. She SET out a Theory and a methodology that targeted the Key issues
in the Classroom that needed to Change to Make the Ideal of creating Classrooms that Support
student self-Responsibility and Learning more accessible.
One of the Central points in Weimar's (the 2013th) revised Version. of Her Book, however, is that
Things have not changed. Teaching is still often focused on what the teacher knows and on
unilateral Transmission followed by recitation and evaluation rather than on the Facilitation of
Learning (P. 65). She Classroom Observation States that shows that teachers Continue to be Lecturefocused
even after attending workshops on learner-Centered methods (P. 67). So, one of the
Things She does is to ask why in the Book Updated teachers are resistant to Change in the
Classroom. Here, Her Conclusions Run Surprisingly - or perhaps not so Surprisingly - parallel with
the Same observations Made by Zophy (1991): teachers Want to Show what they know, there is
Too much content to Cover, using New methods is initially Awkward and Uncomfortable,. and
stepping out from Behind the lectern often increases the teacher's Sense of Vulnerability because
teaching becomes less scripted (PP. 70-71).
1 Department of English Language and Literature, Halmstad University, Box 823, 301 18 Halmstad, Sweden.
Anna.fahraeus. @ Hh.se.
Fahraeus, AWE
Journal of Teaching and Learning of the Scholarship, Vol. 13, No. 4, October 2013.
Josotl.indiana.edu
127
Weimar then proceeds to SET Seven out principles that should Guide the implementation of
learner-Centered teaching. Below they are out with a Summary of Her SET clarifications:
1. Let students Teachers do more Learning Tasks, IE Let them summarize, draw Conclusions,
pin Point areas in the difficult reading, etc.
2. Teachers do less telling, IE Get better at asking questions.
3. Teachers do more instructional Design Work carefully, IE create more in-Class
assignments that cognitive Skills to Help students apply relevant Material.
4. Faculty Experts Learn more explicitly Model How, IE are willing to share their own
Learning Process and Process thought in answering questions Unexpected.
5. Faculty encourage students to Learn from and with each Other (self-explanatory).
6. Faculty and students work to create climates for learning. This is less fuzzy than it sounds.
It is giving students options so that they About eg accept their Responsibility for Learning.
7. Faculty use evaluation to Promote Learning, Assessment and Feedback peer use IE as a
Point of departure for a discussion.
These principles are linked both to Her learner-Centered Definition of what teaching is and the
Five Key Practices that Need to Change. Her SET Definition forth in Five points is at the Beginning of
the Book: it engages students in Learning, IE does not Allow them to be Passive; it motivates
them by Sharing Some of the Control over what Happens in the Classroom assignments and what
they do; it encourages collaboration; it includes specific Learning Skills Instruction and promotes
student Reflection on How and what they Learn (P. 15). Getting students to Think About what they
are reading is Something we all Want. Each Point is, however, interwoven with the others.
Getting them to Think About what and How they read is Connected to getting students to be active
since the AIM in learner-Centered teaching is to Make them Independent Confident learners even
Outside the Classroom (P. . 9). In Order for this to Happen, they Need to Learn How to Reflect on How
they Learn as well as on what they are Learning. In Order to do this, they Need to Learn About
cognitive Skills. It is a Win-Win situation if we Explicit Making Learning Skills in the Classroom.
As students Come to Understand How they Learn, Learning Skills Makes it consciously accessible to
them. This is Weimar's Theory.
The Five Key Practices are well-Known and have not changed since the 2,002th Edition. What
has changed is that the implementation Chapter 'Making Learner-Centered Teaching Work' has
been removed and while Some information has been Put Into individual implementation Sections,
Weimar has left Most of it out in Favor of Making a plug for Her two thousand and ten Book Inspired College.
Teaching (Jossey-Bass). Unfamiliar with those for earlier Her Work, the Key Practices that Need to
Change are: the role of the teacher rather than towards Facilitation of Learning Transmission of
Knowledge; a shift in the balance of power in the classroom; Faculty attitudes towards content;
Facilitation of Increased student Responsibility for Learning, Faculty attitudes towards the purposes
and processes of evaluation.
Two of these areas are more Provocative and tend to Raise more hackles among Faculty
than the others: the Issue of content and the Idea of. giving students more power. One of the core
ideas in Weimar's learner-Centered Philosophy is that teaching is not only a University Education
Learning About a specific Area of Expertise. That is important but there is another primary Focus:
Learning to Learn. A successful teacher makes herself (or himself) redundant. That's a Scary
Face Value Proposition to accept at a time when in University administrations are increasing in
Size and teachers and departments must justify their existence, Let alone the Need for more
funding and more time in the Classroom. However, it misses Weimar's point. She is not saying
Fahraeus, AWE
Journal of Teaching and Learning of the Scholarship, Vol. 13, No. 4, October 2013.
Josotl.indiana.edu
128
students that are Independent learners but that they Need to Become Independent and that more
teachers have the Key role in Making that Happen.
Weimar's why Manner of presenting Faculty attitudes towards content Needs. Change is to
Candid but also Evidence that Technique She knows About negotiation. She Begins by
acknowledging that, "coverage does not necessarily Equal Learning, Something Most teachers
recognize "(P. 115). This is an affirmation. She then Makes the Observation that Most of US have
Heard or said variations of, "Students May Fail to Learn or Understand what we have covered, but
that is their Problem - not Ours. "This is a Second affirmation, but then She States Boldly. , "Less
often do we Confront Ourselves with the Fact that when Little or no results Learning from teaching,
teaching serves no purpose or Little "(P. 116). Support this deflates the whole of the Faculty
position. What makes it work is that she does not argue that teachers are wrong; it is the
Responsibility of students to Learn. However, She circumvents the traditional question of covering
content by advocating a Change in Attitude toward content based on viewing it as one of wheels
on a Two-wheeled cart. Both wheels have to function for the student's successful Education to be.
She States that, "learner-Centered teachers opt for those instructional Strategies that Promote Deep
and Lasting Learning "(P. 123). They are willing to Cover less in Order to ensure that students
Remember more and know How to apply what they know.
Weimar points out that changing the balance of Power in the Classroom is Central because
Research does not Support Education programs where teachers have all the Control. over what and
Learn How students. She cites Singham's (in 2007) Article, "Death to the Syllabus" in Liberal
Education: "a detailed, Syllabus is diametrically opposed to what Makes Legalistic students Want
to Learn. There is vast literature on the Research Topic of Motivation to Learn, and Finding one
screams out Loud and Clear: Controlling environments have been shown consistently to Reduce
people's interest in whatever they are doing "(P. 90). Thankfully, does not Weimar Leave the
Reader to Wonder How Can be Shared Power; She sets out examples of How to share decisions Clear
About activities, assignments, course Policy, content, and evaluation. She also Highlights that it is
not ceding About Control to all students. S

