The Difference Between Teacher, Student, and Learning Centred

Paul A. Kirschner

I found the following table on Leren & Innoveren [Learning & Innovation] a blog written by Martin Groenewegen van der Weijden, culinary teacher at the Albeda College in Rotterdam. I decided to share it with you (with his permission) as I find it interesting in that it attempts to bust the dichotomy between teacher-centred and student-centred by focusing on learning.

Teacher-centred	Student-centred	Learning-centred
‘traditional’ education	‘new learning
The teacher teaches her/his subject lecturing in a classical setting	The school offers interdisciplinary education and makes knowledge sources available for students	The teacher provides learners with a mental model and guides them in actively working with the learning materials
The teacher determines the learning goals and criteria	Students determine their own learning goals	Learning goals are determined together based upon practical and societal experiences
Identification, definition and memorisation, automatization	Metacognitive skills like information search, communication, collaboration	Learning and transfer are central: identification, definition and memorisation, automatization, metacognitive skills
Aimed at lower-order skills	Aimed at higher-order skills	Aimed at lower and higher order skills
Instructional approach determined by the teacher	Instructional approach primarily self-determined and self-organised by student	Instructional approach is a mix and strongly dependent on student’s level and context
Lesson is for average student	Lesson is tailored to individual	Lesson is adapted based on deviations downwards, average, and deviations upwards
Assessment based on traditional testing	Assessment based on peer and self-assessment	Traditional and new forms of assessment; variation between formative and summative
Student expects that the teacher knows and controls	Student has responsibility for self-direction and uses the teacher when necessary	Alternation between control and self-responsibility
The learner as passive consumer	The learner as active knowledge-seeker	The learner as motivated individual
Educational approaches aimed at a student sitting in the classroom	Educational approaches aimed at individual study and collaboration through ICT	Educational approaches aimed at classical setting, individual study and collaboration
Teacher teaches (sage on the stage)	Teacher coaches and facilitates (guide on the side)	Teacher designs and makes education