Student-Centered Course Design: Empowering Students to Become Self-Directed Learners

Abstract

With the recent promotion of learner-centered philosophies, educators are beginning to accept the idea that learning is a constructive process. But this philosophical shift has been met with some resistance from both students and faculty. This case study examines the development of a student-designed experiential course from both student and faculty perspectives. Seven undergraduate students developed and implemented a 12-day experiential learning course with eight learning outcomes. Discussion revolves around faculty and student hesitation, student motivation, faculty selection, course evaluation, and interpersonal development.