Learning is Improved in Student-Centered Environments

This is the second in a series of posts explaining the Acton Academy Principles of Education.

Education Principle #2: Learning is improved in student-centered environments.

A class developed with a student-centered learning focus has been shown to be more effective than traditional teacher-centered approaches. Experts in the field of education such as Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith expound the benefits of the approach in Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era. Maria Montessori, a pioneer in education, was a firm believer in it.

So what is it? How does it differ from the current approach schools take?

A traditional classroom is a "teacher-centered" learning environment. The teacher stands at the front of the classroom and directs the teaching while the students passively listen. The teacher does most of the talking and students speak when they are allowed and given the opportunity. In a "student-centered" learning environment, the activities of the students takes center stage while the "teacher" serves as a guide to learning. The students do most of the talking and the teacher serves to facilitate as needed.

The immediate benefits are evident - more independence, less time staring at the teacher talking, development of self-learning skills, and increased engagement. So how do we implement something like this?

Trust / Decision Making: At Acton, we will empower students to make decisions and to run the classroom. At the start of the year, students help determine how their classroom experience will be. They will be involved in critical decision making. Their thoughts will be heard, valued and implemented. The guide at Acton builds the framework but the rules within the classroom are written by students.

It is also important to allow students to be involved in deciding what they're learning, why they're learning it, and how they will learn it. At Acton, we're not learning for the sake of learning or because "you just need to." That type of explanation is extremely discouraging and results in poor performance and low motivation.

As an example, in American History, a student may decide that she wants to learn about the US presidents. In taking ownership of her own learning, she will decide whether she wants to write a book report, act out a class play with other students, or perhaps create a video with a presentation.

Leadership Opportunities: When we feel empowered, our engagement level increases. Our interest level and desire to do well increases. The same goes for kids. Students need to be given opportunities to take ownership of their school and of their own learning. Whether it be leading group discussions or organizing student activities or leading project work, ample opportunities exist for students to take ownership of their learning. As guides, we need to allow them to do so.

Technology: We are fortunate to have all the tools to allow students to create, share, develop, curate, build amazing projects. When we integrate technology in our classrooms, we fundamentally transform how students engage in the learning process. They are no longer passive participants in a lecture. They become active creators in their learning.

Engagement / Projects: Students that are bored out of their mind will not learn. They will struggle and be bored. Some will act out and others will simply not learn to their potential. At Acton, each day is filled with engaging projects, activities, and discussions to encourage the pursuit of learning.

This also means changing the current system we work under, including assigning homework. Homework is a game. You take some questions home, complete the reading, and attempt the answers. Mark it off your checklist and move on. There is no deep learning that happens. Rather, in a student-centered environment, the focus is on engaging project work where students are required to connect many inter-disciplinary pieces together. This leads to engagement, collaboration with other students, deep learning, and retention of knowledge.

Performance Evaluation: What would it mean if your child came home with an A in Algebra class? What about if she got a 85% on an Algebra exam. It doesn't actually tell you anything about what the child is learning, what she has mastered or what she needs to improve on. This is where students can get involved in a two-way narrative feedback and evaluation process of their own performance. The narrative feedback process is built to allow students to get continuous feedback and focus on mastering the topic, rather than a one-time feedback at test time.

This is important to ensure student engagement, continuous learning and to avoid the harmful effects of the grading system.

Want to learn more? See the research behind the principle.

Further Recommended Reading: Developing a Student-Centered Classroom by Becton Loveless