What is Learner Centered Teaching?

Lesson 1: What is Learner Centered Teaching?

Objectives of Lesson 1

Develop a working definition of what it means to be learner-centered
Demonstrate a positive attitude toward adopting learner-centered principles into your teaching practice

Step One: Pause for reflection

Take a moment to journal your thoughts. Come up with your own definition of what it means to be learner-centered, then move on to the lesson.

Step Two: The Lecture

Background

As nurse educators we strive to help students understand what it means to be a nurse. We can clearly articulate the delicate balance of the art and science of nursing. It is easy for us to convey the the primary purpose that undergirds our work is caring, and that caring is reflected in what we say and do. Most nursing programs will have mission statements that reflect the key components of health, environment, caring, and ethics; and at the very center the focus is all on the patient. All that we teach, and all that we do is for the sole purpose of promoting the optimum outcome for our patients.

In most nursing programs a bit of time is devoted to understanding nursing history. It is essential for students to understand and appreciate where we are by knowing a bit of how far we have come. In the bygone days of medicine and nursing, patients were passive recipients of the products of healthcare. They were expected to show up when told, endure procedures they were told they needed, and to unquestioningly follow the instructions of the providers. In that old style of healthcare, physicans and to a lesser degree, nurses maintained the control and power over the patient. It was not uncommon for physicians and nurses to withhold information from patients in the presumption that they could not possibly comprehend to tolerate knowing the details of their own health.

Those days are gone!

Today, we know that our caring in reflected in the value we place in our patients' ability to make decision regarding their own care. As nurses we facilitate their learning as much as possible about their health status. It is up to us to provide them with all the tools, all the information, time and opportunity to make their own decisions. Although a myriad of nursing philosophies exist today, the primary emphasis is in understanding the role of the nurse as a facilitator to the patient in gaining or regaining optimal health and or living out their days with the highest possible quality of life.

Perhaps few, if any, would argue the importance of this shift in our focus. To display our caring for the patient - we must approach our work with one thing in mind, and always ask - "what is best for my patient?"

The Connection

Just as we have our clinical focus as caring for the patient - our educational focus should be caring for the student. In the complex world of national standards and licensing examinations, we cannot lose focus on the central critical element of nursing education - the student.

Being learner-centered is to be student focused. This attitude of caring concern for the student needs to be appreciated, apparent, and verbalized by faculty so it may be recognized and valued by the students. The same principles apply here as in patient care. Our students ought to experience the same caring, nurturing environment, that has positive effects on their overall holistic experience as a person, as well as a stimulating and challenging academic environment. All of these positive characteristics can be promoted by faculty with the right attitude toward being learner centered instead of teacher centered.

What this Means

Learner-Centered education means creating an authentic learning environment where student are guided in setting realistic goals, take responsibility for their learning as they build new knowledge connected to old (APA, 1997). This type of learning requires faculty to set clear course objectives and provide students with feedback on their own learning strategies in their attempts to meet those objectives. Faculty maintain respect for the history and diverse backgrounds each learner brings to the classroom. Faculty promote a learning environment where questions are not only tolerated, but encouraged. Learner-centered education needs a fertile, caring, positive environment if learners are to thrive and not just survive the educational experience.