ผลลัพธ์ (อังกฤษ) 3:

Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice
Anna W.E. Fahraeus1
Citation: Weimar M. (2013, Learner-Centered.) Teaching: Five Key Changes to
Practice. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9781118119280.
Publisher Description:? In this new edition of the classic work one of, the nation 's
most highly regarded authorities on effective college teaching. Offers a
.Comprehensive introduction to the topic of learner-centered teaching in the college
and, university classroom including. The most up-to-date examples of practice in
action from a variety of disciplines an entirely, new chapter on the research
support. For, learner-centered approaches and a more in-depth discussion of how
students' developmental issues impact the effectiveness. Of learner-centered
.Teaching. Learner-Centered Teaching shows how to tie teaching and curriculum to
the process and objectives of learning. Rather than to the content delivery alone.
In, 1991 Jonathan W. Zophy wrote a short article for the Teachings Innovations. Column in
Perspectives where he repeated some of the things he had written about a decade earlier in The
History, Teacher. In, his articleHe talks about the resistance among faculty in making the move
from a teacher-centered approach that views students as. Passive recipients of knowledge to a
learner-centered approach that views students as active learners and classrooms as. Marked by
somewhat chaotic discussions. This idealized view of an egalitarian learning environment that
.De-emphasizes the role of the teacher and stresses processes over product as students take control
over their own learning. ,, is however only tangentially similar to Maryellen Weimar 's (2002)
book-length Manifesto Learner-Centered Teaching: Five. Key Changes to Practice. She
presented a method that is much more complex than Zophy 's advocation of a return to Socratic
teaching.Where Zophy 's work seems today to be idealistic and hard to implement Weimar', s
vision seems fairly realistic. She set. Out a theory and a methodology that targeted the key issues
in the classroom that needed to change to make the ideal of. Creating classrooms that support
student self-responsibility and learning more accessible.
.One of the central points in Weimar 's (2013) revised version of her book however is,, that
things have not changed. Teaching. Is still often focused on what the teacher knows and on
unilateral transmission followed by recitation and evaluation rather. Than on the facilitation of
learning (P. 65). She states that classroom observation shows that teachers continue to be lecturefocused
.Even after attending workshops on learner-centered methods (P. 67). So one of, the
things she does in the updated book. Is to ask why teachers are resistant to change in the
classroom. Here her conclusions, run surprisingly - or perhaps not. So surprisingly - parallel with
the same observations made by Zophy (1991): teachers want to show what, they know there. Is
too much content, to coverUsing new methods is initially awkward, and uncomfortable and
stepping out from behind the lectern often increases the. Teacher 's sense of vulnerability because
teaching becomes less scripted (PP. 70-71).
1 Department of English Language. And Literature Halmstad, 823, University Box 301 18 Halmstad,,, Sweden.
.
, [e-mail] Fahraeus A.W.E.
.Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Vol. 13,,, No. 4 October 2013.


josotl.indiana.edu 127 Weimar then proceeds. To set out seven principles that should guide the implementation of
learner-centered teaching. Below they are set out with. A summary of her clarifications:
1. Teachers let students do more, learning tasks i.e. Let summarize draw, them, conclusions
.Pin point difficult areas in, the reading etc.
2. Teachers do, less telling i.e. Get better at asking questions.
3. Teachers. Do instructional design work, more carefully i.e. Create more in-class
assignments that help students apply cognitive skills. To relevant material.
4. Faculty more explicitly model how, experts learn i.e. Are willing to share their own
.Learning process and thought process in answering unexpected questions.
5. Faculty encourage students to learn from and. With each other (self-explanatory).
6. Faculty and students work to create climates for learning. This is less fuzzy than. It sounds.
It is about e.g. Giving students options so that they accept responsibility for their learning.
7. Faculty use. Evaluation to, promote learning I.E. Use peer assessment and feedback as a
point of departure for a discussion.
These principles are linked both to her definition. Of what learner-centered teaching is and the
five key practices that need to change. Her definition is set forth in five. Points at the beginning of
the book: it engages students, in learning i.e. Does not allow them to be passive; it motivates
.Them by sharing some of the control over what happens in the classroom and what assignments
they do; it encourages collaboration;? It includes specific learning skills instruction and promotes
student reflection on how and what they learn (P. 15). Getting. Students to think about what they
are reading is something we all want. Each, point is however interwoven with, the others.
.