2010 Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference
October 28 to 31, 2010 - Nashville Tennessee
Workshop Presentation
A Learner-Centered Approach to Teaching Information Systems
France Belanger
Virginia Tech
Craig Van Slyke
Saint Louis University
Objectives: There is a large and growing body of evidence that learner-centered education is more effective in terms of learning outcomes; it is also more satisfying for the learner. In a learner-centered course, the focus is on a partnership between the teacher and learner with shared responsibility for learning. The learner-centered approach fits well with the characteristics of “millennial” generation students, who are team-oriented, value continuous learning and seek frequent feedback. Learner-centered education has been recommended as a viable approach for information systems education for at least a decade, but applying these principles may be especially important today. Because learner-centered education matches well with the preferences of today's students, it is possible that applying learner-centered principles to IS courses can help address our enrollment problems. The purposes of this workshop are to introduce the concepts of learner-centered education, to illustrate how learner-centered concepts can be applied to information systems courses, and to help participants understand how they can employ learner-centered education in their courses. In addition, a methodology for developing learning activities will be presented and applied. The workshop will be highly interactive, and will use the principles of leaner-centered education. Participants will receive a link to workshop materials and additional resources. WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION The “learner-centered approach to teaching information systems” workshop will include an interactive presentation, the experiencing of learning activities for participants, the development of participant relevant learning activities, and discussions among participants. The workshop provides an overview of learner-centered education and its relevance to teaching today's students, demonstrates the use of learner-centered activities, and offers guidelines and a methodology that can be used to develop learner-centered activities. The workshop allows participants to experience learner-centered teaching via activities offered by the workshop leaders. It also offers an opportunity to use the proposed methodology to develop learning activities relevant to the participants. In this case, participants will work in small groups to develop one or more learning activities, which will then be shared with the rest of the participants. The workshop will conclude with a brief wrap up and open discussion.
Outcomes:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES By actively participating in the workshop, participants will be able to: • Compare and contrast learner-centered and instructor-led approaches to education • Discuss the fit between learner-centered education and the “millennial student” • Discuss how to develop a learner-centered environment for their course • Apply a methodology to develop learner-centered activities
Targeted Attendees:
The proposed workshop will be of interest to information systems educators who seek to improve their students’ learning through the application of research-proven teaching methods. The workshop is appropriate for both graduate and undergraduate information systems education. The methods may be particularly useful for those who teach core information systems courses (such as the introductory course).
Recommended Citation: Belanger, F. and Slyke. C., (2010). "A Learner-Centered Approach to Teaching Information Systems", The Proceedings of the Information Systems Education Conference, v.27 n.1467, Nashville, TN.