Learner Control: How is it used?

How is it used?

I think that both teachers and learners are equally important in the learning environment. The presence of both of them is necessary--not optional. The question is how can both be involved in a learning process with neither being completely in control of the process?

In a learner-centered constructive environment, the role of the teacher is to monitor the learner's cognitive processes and guide the development of complex knowledge structures (Garrison, 1993). Garrison further clarifies that teachers are aware of biases and perspectives in constructing meaning and therefore are qualified to become facilitators in the learning process. The teacher "structure[s] the content and provides a framework to connect and make sense of ideas and facts. (p. 203)" Teachers must become facilitators of learning where control of the learning transaction is shared by the teacher and the learner (Student1, 1997).

References

Garrison, D.R. (1993). A cognitive constructivist view of distance education: An analysis of teaching-learning assumptions. Distance Education, 14(2), 199-211.

Response to: "I think that both teachers and learners are equally important in the learning environment. The presence of both of them is necessary--not optional."

Yes! If learners could do everything on their own a lot of us would be out of jobs. And I can't help but shudder at the thought of the research papers that would be done!!!

I agree that there needs to be some balance between what the learner does/controls and what the instructor does. This connects to what I've been reading about Constructivism also but I'll save that for next week! (Student3, 1997).

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