A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

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Blended Learning:

Blended learning is a learner-centered and student-centered pedagogy strategy for developing independent and resilient students with self-efficacy and perseverance to solve problems at their own pace by in using learners’ own technologies, online communities, and instant messaging; it supports learning at any location and at any time.

A student-centered model of blended learning:

• A blended learning model is naturally student-centered when implemented correctly: by introducing technology and allowing for flexibility in time, place, and pace of learning, students have more opportunities to influence how learning occurs. However, it’s easy to lose sight of student-centered learning when dealing with the challenges that come with implementing new technology.
• Blended classrooms focus on providing students with the information they require at the time they require it, while also keeping them engaged and motivated. They’re all about student-centered learning, in a nutshell.

Research Behind it:

By aligning assessment strategies to the course’s learning objectives, the blended classroom enhances learning through dynamic interactions (Gyamfi, 2015). Blended classrooms support students through a holistic model that promotes a climate and culture in which students self-evaluate their work and are more motivated to excel and advance their understanding through proper modeling, feedback, a variety of learning strategies available, honest and effective online learning community development, and the ability to focus work both inside and outside the classroom on real-world problems (Scott, 2016).

Bending Learning strategy embodies learner-centered education by:

• Providing learners with access to course content 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• ensuring that all learning materials are available
• Providing learners with the ability to learn at their own pace

Learner-Centered Strategies:

The key elements of a learner-centered curriculum are based on instructors sharing power with students in order to develop creativity through increased motivation and persistence rather than additional rewards. This helps to develop a learner who is goal-oriented in their learning: motivated to understand and tackle new concepts, and who does not fear failure but sees it as an opportunity to reflect, learn from, and develop a deeper understanding.

Using Google Apps for Education:

It allows students to

• Working together with their teachers and classmates.
• Collecting data for summative, formative, and evaluative assessments.
• Obtain quantitative and qualitative information from both parents and students.
• Continue to use it to communicate with students and parents about projects, homework, school events, and class expectations.
• Allows parents and teachers to communicate about their children’s school experiences.

This strategy relies on students being motivated to participate in pre-learning materials, which in some cases was accomplished by assigning a grade to material completed outside of class or grading through compliance with work completion.

Use of technology:

One of the simplest ways to lose student-centered learning in your blended classroom is to introduce technology in a way that does not make learning more meaningful than it was before the technology was introduced.. Be deliberate in your use of technology, regardless of which model you use within the blended learning approach — flipped classroom, station rotation, or whole group rotation. Perhaps you’re using digital tools to allow students to post online or access recorded lessons from home, making learning more flexible and accessible for them. Or maybe you’re looking into real-world applications of core concepts through activities that you couldn’t do without technology. In any case, student needs should be at the forefront of learning design and tool selection.

Conclusion:

The philosophical and pedagogical foundations for flipped classrooms and blended learning are student-centered learning and learner-centered curriculum.

The similarities between the two are as follows:

• Students’ ability to construct their own knowledge through experience is emphasized.
• Students receive instruction that is tailored to their specific needs.
• As a facilitator, the teacher shares power with the students.
• Using collaborative research, students work together to apply their skills and knowledge to the task.

Also read: 5 Keys to Success in Hybrid Learning

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are examples of student-centered learning?

Soln. Some examples of student-centered teaching and learning practices are Advisory, service learning, internships, and project-based learning.

2. What are the 10 characteristics of student-centered learning?

Soln.

• Teachers in most classes assign far too many learning tasks to students. We ask the questions, and we elaborate on their responses.
• Students can benefit from each other’s experiences and work together.
• Teachers encourage students’ natural curiosity by having them ask questions in order to finish their assignments.
• Classes are more focused on skills that can be applied in the real world. Students are rarely motivated to engage in meaningful learning in classes that do not have a real-world application.
• Another feature of student-centered learning and teaching is that as students complete assignments, teachers frequently ask students or groups of students to discuss and compare their results with their peers.
• Students can come up with creative ways to introduce a topic that include them in the process if they are creative.
• Students must communicate with one another, which is why this method of instruction is more beneficial than teacher-centered instruction.
• Teachers who use a learner-centered approach state what they expect their students to achieve by the end of class and make sure they provide clear instructions on the behavior and dynamics they expect to see in class.
• Students learn through doing, and technology, particularly mobile phones and tablets, which are easier to handle and use than computers, can significantly increase student engagement and motivation.
• More opportunities to talk and learn from others are created when students stand up and talk to others to complete some assignments.

3. What is an effective student-centered lesson?

Soln.

• Student participation in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of student-centered classrooms is encouraged. Involving students in these decisions will put more pressure on them, which can be beneficial. Teachers must learn to move from directive to consultative leadership, from “Do as I say” to “Let’s co-develop and implement a plan of action based on your needs.”
• Putting students in charge of their own learning necessitates their cooperation. They must have a say in the whys, whats, and hows of learning.