How to Share Power with

Students
Giving Learning Choices

Sharing Control in the Classroom

 Developed by Terry Doyle

 Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
 Ferris State University
 Sharing Power

Of all of the teaching changes that we must make when

moving to a learner centered approach the most difficult may
be to share power with our students over their learning.
Ironically, this is also the best way to help them to take
charge of their own learning.

We have been so conditioned by a teacher centered approach

that we must be the authority and control all of the aspect of
the learning process that moving away from that idea makes
many of us uncomfortable.

It is this uncomfortableness that our students also feel when

we ask them to take more control over their learning by
making choices which increase their responsibilities for what
and how they learn. In order for us to help our students take
Sending A Message
 Each decision we make about our teaching
sends some message to our students.

 When we fail to maintain order in the classroom

the message is we don’t really care about their
learning.

 When we share power with our students by

offering learning choices the message is
we trust their judgment;
we trust them to act in ways that are in their best
interest,
and we believe they will make decisions that are in
the best interest of the whole community of
Trust is Empowering
 When students are given the opportunity to act
in mature and reasonable ways they will rise to
the occasion.

 Trust is empowering and most students respond

to that trust.

 The worst thing that can happen is that we end

up sharing with the students that their
suggestions, if they fall outside of what is
reasonable, need to be revisited and brought
into line with guidelines that will optimize their
learning.
There are four basis tenets that should help
to alleviate our concerns over power sharing.
 

1. Our students cannot improve their abilities to be




more responsible for their learning with out being 

given greater responsibility for it.



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2. The more control our students
take and the more choices we can
offer them the greater their desire
and willingness to engage in the
learning process. ( Zull p.52)
3. When students make a choice they also must
learn to live with that choice. This is a very
powerful life lesson.


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4. When a student has some control over how they
learn they can also discover their strengths and
weakness as a learner, a vital metacognitive skill
they will use the rest of their life.

Who Makes these Learning
Related Decision?
Below are course related actions that might be decided in consultation
with our students

Teacher Students Together NA

 1. Course Textbook
 2. Number of exams
 3. When in the course exams will be given
 4. Attendance policy
 5. Late work policy
 6. Late for class policy
 7. Course learning outcomes
 8. Office hours
 9. Due dates for major papers
 10. Teaching methods/approaches
 11. How groups are formed
 12. Topic of writing or research projects
 13. Grading scale
 14. Discussion guidelines for large or small group discussions
 15. Rubrics for evaluation of self or peers work
 16. If rewriting will be allowed
 17. If retesting will be allowed
Questions to Ask Ourselves about
Sharing Power
Question One

What do I need to control in the learning

environment of this classroom and what
governance can I share with the students?

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 Question Two
What choices can I give my students in the
area of course topics?
Question Three
What choices can I give my students in the
area of course assignments?

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Question Four
What choices can I give my students in the
area of course assessments?

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