The Meaning of Learner Centeredness in College Online Environments Revisited

This paper addresses the meaning of ‘learner centered’ education at a time when university students and educators all over the world have been thrust into the world of online learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Going online for months surely tests the ability of educators to deliver student centered and interactive learning in a challenging environment. Learner centeredness, in general, implies learning in which the learner’s responsibilities and activities are emphasized compared to that of the instructor’s. This does not mean that the educator’s role is weakened. Professors must be active in providing feedback about misconceptions and confusions to help students grow into experts. They should also clarify the relation between class projects with the course objectives and the real world, and help students with low competencies develop strategies for solving open-ended problems. Students want to think like an expert and apply their skills for solving real world problems. They also desire academic growth by modeling deep insight from their professors. The educator’s role for providing meaningful guidance has become more critical than ever especially for first or second year students who may need more scaffolding for their intellectual development. However, when online classes are carried out for a prolonged time, students’ self-regulation subsides, and the yearn for ‘togetherness’ rises, making it difficult to maintain learner centeredness. Specific examples and their underlying principles of the support provided to students and educators for overcoming their difficulties are discussed in this paper.