Top Ten Benefits of Learner-Centered Education

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Learner-centered education places the focus on each student’s individual needs. According to this model, the educator must first understand each student’s unique educational context and evaluate the student’s progress toward specified learning objectives. The purpose of the learner-centered model is to provide an individualized, flexible learning environment for every student.

1. The role of the educator shifts. No longer is the teacher simply someone who stands at the front of the room imparting knowledge on students. Instead, the instructor works as an educational architect and facilitator.
2. Students assume responsibility for their own learning. The educator and student work together to decide on appropriate coursework and evaluation. It is the student’s job to follow through with these choices.
3. Rather than revolving around content, the learner-centered classroom centers around learning processes. These are meta-cognitive skills that the student can apply in any educational scenario. Therefore the student is more likely to attain success in a new educational environment.
4. The student is no longer a passive “receptacle” for the teacher’s knowledge. Instead, the student becomes an active part of the learning process, and may even assist in teaching his or her classmates.
5. The learner-centered classroom provides an emphasis upon higher-order thinking skills, such as the ability to judge and evaluate. Students who master these skills are better able to assimilate new information and apply it to different situations.
6. In addition to gaining a strong knowledge base, students develop learning skills and self-awareness. Because they must make decisions along with their instructors, they must pay attention to how they learn best, evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses, and act accordingly.
7. Students learn self-advocacy skills. They have to articulate their needs on a regular basis. This practice means that they not only get better at expressing themselves, but they also learn how to communicate appropriately and effectively with a wide variety of people, from fellow students to instructors.
8. Reluctant learners are more motivated to participate in their own education, since their stake in the process is clearly defined. Because they can steer themselves toward curriculum that they find interesting and rewarding, these students become more enthusiastic learners.
9. The learner-centered classroom provides a built-in system for accommodating different learning styles or specific challenges. Because the learner-centered classroom offers a tailored program for each student, special needs like ADD/ADHD or specific learning disabilities can be addressed seamlessly and effectively.
10. Students in the learner-centered classroom feel significant as individuals, since their opinions and viewpoints are an integral part of their classroom experiences. This aspect of the learner-centered environment is particularly significant to troubled teens, who often have less sense of self worth than their peers.

Using this model, students demonstrate improvement in motivation, learning, and achievement. Ultimately, the learner-centered classroom has a higher rate of student retention, and students are better prepared for success outside the classroom.