A. Rani Elwy, PhD & Rob Schadt, EdD
CEIT, March 2, 2012
Year-long program in the 2009-2010 academic year
Developing Learner-Centered Teaching
(Blumberg, 2009)
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Old model: instructors take
responsibility for their students’ learning
 Define what will be learned
 Direct how it will be learned
 Determine how well it is learned

New model: proactive development
of responsibility for learning skills
Role of Content
2) Role of the Instructor
3) Responsibility for Learning
4) Purposes and Processes of Assessment
5) Balance of Power
1)
Instructor-Centered
Learner-Centered
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Increasing opportunities
Skills for present and future
Self-directed skills
Self-assessment of learning
Self-assessment of strengths & weaknesses
Information literacy skills
The Rubric for the Responsibility for Learning Dimension
Component
4. Students’ Self
Assessment of
their Learning
Employs
InstructorCentered
Approaches
Instructor 1)believes that
instructors alone
assess learning
(or)
2) Does not
consider selfassessment of
learning relevant
Transitioning to
Learner –Centered Approaches
Lower Level of
Transitioning
Higher Level of
Transitioning
Instructor does
not direct
students to
assess their own
learning
Instructor
sometimes
directs students
to assess their
own learning
Employs
Learner Centered
Approaches
Instructor
motivates
students to
routinely assess
their own
learning

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Bringing real-world health care delivery
problems to a health policy and management
classroom
How can students learn best?

http://sph.bu.edu/otlt/pm755/donahue/

A continuum between instructor taking full
responsibility and the student taking
increasing responsibility

PM755 example: Field-based interviews with
health care delivery experts identified by
students
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Time management
Self-monitoring
Goal setting
How to do independent reading
How to conduct original research
PM755 example: the continuum from
identifying a health care delivery problem to
developing an innovation for implementation

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Determining a personal need to know more
Knowing who to ask or where to seek
information
Determine when need is met
Developing awareness of own learning
abilities
PM755 Example: Asking for help

Instructor motivates students to routinely
and appropriately assess their own learning

PM755 Example: Reflection on interviews

“This interview was a really great experience. Dr. X was
very knowledgeable, and her expertise was evident
throughout this enlightening conversation. My
conversation with her helped me to develop a different
perspective on the cause of the underutilization of
preventive services by adolescents. The causes identified
in my outline for the policy brief are all related to access to
care. However, Dr. X helped me realize that one of the
main causes may be a lack of adequate privacy measures .
As a result, I am expanding my research to include this
aspect. Furthermore Dr. X was helpful in identifying
another field expert, who I could contact to discuss the
role of school-based health centers in increasing the
utilization of preventive health services.”

Instructor encourages students to become
proficient at self-assessment

PM755 Example: Peer- and self-assessment
following presentation of innovation to
health care executive
PEER-ASSESSMENT
1.
2.
Great graphics, clear
understanding of topic,
spoke at a great pace
A little more explanation
of how policy would be
implemented without
cost increases was needed
SELF-ASSESSMENT
1.
I thought I used visual
models easily and brought
up cultural impact well.
2.
I had made the decision
not to include too many
numbers in my
presentation (to simplify)
but realized I should have
had more data readily
available
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Framing questions
Accessing and evaluating resources
Evaluating content
Using information legally
PM755 Example: Searching for a topic,
identifying a health care expert
PITFALLS

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Taking the easy way out
and not “going out on a
limb”
Not initially recognizing
the skills needed for these
assignments translate into
real life
LESSONS LEARNED

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Provide feedback from
past students on how they
wished they had thought
more about future impacts
Spend first class discussing
why student-centered
learning is important for
skills required in future job
“This is an excellent class since it not only helped me acquire
new knowledge in the areas of healthcare delivery but also
helped me develop professional skills such as interviewing
experts and giving presentations in a concise manner. Highly
recommended to those who are looking for such a
combination.”
 “Very clear and precise course and assignment objectives
were provided.”
 “This course seemed a little amorphous, and at times I
wasn't sure exactly what the objectives were.”
We can only get here if we make students
responsible for this kind of learning!
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