Examining Student-Led Learning

Encouraging student-led learning in the classroom is one of the most recommended ways to flip the classroom. It increases collaboration, engagement, and creativity. However, it can be difficult for most teachers to move away from traditional content-based teaching to towards student-led methods.

Student-led learning doesn’t mean turning the keys over to students and letting them drive for an hour and a half. Instead, the method creates more of a teacher-student partnership. Students collaborate on activities with teacher guidance. Scope is often project based and may be agreed upon by both teachers and students.

Once the parameters are set, students go about learning their lessons and problem solving on their own. Granted, the learning can take some unconventional turns , but the method is about giving students choices so they take ownership and find answers on their own. The teacher becomes much more of a coach in this scenario.

A recent sponsored eSchool News report, “ Making the Shift to Student-Led Learning,” examined the trend and noted that teachers have to move from being the “sage on the stage” to become the “guide on the side.” This same report notes some strong advantages once teachers do make the shift. For instance, 80% of teachers stated that student-led learning is “extremely valuable.” Another 76% of teachers said the collaborative approach increased student engagement, and 65% said students increased their 21^st century skill development.

The trend of student-led learning mirrorsa larger movement called Student Voice or #stuvoice on Twitter, an effort led by students to have a larger voice in their high school curriculum and governance. While teachers may not be able to implement sweeping change on a large scale, they can certainly provide a collaborative environment where students lead more and teachers listen more in the classroom.

In many ways the method is more than just relinquishing control. It offers a commitment to learn along the journey together with students. As students explore new answers, they will achieve more than just content knowledge—they will develop critical soft skills.

But in the end, student-led learning requires a leap of faith by teachers. They must believe in their students’ capacity to accept larger learning responsibilities.

What are your experiences with student-led learning?