Today’s college students represent an increasing challenge to educators, as they are routinely best taught using a broad repertoire of instructional strategies, particularly those that engage and involve them in learning tasks. In recent years, to address these challenges, institutes of higher education have begun moving focus from teacher-centered to learner-centered learning, a model that shifts the role of the instructors from givers of information to facilitators of student learning.
“National trends are pressuring faculty at all colleges and universities to change their quality improvement practices from concentrating on what they as teachers do, to focusing on student learning,” said Phyllis Blumberg, director of the Teaching and Learning Center at University of the Sciences. “While faculty may understand that they should make these changes, they do not know how to do so.”
To make the shift successfully, instructors often need further explanations about what learner-centered teaching is and how they can apply it to various types of college and university courses. To facilitate in this move, a groundbreaking new book by Blumberg offers a step-by-step plan for transforming any course from teacher-centered to the more engaging learner-centered model.
The book, Developing Learner-Centered Teaching: A Practical Guide for Faculty, is published by Jossey-Bass and is the first book to offer educators a concrete plan for transitioning a course to a learner-centered model.
“As I worked with University of the Sciences faculty, I developed a comprehensive system to incrementally make real changes in how faculties teach,” said Blumberg. “Developing Learner-Centered Teaching showcases sixteen examples of the University’s faculty who are using approaches that focus on learner-centered teaching. University of the Sciences has the potential to be at the forefront of educating students as empowered learners.”
Filled with self-assessments and worksheets that are based on each of the five practices identified in Maryellen Weimer's bestselling book Learner-Centered Teaching, the book provides instructors, faculty developers, and instructional designers with a practical and effective resource for putting the learner-centered model into action.
As director of the Teaching and Learning Center, and professor of social sciences and education at University of the Sciences, Blumberg provides and coordinates resources for faculty members from all disciplines who are interested in helping their students become more effective learners.
University of the Sciences faculty who contributed to book development:
Salar Alsardary, PhD, Mathematics & Physics
Justin Everett, PhD, Writing Programs and Writing Center
AnneMarie Flanagan, PhD, Humanities
Christine Flanagan, MFA, Humanities
Paula Kramer, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, Occupational Therapy
Madhu Mahalingam, PhD, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Jeanette McVeigh, MS, Information Science
Alison Mostrom, PhD, Biological Sciences
Andrew Peterson, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration
Deidre Pettipiece, Writing Programs and Writing Center
Linda Robinson, PhD, Behavioral and Social Sciences
Glenn Rosenthal, MA, MBA, EdD, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Business
Current University of the Sciences faculty whose teaching approaches are showcased in the book:
Salar Alsardary, PhD, Mathematics & Physics
Michelle Cohen, PhD, Occupational Therapy
Leslie Bowman, AMLS, Information Science
Bernard Brunner, PhD, Mathematics & Physics
Christine Flanagan, MFA, Humanities
Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, Occupational Therapy
Pamalyn Kearney, MS, OTR/L, Occupational Therapy
Paula Kramer, PhD, OTR, FAOTA, Occupational Therapy
Madhu Mahalingam, PhD, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Carol Maritz, PT, Ed.D, GCS, Physical Therapy
Jeanette McVeigh, MS, Information Science
Elisabeth Morlino, PhD, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Alison Mostrom, PhD, Biological Sciences
Lois Peck, Biological Sciences, Teacher Certification Program
Andrew Peterson, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration
Cathy Poon, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration
Fred Schaefer, PhD, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Karen Tietze, PharmD, Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacy Administration
Lia Vas, PhD, Mathematics, Physics, & Computer Science