Tri-University Collaboration on Learner-Centered Practice:
Creating Learning Communities Among Faculty and Students

The primary goal of this project is for the three state universities to collaborate in a learning community comprised of ten faculty and one graduate student from each institution, to accomplish three major objectives: 1) exploring, identifying and implementing learner-centered teaching strategies in a minimum of 60 classes in the Spring 2006 and Fall 2006; 2) applying existing classroom assessment models and techniques to determine which instructional approaches best produce the desired learning outcomes; and 3) developing a faculty development process model through which the continued exploration and implementation of learner-centered instructional practice can expand to become commonplace in higher educational environments in which the lecture method still dominates. Secondary goals include:

• increasing the use of learner-centered instructional strategies and understanding how learner-centered instructional strategies enhance student learning;
• increasing faculty use of classroom assessment techniques to determine the effectiveness of their instructional practices;
• stimulating dialogue on each campus and among campuses to gain insight about what factors would increase both the faculty's implementation of learner-centered instructional strategies and the use of classroom assessment strategies in the tri-university system.

This project builds on two ABOR LCE grants, the first awarded to the three universities in Spring 2002, the second awarded in Spring 2004. These grants provided opportunities to demonstrate that the faculty initially involved in learning and implementing learner-centered instructional and assessment strategies experimented enthusiastically with learner-centered strategies, collaborated effectively at all three state universities, saw positive results in their students, and have continued to embrace LCE principles in their teaching, as reported to ABOR, by invitation, at the September 25, 2003, board meeting.

The intent of the current project is to continue in developing a critical mass of faculty at the three institutions who will engage in the study of learner-centered instructional practice, apply what they learn, assess the impact of what they learn, and share their learning with other faculty through workshops, mentoring, web-based materials, at their own and each other's universities. They will also develop a plan to promote learner-centered instructional philosophies and practices in their own departments and colleges. This will ensure broader institutional commitment to and wider adoption of learner-centered instruction and assessment strategies within our state university system.

The University of Arizona
© 2005 Arizona Board of Regents
Comments or questions:
mav@email.arizona.edu
Last updated June 27, 2005