{"id":7966,"date":"2024-04-29T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T13:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.everylearnereverywhere.org\/?p=7966"},"modified":"2024-04-29T14:16:23","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T19:16:23","slug":"3-elements-of-a-student-centered-learning-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everylearnereverywhere.org\/es\/blog\/3-elements-of-a-student-centered-learning-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Elements of a Student-Centered Learning Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

High-quality digital learning depends on creating a student-centered learning environment. That is an ongoing process requiring continuous improvement and reflection. But a reliable way to check that your program is centering students is to ensure that you are using three foundational practices: equity-minded design, being informed by students, and deploying digital tools to foster inclusion and equity.<\/p>\n

Equity-minded design<\/h2>\n

Equity-minded design makes the subject matter relevant <\/strong>to students. Learners identify themselves with the course and its content; because students feel seen and that they matter, they are more motivated. It aligns students\u2019 characteristics, interests, learning needs and goals with the course content, activities and assessments.<\/p>\n

Equity-minded design has rigor <\/strong>and does not mean a reduction in rigor or lowering standards. Academic challenges support student learning and growth with cognitive challenges coupled with our support and our beliefs in students\u2019<\/em> capacity for success. It is a form of deficit-based thinking to assume that inclusion means there is a need to lower standards. A student-centered learning perspective instead looks for the institutional performance gaps<\/em> and the ways in which the college or university is \u201cat risk\u201d of not successfully serving every learner.<\/p>\n

Equity-minded design integrates holistic institutional and community supports<\/strong>, because what happens outside of the classroom directly impacts what happens inside the classroom. Faculty can normalize student support as a regular part of academic progress<\/a> by including supports on the syllabus, integrating institutional and community-based support services into your course activities to help reduce stigma, and by building presence in the digital learning space, often your Learning Management System (LMS), to help faculty and students get to know each other.<\/p>\n

Equity-minded design engages empathy<\/strong>. Empathetic principles to instruction and the learning experience can include intentional reflection time and brief \u201ccheck-in\u201d activities. An equitized syllabus conveys the message that the instructor cares about the student\u2019s own goals and their success.<\/p>\n

Equity-minded design rethinks assessment<\/strong> to center purpose, authenticity, and transparency. A good practice is to center students in the development of assessments.<\/p>\n

Learn more: Course Redesign for Multiple Modalities to Support Student Success<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Informed by students<\/h2>\n

A student-centered learning environment seeks out and uses students\u2019 perspectives and experiences. Consider these practical ways that programs and individual faculty can be more informed by their students:<\/p>\n