Giving students ownership and control of their own learning

There is a critical moment in course design when teachers make a decision about what will be taught, how long it will be taught, and how learning will be assessed. Most teachers, in my observation, make these decisions in isolation or with a group of other teachers, leaving little to no room for student input.

To read the full article, members please log in here. To subscribe please click here.

What if we loosened up that control and instead of a traditional syllabus (which implicitly limits what, when, and how a student can learn), we gave them a learning journey? What if we offered learning experiences to students and let them choose the avenues and modalities of learning? If we create learning options within a roadmap (think potential units and possible lessons sprinkled along the optional routes), students would be able to take more control over their learning. The fundamental components of a learning experience wouldn’t change; we would still need to have clear expectations, clarify resources for students, and guide students towards avenues of learning.

What if learning looked like this?

Allowing students to opt into learning modalities they enjoy will have multiple benefits, from more enjoyment of learning to self-awareness of they learn.

How a learning journey impacts learning:

Impact on content
While we are unable to know what content is necessary for students to learn, it is clear that we need students to be able to evaluate and analyse any and all content. With that in mind, it is worth considering which components of content knowledge in your classes are negotiable. Take those pieces and embed student choice by making those options that they may want to learn.

Impact on pacing
One of the primary benefits of giving students a learning journey is its impact on pacing. Students who already understand a concept can move to the next video/reading/exercise, and students who need more time can watch/read/re-do or engage in other learning modalities until they understand the content/concept. If you are willing to state clearly how students will be assessed, then there is every reason to let students progress at the
pace which works for them.

Impact on learning modalities
It’s undeniable that students learn in different ways. Much has been written about multiple intelligences and differentiation and while those movements had the right idea in mind: reaching more students, they also seem to be riddled with teacher control that permeated educational writing and philosophy up until recently. If there is a natural tendency for some students to want to write papers, present to their peers, create artwork, etc., as their preferred form of learning, then great. Let’s let them engage in the material that way. If there is a concern about diversity of skill sets being developed, that is an opportunity for a conference with a student about taking risks and having a growth mindset rather than only choosing learning modalities within one’s comfort zone. The overarching theme here is that allowing students to opt into learning modalities they enjoy will have multiple benefits, from more enjoyment of learning to self-awareness of how they learn.

Impact on ownership
One of the biggest tensions that pervades education around the world is the idea of ownership. Traditional teaching is riddled with a negative cycle of assignments:

1. An assignment is mandated.
2. Students scramble to figure out what the teacher wants (often via oral and written feedback).
3. Students submit their assignments (It’s interesting that traditionally the teacher’s name was on the top of the assignment as well, isn’t it?)
4. A grade is “given”.
5. The final graded product is promptly thrown in the trash.
Giving students a learning journey where they make choices regarding their learning will mean they are more likely to engage in the learning in an organic way rather than simply jumping through hoops. It also lends itself to better final products that students can take pride in and could easily lead to a digital portfolio of work they want to share with others (relatives, future teachers, college admissions offices, etc.).

Impact on assessment
This is often the single variable that gives teachers the most pause when it comes to giving students more control
over their learning. If we give students ownership over what or how they learn, then the question of how they will be
assessed is a reasonable one. It will take some deep thinking about what you want students to learn and how they
can demonstrate that knowledge. One solution is to ask broad based questions that allow for multiple avenues/answers to demonstrate mastery. Hopefully you will think about the power a learning journey could have for your students. After all, they are the ones we want making decisions and taking control of their own learning!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss designing learning journeys for your students.

Related Posts

Fostering Wonderment and Awe in the Classroom

Fostering Wonderment and Awe in the Classroom

Back to School

Back to School

How Artificial Intelligence Augments Biological Intelligence

How Artificial Intelligence Augments Biological Intelligence

Making Learning Real

Making Learning Real

Mark Engstrom


Mark is an Educational Consultant, Blended Learning Designer and the Head of MS/US at Allen Academy
in Bryan, Texas. He has presented on digital learning through Independent School Management, Association of American Schools in South America and Association
of International Schools in Africa. He has helped teachers from all
over the world make learning more engaging for their students. Feel free to connect through Twitter @markaengstrom or emailmarkaengstrom@hotmail.com.