What is Learning-Centered Teaching?

Learning-centered teaching means developing student responsibility for their own learning and meaning. For USP to really achieve a culture of learning-centered teaching, this philosophy must be accepted and implemented consistently across the entire university, not just in isolated experiences. The reward structure needs to be consistent with this value.

Instructional design and the learning environment should accommodate different learning styles and how students learn. Students and graduates of such learning-centered programs may be characterized by being lifelong, self-directed, self-initiated learners and leaders and possessing excellent problem-solving abilities.

Methods to achieve these desired outcomes (student characteristics) are less agreed upon. Participants in a USP Consensus Conference felt that the following would be effective strategies:

• Having classrooms and a physical environment that is conducive to actively engaging students,
• Educating and orienting all faculty, staff, and students to learn more about learning-centered teaching,
• Infrastructure and dedicated resources, and
• Rewards and release time to encourage the transition to learning-centered teaching.

Why are we doing Learning-Centered Teaching?

The following excerpt from USP's Strategic Goals and Action Steps show why we use learning-centered teaching.

Create a culture of student-centered learning and living

• Goals:
  • More flexible, less restrictive core curriculum and majors
  • Curricula aligned with student learning styles
  • More diverse pedagogical methods (i.e., active learning, not just lectures)
  • Continuous assessment and improvement
• Actions:
  • Design a more student-centered curriculum and academic policies
    • Redesign the core curriculum based on evaluation of student needs and academic objectives
    • Introduce more flexible academic schedules and grade policies
    • Award B.S. in four years to all students who meet credit requirements
  • Encourage development and utilization of new pedagogical methods
    • Use the teaching and learning center as a fulcrum for faculty change
    • Require faculty to design, implement, and assess plans to address multiple learning styles
    • Assess student needs and preferences with student survey
    • Link outcomes to personnel performance evaluation

USP Strategic Plan 2010

The Learning-Centered Teaching Site was made possible by:

Phyllis Blumberg, Ph.D., Director of the Teaching and Learning Center

Mary Rafferty, Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center

Tara N Kesh, Assistant to University Webmaster

Last updated on: March 7, 2005

Middle States