2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)
The research-project video “ITEC 8500: Student-Led Learning and Technology,” above, is a display of my learning on this standard. For this assignment, we chose a “hot topic” in educational literature and presented research on this topic in video form. As a summative assessment, this project takes into consideration the many research-based strategies for addressing the needs of all student populations that I learned in the class. I was the sole researcher and creator for this project.
Research by Hobgood and Ormsby (2010) on differentiation of learning with technology influenced my thinking about the capability of technology meet the diverse needs of student learning. The authors explain that the use of multimedia and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) improve student learning and are especially effective in improving learning for English Language Learners (ELL) as well as students with ADHD. Their research aligns with ISTE’s standards for student learning with technology and meet the criteria for standards like Knowledge Constructor, Innovative Designer, and Creative Communicator (ISTE, 2020). In the artifact before you, I researched the role of technology in student-led learning, a hot topic in 2019. I explore different levels of release of the traditional student-teacher relationship, including Sugata Mitra’s famous study on a child’s willingness to learn given a computer and no further instruction. In the video, I define the benefits and limits of student-led learning through technology, thus, meeting the criteria of mastery for standard 2.2. Furthermore, I shared this video with and received critique from other instructional technology candidates. I would also like to add that the research I did for this project influenced the coaching recommendations I made for a teacher at my school, recommendations she then implemented in her classroom in order to meet the needs of diverse learners in her classroom.
From completing this artifact, I learned that there are benefits and drawbacks to student-led learning. For example, teachers need to monitor student learning and include the proper scaffolds for student success in the learning task. Additionally, I learned that research-based teaching strategies, like UDL, authentic learning and visuals, enhance the learning experience of all learners, including special student populations, like students with disabilities, ELL’s, and gifted learners. If I did this project again, I would specifically research and mention special student populations more in the video. While I do this indirectly, I could have done more to explore the impact of student-led learning on specific student groups to weigh the effectiveness of this strategy as well as when it should be applied.
The work that went into creating this artifact had an impact on faculty development since I applied my knowledge of student-centered learning towards my coaching practice. The teacher I coached applied the strategy of Project-Based Learning in her classroom with the positive effects of engagement and increased student performance. The impact can be assessed by comparing student performance on classroom and district assessments from the previous year to student performance after the research-based strategy is applied.
References
Hobsgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2010). Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology--Reaching every learner: Differentiating instruction in theory and practice. UNC School of Education. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/
ISTE Standards for Students. ISTE. Retrieved July 19, 2019, from www.iste.org/standards/for-students