[quoting Norman, 1 Apr 96] What do you think of the initiative toward a learner-centered education, one that involves the students in a constructive activity more than is today traditional in the lecture-centered curriculum. Note that I am not asking whether this is a new idea: the question is whether it is a good idea.
And if it is a good idea, and since the ideas have been around for a long time (perhaps since Socrates, certainly since John Dewey), then how come they haven't yet taken hold?
This might be a really dumb question, but what exactly is learner-centered education? Is anything that isn't lecture, learner-centered? Is the criteria for being "learner-centered" based on the type of instructional approach employed? Is problem-based learning (PBL) a type of learner-centered education? What if the instructor makes all the decisions about what types of projects, conditions, etc.?
Or, in addition to being a "constructive activity," does it mean that students get to have some control over what activities they do in class or how they are graded? Who decides how much control and over what?
Is it simply a state-of-mind that means I care more about what is good for my students than what is easy for me?
I'm not asking for a users' manual, just some clarification. There are a lot of terms used in educational research that mean kind of the same thing but a little bit different (experiential learning, problem-based learning, constructivism, case based, project based, goal-based scenarios, etc., etc.). My guess is that learner-centered education is being used as an umbrella term. "Learner-centered education" is to "television" as "problem-based learning" is to "Magnavox." Perhaps that analogy is the explanation for why there hasn't been more widespread diffusion. Magnovox is a brand name and there are consumer reports that give consumers information on whether it is reliable, reasonably priced, and how it stands up against other types of television. Educational research isn't that organized. PBL works in some instances, but no one knows how cost-effective it is and since it is defined and implemented differently everywhere it is used we will never get the kind of data that people (like administrators) want to make policy and budgeting decisions. Is this a strength or weakness of educational research? I'm not sure, but it is a frustration.