Students -centered learning made easy with Instructor

Student-centered learning (SCL) focuses on understanding and supporting student learning, making their actions and experiences an integral part of the process, as is the teacher's guidance. This learning paradigm resonates strongly in Australian universities and institutions where diversity thrives.

According to the Australian Department of Education, approximately 590,566 students at Australian universities in the first four months of 2023 are international students from 155 different countries. This mix of cultures provides students and teachers with unique learning opportunities. But to tap into this diversity and truly provide a student-centered environment, teachers must have a deep understanding of who their students are and the unique set of skills, knowledge, and perspectives they bring.

Catherine Friday, global head of education at Ernst & Young and managing partner of Pacific Government and Health Sciences, sums it up perfectly. She argues that in a truly learner-centered environment:

• Students should be empowered to shape their own learning experiences and pathways.
• Educators must adapt to new expectations for digital learning, such as flexibility, gamification, and personalization.
• Universities should ensure that their distance learning technology is secure, accessible, and fair.
  
  

The ultimate goal is to encourage active student engagement and foster a sense of belonging, community, and support while equipping them with essential skills for the future workforce.
All of this can seem daunting, but luckily there are tools to help us in this educational revolution. One such tool is the learning platform Instructure. It is a comprehensive solution designed to help teachers and trainers create a personalized learning environment for each student. It facilitates SCL through innovative software, tools, engaging content, professional development resources, and a supportive community.

Here's how Instructure can revolutionize your courses and help you adopt a student-centered approach to learning:

1. Collaboration 

Anchored by Green LMS, Instructure opens a world of shared learning opportunities for teachers and students. 

The Green LMS Collaborations tool enables seamless interaction between students, making group projects and collective note-taking much easier. This eliminates the need to share personal contact information as all collaborative activities are hosted on the platform. It is also easy to use, allowing students to focus on collaboration to explore new ideas and develop collective knowledge.

Teachers and students can:

Get direct access to Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drawings, and Forms without opening these tools. Students can start, work on, and submit assignments in Green LMS, which helps to simplify the learning process, reduce friction, and increase focus on assignments. Additionally, these tools enable real-time collaboration, encourage interaction, and foster a dynamic collective learning community.

Comment directly on the media timeline during playback. Students can get information from their peers and receive timely feedback from their teachers without having to deviate from the content.

Use familiar conferencing and lecture tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and GoToMeeting to plan and conduct virtual meetings.

Create and manage small communities with Green LMS Groups. This allows students to create a collaborative workspace based on their unique needs.

2. Discussion

Green LMS discussions allow teachers and students to create dialogue beyond the traditional classroom. It promotes flexible engagement and gives students time to absorb the material and formulate thoughtful responses.

Students and teachers can:

Create individual journals or personal blogs within the learning group so that students can express their understanding creatively. Teachers can then use this information to adapt their teaching methods to meet students' individual needs.

Incorporate different types of media such as images, videos, documents, and external links in their posts. These different forms of expression facilitate overall understanding and promote a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

Use Green LMS Chat to create real-time, synchronous communication within a class or group. This instant interaction tool simulates a virtual classroom where students can share ideas, discuss goals, or seek instant clarification on their doubts.

3. Mastery Paths

Mastery Paths is another Instructure tool that can help you accelerate your student-centered learning program. It supports individualized and dynamic learning that meets each student’s unique skills and knowledge level. With Mastery Paths, education is not one-size-fits-all but responds intelligently to student performance.

With Master Paths, teachers can:

Assesses student understanding and provides activities designed to address learning gaps. Activities may include additional quizzes, relevant videos, or specific assignments.

Allow students to choose their assignments and allow them to take control of their education. This learner-centered approach increases motivation and can lead to more effective and enthusiastic learning.

Adjust each student's learning path based on their current level of understanding. Students will not waste time on what they have already mastered and will receive support in areas where they need improvement.

Configure automatic correction. When students have difficulty with certain concepts, the platform automatically assigns them new tasks to help them overcome their difficulties. This ensures that no student is left behind and that everyone has the support they need to progress.

Track student progress and uncover potential barriers to learning. For example, if a student's performance drops on several tasks, the teacher can intervene with personalized support to help the student get back on track.

4. Student motivation

The instructor motivates students through visual, stackable, and shareable journeys. They are like personal roadmaps that guide students on their journey, allowing them to visualize their progress and maintain their motivation to learn.

Instructure also supports degrees, allowing students to easily organize and showcase their skills, achievements, and professional development. It serves as a portfolio that reflects the student's growth and progress in a tangible and verifiable form.

Additionally, credentials seamlessly integrate credentials from other platforms. Students can consolidate their learning from different learning sources, providing a comprehensive overview of their skills. It is a way for students to take ownership of their learning journey, while for teachers it provides a complete picture of a student's skills.

5. Formative and summative assessments

Instruktur allows teachers to provide a range of formative assessments, including assignments, discussions, and surveys. These regular, low-stakes interactions allow for ongoing assessment of students’ understanding and learning needs. At the same time, summative assessments such as quizzes and final grades provide a detailed overview of a student's mastery of course material at the end of a learning period.

Instructure also facilitates timely feedback through automatic grading. With the SpeedGrader™ feature, teachers can speed up the grading process and ensure students receive fast, consistent feedback. Additionally, teachers can leave personal tips and comments through posts. 

Click here to Get a Free Book Demo of our Business LMS a top-tier cloud-based LMSsolution, and join the revolution towards inclusive, accessible, including LMS for Universities, LMS for Schools, and LMS for Corporate. And effective education for all. Green LMS, Start empowering your sales team today!