Toward a Theory of Human-Centered Learning

Human-Centered learning as a concept finds its roots in the most commonly accepted learning theories. My work at Macquarie University revealed a rather intimate connection between this philosophy and the field education technology: the software doesn’t matter so long as students lack the internal supports (or scaffolding) to use it effectively for learning. The five learning fluencies developed to address this need have been tested for their impact on diversity and accessibility in education. A pilot study has shown their potential impact on student achievement – especially for low performers.

All this indicates that there is some value to further research and development of the idea of Human-Centered Learning. However, the concept itself has hardly reached an explicit definition and the methods of its implementation remain vague at best. It will take additional research, testing, and the rigor of a PhD program to expose its potential, its flaws and the way in which it can identify a nexus of synergies between both a range of educational theories and the changing world of technology.

Objectives

Additional research on the impact that a supplemental human-centered learning program can have on the achievement gap. The pilot study I completed indicated that training in the 5 aspects of learning fluency could be related to student performance. Student achievement demands further exploration of this possibility.

Elyseum Hall as a democratic learning environment for the development of the individual needs more support than I have already found with proponents of critical theory and the liberal arts. The philosophy behind the structure of the learning environment requires further development and I need an environment in which to begin the transition of human-centered learning from theory to practice.

Finally, I have something of a background in technology, but not the skill required to complete the platform for learning and collaboration outlined in the video on Page Cookie. I look forward to collaborating across departments to discover the value of this software for business, education, research, and community engagement. In order to push its development beyond its current phase (only the UI, and the functionality have been defined), I will need to work closely with other researchers in mathematics, software engineering, business, and design.