Answer to Question #198999 in Psychology for Pretty

Question

Critically discuss the process of learning under following and how would you implement them in classroom

Learner-centred approach, teacher-centred, resource-centred approach, integrated

Answer 1

Answer:

The process of education and learning has been increasingly becoming specialized and competitive to suit contemporary needs. In the Information Age, it is assumed that the postmodern man learns as much in a single day as the medieval man used to in a lifetime. Although our technological and material culture has advanced rapidly, our biological functions like our cognitive abilities haven't evolved nearly as much through the ages. Hence, it requires advanced and more efficient means of teaching and learning process to fulfil the needs of post-industrial and post-modern society, in which the individuals not only require to be educated in a vast amount of subjects but also in a very short span of time. The contemporary society also demands the process of Lifelong learning since the competition is so fierce that the existing skill base soon becomes obsolete and there the individual needs to acquire alternate skills to retain social status in the society. All these have led to the formulation of different approaches to the learning process. 

Learner Centred: In this approach, the learners are seen to be active agents who bring to the fore their own experiences, ideas, education, etc and these influence how the curriculum and method of teaching will be to effectively guide them. It takes into consideration the Cognitivist Learning Theory and the Constructivist learning theory instead of behaviourism which had underpinned the traditional methods of learning in which the students were seen as 'blank slates', passively taking in the information given by the teachers. This approach can be implemented through various methods like: letting the students develop their own content frequently, holding debates, brainstorming, scheduling presentations, role playing, and posing problems for the students to chalk out a solution. 

Teacher centred: In this approach, the teacher takes the complete active role in the overall education process of the classroom while students act as passive recipients of the information. It is very traditional in approach and follows the PPP model typically, that involves Presentation-Practice-Production where the teacher completely leads the activity and teaching process. The teacher is the centre of knowledge in this approach and is in sole charge of the learning process. 

Resource Centred: This is a very versatile type of approach which deals with the acquiring of knowledge from numerous resources, mainly consisting of secondary data, archives, textual analysis, artefacts and so on. This can be used in all disciplines of subjects and teaching environments. It complements debates and often takes the learning process to a multi-disciplinary activity. This approach requires collaboration from the institutions like libraries, archives, archaeological institutions, etc. Technological advancements like Google Earth, Google Arts and Culture, Wikipedia, etc have helped this process to a huge extent. 

Integrated Approach: This approach is really helpful as it provides for a holistic learning experience for the students. This approach integrates together all the subjects and skills that are significant and relevant in addressing a topic or issue. This approach becomes especially crucial in problem solving. It builds the creativity of the students and makes them ready to take up complex challenges with ease. This approach focuses on a rounded learning rather than learning a subject in isolation.