ESU’s Perspective of Student-ESU’s Perspective of Student-centred learningcentred learning

Emma Di Iorio

Helsinki 28 October 2010

Student-centred learning

The increasing prominence of SCLThe Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve ministerial declaration stated that

‘European higher education also faces the major challenge and theensuing opportunities of globalisation and accelerated technologicaldevelopments with new providers, new learners and new types oflearning. Student-centred learning and mobility will help studentsdevelop the competences they need in a changing labour market andwill empower them to become active and responsible citizens’ (Communiqué 2009:1).

Discussion point: SCL and the massification of Higher Education within the current funding climate•Resources need to be correlated with the

increased number of students;•Staff need to be qualified in teaching a

diverse group of students;•Assessment procedures for teaching need to

be improved and adapted to the context•Students develop learning-how-to-learn

skills;•Support services need to cater particularly to

groups that are at risk of underperforming;

Discussion point: Types of learning instruments - students gaining skills.▫Problem based learning;▫Collaborative learning;▫Demonstrations and practical examples used in learning;▫Simulations in class;▫Project work;▫Debates between learners;▫Placements in enterprises/industry and work experience;

Has the Bologna Process helped facilitate SCL?

Action - T4SCL Project •SCL – a concept with varying definitions – need for a true

re-launch;

• Long-standing need to clarify and deepen the academic community and policy makers' understanding of the practical implications of the recent paradigm shift from teacher to student-centred learning;

•Need for sound SCL strategies and approaches

Partnership

•ESIB/ ESU – Coordinator;

•EI – Partner.

•Other organisations involved in the project:

ANOSR, KSU, SRVS, VVS

Project Objectives

- Clarify and unfold the true practical meaning of the SCL concept for policy makers;

- increase the capacity of ESIB/EI members to be active and constructively critical in the design and implementation of SCL systems.

Main Deliverables/Outputs

• Research reports (desk research and survey)

• SCL Toolkit

• Training on SCL (Pilot training and training session)

• Student-centred learning Conference

• National events - Promoting SCL at the national level

• Quality and Evaluation Reports

• Dissemination of the results

• Developing SCL policy

Results and Impact At the European level, the project will (hopefully!) contribute to a

profound understanding of the SCL concept and the tools and strategies for successful implementation (training sessions, project events and the SCL Toolkit);

The academic community will be empowered to start a fruitful debate on the opportunity, benefits and best approaches to make SCL a reality;

The spread of existing successful SCL approaches and critical reflections;

The online availability of the project deliverables will ensure their usage well beyond the official time frame of T4SCL.

Main events SCL conference – Romania: May 2010

Launching of the desk research report and survey results 100 participants, 4 days

Training of trainers – Malta: June 2010 15 participants from both ESU and EI, 3 days

European training on SCL - Slovakia: September 2010 50 participants from both ESU and EI, 3 days

Stakeholders’ Forum/ ESU ESC 20 - Belgium: October 2010 Main project dissemination and validation event 30 participants from outside of Belgium – both ESU and EI (from

T4SCL budget), 3 days countribution from the Belgian Presidency

•Desk research•Survey•Toolkit

SurveyResults:

Use of SCL

National Policy

National Barriers to Change

Toolkit - Principles of SCLPrinciple I: scl requires an Ongoing Reflexive Process.Principle II: scl does not have a ›One-Size-Fits-All‹

Solution. Principle III: Students have Different Learning Styles. Principle IV: Students have Different Needs and Interests. Principle V: Choice is Central to Effective Learning in scl. Principle VI: Students have Different Experiences and

BackgroundKnowledge.Principle VII: Students should have Control qq Over their

Learning. Principle VIII: scl is about ›Enabling‹ not ›Telling‹.Principle IX: Learning needs Cooperation between

Students and Staff.

Benefits for Students

•Academic Community •Learning Motivation •Independence and Responsibility

•Responding to Student Needs

Benefits for teaching staff

•Facilitation •Massification and Diversity •Working Conditions •Review and Improvement •Motivation and engagement

Institutional and Societal Benefits

•Lower drop-out rates •Quality Assurance •Improving and Evaluating •Lifelong Learning

Learning methods

Examples of SCL I

•Romania – Favourite Teacher▫National Campaign▫Recognition▫Focus on the fact that academic staff

member had gone above and beyond what was required

Examples of SCL II

•UK and Student-centred Learning▫HE Academy▫QAA▫NUS and local students’ unions▫HE Institutions▫Government

Tuition fees?

Examples of SCL III

•Croatia and Student-centred Learning▫SCL not a clear priority previously▫Willingness to change, but lack of

resources▫Some formal policies exist:

Legal regulations on learning Student representation QA policy

Lack of substantial change▫Who will champion SCL?

Moving forward

• Increasing institutional initiative, in order to further change• Teacher training courses and a change in mindset – focus on

innovative teaching-methods• Make sure that research does not further erode the student

experience• Student participation is needed at all relevant levels –

without this there is unlikely to be satisfactory SCL• Lessening bureaucracy and increasing institutional

understanding of SCL – fear of it

Working together to achieve change!

Personal Experiences of SCL

1.Think of the best teaching experience you have had…

…Did it involved SCL?

If not, do you think it would have been beneficial?

Emma Di Iorio – emma@esu-online.org