Classroom Practices

In the late 1990s, a shift began in higher education, urging those in higher education to move from a focus on how faculty members teach to how students learn. This meant moving from the focus of “in class today I will …” to “by the end of class today students will be able to …” The difference may seem subtle, but it has profound implications on classroom practices. The focus on learning, rather than teaching, forced a discussion of the effectiveness of classroom teaching strategies. The move to learner-focused teaching also placed the responsibility of learning on the instructor at levels not seen previously. While in a teaching-centered environment, the faculty member covers the material and students are expected to learn the information, in a ...