Student-centered learning puts the student in the driver’s seat by giving them the autonomy to choose what and how they learn. Rather than acting as a vessel to be filled to the brim with knowledge, as in a traditional classroom setting, students in student-centered learning classrooms are active participants in building their own knowledge, with teachers serving as facilitators, guiding and providing continuous feedback.Ìý

How are students constructing their own knowledge? Typically, in a student-centered learning classroom, this is accomplished through active inquiry, collaborative projects, project-based learning, and hands-on learning stations. In other words, the students are doing the heavy lifting instead of the teacher. As the guide or facilitator, the teacher’s goal is not to impart knowledge but rather to spark curiosity in students and encourage critical thinking skills such as questioning, investigating, discussing, and applying. These skills, as well as other lifelong learning skills, are honed as students construct knowledge of concepts through active engagement and discovery.Ìý

In a student-centered learning classroom, learning is performance-based, with a focus on real-world application and student sensemaking. Self-assessment is also a critical component of student-centered learning, as students must take time to reflect on their knowledge construction and learn to make in-flight adjustments. This helps students build important self-awareness and self-management skills that will continue to serve them throughout life.

Project-based learning is built on core concepts and design principles that set it apart from other educational methods. The core concepts of project-based learning are:Ìý

• Authenticity: The problems students address are real-world, complex, and relevant to them. Instead of building a project from a textbook question, students generate a question in response to a community problem and work to find the solution.Ìý
• Extended time: Students work on projects for weeks or months.Ìý
• Inquiry-based: Teachers and students work together to ask questions and research solutions, making the process part of the product.Ìý
• Public product: The end result of a project is a product or presentation that can be shared with a broader audience, not just the teacher or even parents. A class may focus on solving a community problem and present it to the city council. Or, they may explore a topic and share their research with a local expert.Ìý
• Teacher as coach: In project-based learning, the teacher steps out of the traditional role and into a coaching role. They are there to guide students and learn alongside, rather than direct student learning.Ìý

Strong projects–that drive student learning and create authentic change–involve the key elements of project-based learning:Ìý

1. A driving question that gives a project meaning.Ìý
2. A relevant final product that students create and share.Ìý
3. Collaboration with community experts.Ìý
4. Time to share the work with a relevant audience outside of the classroom.Ìý
5. Assessment and feedback are built into the project so students know how they are improving and what they are learning.Ìý
6. Reflection on the project and process.Ìý

PBL is an innovative approach to developing student skills and offers significant benefits for today’s students.

In a 6th-grade classroom, a teacher distributes novels to small groups of students. The students review the books, set their calendar for how many pages they will read each day, assign roles (summarizer, time keeper), and prepare to read and discuss their novel over the course of a month. The teacher checks in on their progress, listens to the discussion, provides additional questions to push student thinking, and corrects misunderstandings when they arise. When the students are halfway through their novel, the teacher creates an online discussion board for the groups to share their ideas. Now, various groups are discussing the novel, bringing their ideas from discussion to the online boards.Ìý

Collaborative discussions, such as literature circles, think-pair-share, centers, project-based learning, game simulations, and debates, are all interactive learning. Essentially, interactive learning is any activity that puts students in the driver’s seat; they do the work and persist through challenges. Strong interactive learning activities include:

• Students who are active and collaborative: Students work in groups to complete a task, solve a problem, or engage in a simulation. This means that students must work together to build knowledge and persist through difficult tasks.
• Teachers providing feedback: Teachers provide feedback to address misunderstandings, so students are practicing correctly and provide probing questions and resources to push students’ thinking. For example, if a group is reading a novel about the Revolutionary War, the teacher may provide a series of videos that address background knowledge or offer an expert explanation to answer a student’s question.Ìý

Integration of technology: Digital tools such as online programs, simulations, and other interactive technologies enhance the learning experience. Technology should deepen the interactive element; it is one component of interactive learning, not the entire purpose.