Learning-Centered Syllabi - 0 views
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Student-Centered Learning-Centered teaching syllabus curriculum Learning Styles
shared by Diane Gusa on 29 Jun 11
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Learning-Centered Syllabi Workshop
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Creating and using a learner-centered syllabus is integral to the process of creating learning communities.
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students and their ability to learn are at the center of what we do
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we focus on the process of learning rather than the content, that the content and the teacher adapt to the students rather than expecting the students to adapt to the content, that responsibility is placed on students to learn rather than on professors to teach.
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Your first objective is to facilitate learning, not cover a certain block of materia
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A necessary first step in creating a learning-centered syllabus, according to most sources, is to spend some time thinking about the "big questions" related to why, what, who and how we teach.
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thoughtful discussions with ourselves and our colleagues about our teaching philosophy and what it means to be an educated person in our discipline
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We also need to think about how we encourage responsibility for learning in our students.
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students should progress from a primarily instructor-led approach to a primarily student-initiated approach to learning.
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participate in planning the course content and activities; clarify their own goals and objectives for the course; monitor and assess their own progress; and establish criteria for judging their own performance within the goals that they have set for themselves, certification or licensing requirements, time constraints, etc.
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facilitate student learning rather than to act as "gatekeepers" of knowledge
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According to Johnson, "course objectives should consist of explicit statements about the ways in which students are expected to change as a result of your teaching and the course activities. These should include changes in thinking skills, feelings, and actions" (p. 3)
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"Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the Disability Resources Office at 515-294-6624 or TTY 515-294-6635 in Room 1076 of the Student Services Building to submit your documentation and coordinate necessary and reasonable accommodation."
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here are three primary domains of development for students in a course
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The Cognitive Domain is associated with knowledge and intellectual skills. The Affective Domain is associated with changes in interests, attitudes, values, applications, and adjustments. And the Psychomotor Domain is associated with manipulative and motor skills
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An effective learning-centered syllabus should accomplish certain basic goals (Diamond, p. ix): define students' responsibilities; define instructor's role and responsibility to students; provide a clear statement of intended goals and student outcomes; establish standards and procedures for evaluation; acquaint students with course logistics; establish a pattern of communication between instructor and students; and include difficult-to-obtain materials such as readings, complex charts, and graphs.
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Students need to know why topics are arranged in a given order and the logic of the themes and concepts as they relate to the course structure
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Clarify the conceptual structure used to organize the course.
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Does the course involve mostly inductive or deductive reasoning? Is it oriented to problem-solving or theory building? Is it mostly analytical or applied? In answering these questions, acknowledge that they reflect predominant modes in most cases rather than either/or dichotomies.
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Identify additional equipment or materials needed and sources.
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Don't use words that are open to many interpretations and which are difficult to measure. Make sure that all students understand the same interpretation.
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Use a variety of methods.
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"A learning-centered syllabus requires that you shift from what you, the instructor, are going to cover in your course to a concern for what information and tools you can provide for your students to promote learning and intellectual development" (Diamond, p. xi).
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Critical Thinking
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Critical thinking is a learned skill. The instructor, fellow students, and possibly others are resources. Problems, questions, issues, values, beliefs are the point of entry to a subject and source of motivation for sustained inquiry. Successful courses balance the challenge of critical thinking with the supportive foundation of core principles, theories, etc., tailored to students' developmental needs. Courses are focused on assignments using processes that apply content rather than on lectures and simply acquiring content. Students are required to express ideas in a non-judgmental environment which encourages synthesis and creative applications. Students collaborate to learn and stretch their thinking. Problem-solving exercises nurture students' metacognitive abilities. The development needs of students are acknowledged and used in designing courses. Standards are made explicit and students are helped to learn how to achieve them.
