What does it mean to be REALLY student focused? We have been doing behavioural modelling of humans and situational contexts since the mid 80’s and the following is what we think of when we think of ‘what is a student’. We usually use an holistic view of the situation, and it is with that philosophy that we consider what focusing on the student really means.

There are some simple principles we use when we model and try to understand a situation (e.g., a student in a class). For example, we consider the temporal factor:

• What has gone on before and the relationships between the past and the present. We consider the good, bad, and the ugly and what can be leveraged and what should be minimized.
• What is going on concurrently and how this relates to the individual’s general traits and attributes, as well as specific relationships to the situation of interest.
• What is going to follow and how the future might depend on the past and present, and how the present can impact the future in direct and indirect ways; from knowledge and skill development to attitude, engagement and expectations.

How can we appreciate and possibly leverage or use this knowledge? How can this improve the students’ learning?

It is important to think about various aspects of the ‘student’ and try to deal with those we control as instructors and how we create the best learning for the students.

• This might include vertical and horizontal integration (to address the temporal aspect)
• It is possible to consider remedial learning aspects for those requiring assistance.
• We can provide advanced learning modules and challenges for the exceptional students.
• We need to understand what else is going on during the term and what other courses are doing with respect to assessments, deliverables, teaching methods and technology. Being student focused or centric implies having empathy and you cannot have empathy without understanding the other party’s situation.

• We need to know the students’ fears, anxieties, expectations, frustrations, and issues. We might know that an issue is not a real issue and will not matter in the long run, but the students do not know this. We should not dismiss student concerns and fears out of hand.
• We need to remember that to a student, it is their biggest decision and they are only dealing with the courses during the term. The courses and term are their universe and are really important to them. To the instructor, the class is just another group of students moving through the system. There will be another fresh set coming along soon enough. These are two conflicting perspectives.
• Students are ok with being told ‘no’ and having to deal with ‘tough love’ as long as they are involved, things are transparent, that they believe that the course works out in the end for the average student, that the course is fair, etc. Being student centric does not mean doing everything that the students want, or will like to do, or enjoy.
• We can understand the relationship between the neuroscience elements of spatial, verbal, and reading, combined with cognitive science knowledge about the acquisition of cognitive skills and use this in our teaching, student activities, and assessments. It appears that many instructors do not understand when, where, why, and how learning actually occurs, or how the brain actually achieves what it does. We should be problem focused and this is the problem from the student side and our solutions should match the problem. Our solutions should not be about making our jobs easier; that comes after providing an adequate solution.
• Student centric teaching drives deeper into the students’ learning and development of the Bloom’s taxonomy topics; making sure that the students actually learn comprehension, the ability to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate to the desired levels. That the learning is retained, accessible, and usable beyond the course.
• Course centric delivery just cares about the immediate term and what the final grades are for the course; does not care about how the student learned, what the student experienced, what potential damage was done to the students’ physical or mental health because of the course, or there is deep learning.
• Being student centric means that the course is not about the instructor. It is not how much the instructor can show off. Not how the instructor can debate or shutdown a discussion with their quick-wit and sarcasm. Not that the instructor must be seen as being perfect, and not that the instructor never makes a mistake. Not that the instructor can immediately see the solutions while the students are struggling to understand how to understand the question and how to approach the question.

Further reading

• Learner-Centred Assessment. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/assessing-student-work/grading-and-feedback/learner-centred-assessment
• Universal Design: Instructional Strategies. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/teaching-tips-planning-courses-and-assignments/universal-design-instructional-strategies
• W. D. Snyman and J. Kroon. Vertical and horizontal integration of knowledge and skills a working model. European Journal of Dental Education, 9(1):26–31, 2005.