1. University of Colorado, Boulder
What Type of Classroom do You Want and What Does it Take to Achieve that Goal:
Characteristics of Teacher-centered (Traditional), Transitional, and Learner-Centered Classrooms
David Budd
University of Colorado, Boulder
Budd, van der Hoeven Kraft, McConnell, and Vislova, in press, Characterizing teaching in introductory geology courses: Measuring classroom practices: Journal of Geoscience Education.

2. Teacher-centered (traditional) versus Learner-Centered Classrooms
Recalling your own experiences as a student, work with a partner and develop a list of classroom attributes that you think would fit these two end-member scenarios.

3. Teacher-centered (traditional) versus Learner-Centered Classrooms
instructor is well-organized, knowledgeable and has a thematic framework
instructor does most of the talking and thinking
focus is on detail, covering material, and moving forward.
students are mainly inactive (aside from note taking) and there is little, if any, student talk
no effort to determine if students’ minds are focused on the content.
instructor appears to assume that transmitting information equates to students learning content.

4. Teacher-centered (traditional) versus Learner-Centered Classrooms
instructor is well-organized, knowledgeable and has a conceptual focus
instructor may do little talking aside from giving instructions, guidance, and summing up
focus on concepts, developing understanding & student thinking
students are actively engaged with the content, each other, and the instructor
multiple active-learning activities at multiple scales, with lots of student-student talk

5. Teacher-centered (traditional) versus Learner-Centered Classrooms
What are the specifics that really define these end members?
What are instructors really doing in a learner-centered classroom?
How do I figure out where I am and what I am planning fits into the spectrum of classrooms?
What do I do to be more learner-centered than teacher-centered?

6. Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol1
Classroom observation protocol
25 items grouped in 5 subscales that characterize classroom practices
lesson design and implementation
the content and processes of instruction
student engagement in learning
communication between students,
interactions between teacher and students.
Each item scored from 0 to 4
Higher the total score, the more student-centric the classroom
1Piburn et al. (2000) and Sawada et al. (2002)

7. Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol
Scoring rubric
provides a framework for assigning and interpreting the Likert scores
allows a robust characterization & self-assessment of classroom practices
Item 2) The lesson was designed to engage students as members of a learning community.
0-No evidence.
1- Lesson has limited opportunities to engage students. (e.g., some clickers, rhetorical questions with shout out opportunities, clarification questions).
2- Lesson is designed for continual interaction between teacher and students.
3- Lesson is designed to include both extensive teacher-student and student-student interactions.
4- Lesson was designed for students to negotiate meaning of content primarily through student-student interaction.
Item 3) In this lesson, student exploration preceded formal presentation (students asked to think or do prior to content introduction).
0- No exploration occurred.
1- Lesson starts with an abstract exploration opportunity (e.g., what do you think about…).
2- Lesson designed with an initial, short exploration opportunity (students do something).
3- Lesson is designed to engage students in an active exploration experience.
4- Major focus of the lesson is for students to spend time exploring, in detail.

8. Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol
Lets examine the RTOP & Rubric
handout
Lets try applying it
Video & scoring

9. RTOP Scores, Introduction to Physical Geology
There is a full range of instructional approach in today’s geoscience classrooms.
> 50 = Student-Centered
< 30 = Teacher-Centered
4 community colleges, 3 baccalaureate colleges, 1 master’s university, 3 research universities

10. RTOP Scores, Introduction to Physical Geology
Progression from teacher-centered to student centered is holistic
Largest shifts occur when engaging students in activities and in classroom communication
4 community colleges, 3 baccalaureate colleges, 1 master’s university, 3 research universities

11. The RTOP as a Reflective Self-Assessment Tool
How do I figure out where I am and what I am planning fits into the spectrum of classrooms?
What do I do to be more learner-centered than teacher-centered?

12. The RTOP as a Reflective Self-Assessment Tool
Item 3) In this lesson, student exploration preceded formal presentation (students asked to think or do prior to content introduction).
0- No exploration occurred.
1- Lesson starts with an abstract exploration opportunity (e.g., what do you think about…).
2- Lesson designed with an initial, short exploration opportunity (students do something).
3- Lesson is designed to engage students in an active exploration experience.
4- Major focus of the lesson is for students to spend time exploring, in detail.

13. The RTOP as a Reflective Self-Assessment Tool
Item 18) There was a high proportion of student talk and a significant amount of it occurred between and among students (quantity of interactions).
0 – No student-student talk occurred.
1 – Students talk to each other at least one about the lesson’s content.
2 – Student-student talk occurs at least 10% of the time during the course of the class.
3 – Student-student talk occurs more than 25% of the time during the course of the class.
4 – In any given moment during the lesson, students are more likely to be talking to each other than the teacher (>50% student-to-student talk).
Item 19) Student questions and comments often determined the focus and direction of classroom discourse (quality of interactions).
0- No student input.
1- Student conversations are short and limited to “the answer,” no negotiation of meaning.
2- Student conversations are brief but do involve some negotiation of meaning.
3- Student conversations are in depth examinations of a problem.
4- Student conversations are detailed, multi-faceted examinations of recent and previously learned content that is student directed.

14. Online Resources Describes the components of the RTOP
Describes the components of the RTOP
Links (in fine print) to pages with tips and examples for
structuring the classroom
improving your lessons so as to move toward more student-centered teaching as measured by the RTOP
separate links/pages for each of the five subscales