The challenges of student-centred learning: from policy to practice

In order to facilitate student mobility there is a need to share common policies and practices; consequently initiatives such as the EU Association Agreement and the Bologna Guidelines provide an essential a common framework for graduate and postgraduate study. One of the fundamental principles of the EU Association Agreement is a commitment to student-centred learning. In this keynote speech I shall be discussing the challenges of developing student centred learning with particular reference to the professional development of academics. I identify what student centred learning means and explore the assumptions that lie behind this concept. I will then look at five areas which will universities need to address as they move from a teacher centred to a learner centred culture. These are 1) the relationships with the students, 2) the teaching environment, 3) pedagogy, 4) assessment and outcome-based learning and 5) the ways in which IT can support learning