Excellence in Teaching

Workshop

April 17, 2013

Student-Centered Learning in the ESL classroom

"Flipping" Your Classroom

Think about innovations in teaching.

Student-Centered
Learning in ESL Courses
Dr. Burkhard N. Schrage
April 2013
burkhard.schrage@iae.edu.vn

Agenda

Introduction to student-centered learning

The role of the instructor and student
Challenges ahead

Burkhard Schrage

Chief Academic Officer of VATC

PhD in international Law and Finance
Master degree in International Finance
Master degree in Economics
BA in Business Administration
Professor at Singapore Management University since
2004. Taught at Harvard, Wharton School, etc.
Eight years of professional experience in
corporate finance and capital markets
based in France, Brazil, Australia

On weekends, I go kitesurfing

INTRODUCTION

It's not an urban myth!

Student-Centered Learning:
Research findings

The most efficient way

of learning
Inclusive learning
Learning is meaningful
when topics are
relevant to students'
lives and interests
Socrates disputing, detail of The School of Athens, fresco
in the Stanza della Segnatura, Vatican Palace, c. 1508-9

The roles of instructors and

students

Instructor: Create a stimulating learning

environment
Student: Actively participate in that
environment

Conventional learning

Students are passive, have no role in

learning
Most decisions are made by instructor
Emphasis is on receiving information
Teacher has a "monopoly" of knowledge

Student-centred learning

Students have responsible and active

role in the learning process
Students are required to make choices
on what and how to learn
Emphasis is on exploration and
discovery of knowledge
Instructor is a guide, mentor, and
facilitator of learning

Conventional learning

Extrinsic motivation such as grades

Individual learning and competition
Instructor is responsible for assessment
Short-term perspective with emphasis on
completing assignments and passing exams

Student-centered learning

Intrinsic motivation such as curiosity

Focus on cooperative learning
Learning can occur anywhere
Self and peer assessment is more common
Long-term perspective, emphasis on lifelong
learning

THE CHANGING
ROLES OF
INSTRUCTORS
AND STUDENTS

Instructor as a facilitator

Help and guide students to access,

organize, and use knowledge to solve
problems

Instructors should help to

foster critical thinking via reasoning, decision

making, reflecting, making inferences and
problem solving
engage students cognitively and emotionally
with the learning task

Instructors should

promote collaborative learning

draw upon the relation between the students
prior knowledge and experiences to the new
learning

Students

need to be aware that they are responsible

for constructing their own knowledge
taking part as active participants in the
learning process

THE ROAD AHEAD

Be Aware of Challenges

Typical roles of instructors in Vietnam

o Respect
o Authority
o Knowledge

Typical role of students in Vietnam

o Passive learners

So--what can I change in my class?

Lower-level courses

CONCLUSION

Conclusion

You are the most important people at VATC

Student-centered learning will be the
dominant learning style--even across Asia
We will provide you with tools to achieve
better learning outcomes
We will measure and reward teaching
excellence