Finding the Balance: Student-led vs. Teacher-led Learning
This week’s class left me with more questions than answers, and I mean that in the best way possible. We talked a lot about the benefits and drawbacks of student-led learning, how technology plays a role in learning, and the idea of reimagining education to a more student-led approach. I found all of this super interesting.
Do we need to reimagine education?
I think we do need to reimagine education, but to a certain extent. Traditional education is not built for the world our students are growing up in now. Traditional classrooms that have lecture-style delivery, make for a boring environment for learning. Moving toward student-led learning means our students get to be active participants in their education, not just sitting and listening. I think this is crucial to their education nowadays. Technology can be so valuable to learning. It makes learning more accessible, more engaging, and gives so many options to delivering content, but it is also a huge distraction to students. In many of our classes we have learned about how AI and constant screen time has made it harder for students to pay attention or be interested in class. What they are doing on their phones is way more interesting than what we are teaching in our classroom. So, we need to have this in mind and adjust the way we teach to make it more interesting than the 20 second Tik Tok video on their phone. I think moving toward student-led learning will help increase the participation and interest in our students, especially in this distraction-heavy society.
Learning from “Most Likely to Succeed”
We watched the documentary Most Likely to Succeed in class, and it made student-led learning feel real and possible. Seeing actual students who got to decide what they learned and had real agency in their education was powerful. What stood out most was how passionate the students were. They weren’t bored or just going through the motions. They actually cared about their learning. I really liked how the documentary showed the community engaging with students’ projects. It gave students a chance to learn what it’s like to interact with the real world while also getting to show off and be proud of their hard work. In this way, I think student-led learning is really valuable and provides the students with important social skills.
But I do think there needs to be structure in what students learn to prepare them for their future. I think there needs to be a balance with what we have to teach them, and what they decide to learn about themselves. I think there is a way, especially in classes like the sciences, where we can allow students to lead in a way that they still learn the curriculum while also having agency. That’s the sweet spot I’m trying to figure out.
Obstacles In Shifting the Pedagogy
Even though we saw student-led learning work in the documentary, it is actually more complicated to implement because…
- There is not enough time: The school in the documentary clearly had the time and resources to make this work, but that’s not the reality for most of us.
- School/curriuculum push back: There is a required curriculum and competencies that need to be hit. Schools want us to focus on covering material rather than letting the students decide what they want to learn. That’s why finding a balance is key.
- Assessment challenges: How do we grade student-led projects fairly? How do we make sure students are meeting learning goals when everyone’s doing something different? Traditional grading systems weren’t built for this approach.
- Equity concerns: Not all students come in with the same ability to self-direct. Some need more scaffolding and structure. If we’re not careful, student-led learning could benefit students who already have these skills while leaving others behind.
Lesson Plans vs. Learning Plans
Lesson Plans are teacher-centered. They show what you will teach, when, and how. The pro’s are that they’re predictable, very well structured, and easy to assess, but the con’s are that they are less flexible, students don’t get much choice, and therefore students will be less invested in their learning.
Learning Plans are student-centered. They show what students will learn and give them different ways to get there. This is like what we saw in the documentary. The pros are that they’re more personalized, engaging, and show students self expression, but the con’s are that they are harder to grade and can take more prep time.
Like I keep saying, I think there needs to be a balance between the two.
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
What Excites Me (and What Worries Me)
The documentary showed me that students can and want to take control of their learning, and it works when they do it. Seeing students present their work to the community and feel proud of what they accomplished is the kind of education I want to be part of. However, I worry about how successful it is in the long run. I worry that if it is taken too far, students will lack the skills and knowledge needed for their future, especially if they go into a university setting where everything is extremely structured and not flexible. Overall, I think both teacher-led and student-led learning have their benefits and drawbacks. If we can blend the two, I think that makes for a more successful education.
Now a question for the reader. What do you think of student-led learning? Would you implement this idea into your classrooms? Why or why not?