Module Two - Learner Centered

In completing the informal inventory to compare teacher-centered and learner-centered approaches to teaching. I generally agreed with learner-centered instruction. This was an interactive learning object; however, it would not allow me to send via email my results to myself or the instructor's email address. It kept processing 'sending' but didn't actually send it. I liked the engagement with getting immediate feedback of the correct answer or to try again. I do use a few of the learning objects from Wis Online that I found useful with learning a few concepts I was explaining in my online courses.

My goal for professional development this year is to add interactive activities using Soft chalk. I took a mini class this summer at the college and was impressed with this software and how interactive it made learning.

I find it helpful to evaluate how I'm teaching and what potential changes could be made to 'below the line' curriculum activities in the nursing program. I'm currently doing my field study for my Ed.S degree through UW-Stout and my research study addresses these types of curriculum activities with evaluating student learning with what types of adjustments could be made to the nursing curriculum at the technical college. There seems to be some differences with teaching approaches among new and/or adjunct faculty and among the experienced faculty with understanding how to assess the student's performance and with the choice of learning activities.

Learning-centered instruction helps to provide a foundation for learning using a 360 degree approach with input from both the student and the instructor with how a concept or skill was mastered based on the course competency. This process, hopefully, will more fully engage the learner and stimulate further reflections, critical thinking or perhaps an opposing viewpoint for discussion. It is a way to learn from our own misperceptions and errors to make the learning experience more meaningful as we apply the content to real life situations.

This inventory reflected how teaching and learning are woven together to be the most successful format and that building a sense of community in the classroom is much stronger when students take on that ownership with learning and that it is not just the teacher 'dishing' out material, but a two-way process that takes on a collaborative method. Jeanne/EC,WI