How to Share Power with StudentsGiving Learning Choices

Sharing Control in the Classroom

Developed by Terry Doyle Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning Ferris State University

Sharing Power

Of all of the teaching changes that we must make when moving to a learner centered approach the most difficult may be to share power with our students over their learning. Ironically, this is also the best way to help them to take charge of their own learning.

We have been so conditioned by a teacher centered approach that we must be the authority and control all of the aspect of the learning process that moving away from that idea makes many of us uncomfortable.

It is this uncomfortableness that our students also feel when we ask them to take more control over their learning by making choices which increase their responsibilities for what and how they learn. In order for us to help our students take more responsibilities for their learning we must first feel comfortable with why we need to share power and how to do so.

Sending A MessageEach decision we make about our teaching sends

some message to our students.

When we fail to maintain order in the classroom the message is we don’t really care about their learning.

When we share power with our students by offering learning choices the message is we trust their judgment; we trust them to act in ways that are in their best

interest, and we believe they will make decisions that are in the

best interest of the whole community of learners.

Trust is EmpoweringWhen students are given the opportunity to act in mature

and reasonable ways they will rise to the occasion.

Trust is empowering and most students respond to that trust.

The worst thing that can happen is that we end up sharing with the students that their suggestions, if they fall outside of what is reasonable, need to be revisited and brought into line with guidelines that will optimize their learning.

Students know that a policy of never coming to class and not having to do any homework won’t fly.

1. Our students cannot improve their abilities to be more responsible for their learning with out being given greater responsibility for it.

There are four basis tenets that should help to alleviate our concerns over power sharing.

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2. The more control our students take and the more choices we can offer them the greater their desire and willingness to engage in the learning process. ( Zull p.52)

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3. When students make a choice they also must learn to live with that choice. This is a very powerful life lesson.

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4. When a student has some control over how they learn they can also discover their strengths and weakness as a learner, a vital metacognitive skill they will use the rest of their life.

Who Makes these Learning Related Decision?

Below are course related actions that might be decided in consultation with our students

Teacher Students Together NA

1. Course Textbook 2. Number of exams 3. When in the course exams will be given 4. Attendance policy 5. Late work policy 6. Late for class policy 7. Course learning outcomes 8. Office hours 9. Due dates for major papers 10. Teaching methods/approaches 11. How groups are formed 12. Topic of writing or research projects 13. Grading scale 14. Discussion guidelines for large or small group discussions 15. Rubrics for evaluation of self or peers work 16. If rewriting will be allowed 17. If retesting will be allowed

Questions to Ask Ourselves about Sharing Power

Question One

What do I need to control in the learning environment of this classroom and what governance can I share with the students?

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Question TwoWhat choices can I give my students in the

area of course topics?

Question ThreeWhat choices can I give my students in the

area of course assignments?

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Question FourWhat choices can I give my students in the

area of course assessments?

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