ICT and a Learner-centred Environment

ICT provides a rich and flexible learner-centred environment in which students can experiment and take risks when developing new understanding.

In conveying the range of ways in which students learn, Howard Gardner proposes that human beings possess seven areas of intelligence, which include linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence.  These seven categories of intelligence represent the diversity of learning that exists among students.  It is important to understand how different students learn so that preferred ways of understanding can be taken into consideration in curriculum, instruction and assessment, therefore allowing more students to be reached more effectively (Gardner, 2004: 6).  As a visual learner myself, I often use PowerPoint presentations when introducing students to new material.  During my placement in semester one I introduced year 12 English students to a new area of study and text. To engage students in the learning material I provided visual stimulus, which included pictorial and written text on a serious of slides. As well as using ‘pop-culture’ references through pictures and graphics to capture students’ attention, I visually represented my explanations and learning activities on the slides so that visual learners (or all students) could clearly understand what was being said. Whether it’s used to engage students or visually represent thoughts or ideas, I believe that ICT offers a great learning environment for students.  

During my time working with the same group of year 12 English students, I also used Inspiration. As ‘mind-mapping’ software, Inspiration was an asset to my lessons. Ron Richhart and David Perkins argue that ‘effective thinkers make their thinking visible, meaning they externalise their thoughts through speaking, writing, drawing’, which allows them to ‘direct and improve those thoughts’ (2008: 58).  For example, if students are asked to visually present their knowledge or understanding of a particular passage, character, theme within a novel, the lesson task may require them to form groups and create a concept map, which graphically organises their knowledge and ideas. In addition to students using it individually or in groups, Inspiration was used on several occasions to visually organise students’ ideas during class discussions. Students enjoyed observing their ideas being added to the class ‘map’ and supplemented by others’ ideas, and then being able to examine the final product. Using Inspiration represents the way in which ICT provides a student-centred learning environment.  Student-centred learning is an important strength that can be drawn from Lev S. Vygotsky’s constructivist theory. His focus on how students learn gives rise to student-centred learning approaches, which focus on learning rather than teaching. In allowing students to engage in peer collaboration, instructional scaffolding, inquiry based learning, demonstrates how ICT is important to a student-centred learning environment.

References

Gardner, H. (2004) ‘A Multiplicity of Intelligences: In tribute to Professor Luigi Vignolo’,

Originally published in Scientific American, Vol. 11 (1998), pp. 18-23.

Ritchhart, Ron & Perkins, David (2008) ‘Making Thinking Visible’, in Educational Leadership, Vol. 65, No. 5, pp. 57-61.

Schunk, Dale H. (2008). ‘Constructivist Theory’, in Learning Theories: An

Educational Perspective, 5th Edition. Pearson, Perrill Prentice Hall, New Jersey.