The student and the student’s needs are central to the design of the education programme. For this reason, student-centred learning is important. Students learn in a way that suits their needs. In addition, the method of assessment is also tailored to the needs of the student. Students are guided and assisted in finding the most suitable learning methods.
Student-centred learning helps students develop personal responsibility because it encourages them to organise and shape their own education. This teaches them what personal responsibility means and what the consequences are. In ideal education, there are no compulsory study paths; instead, students can put together their own educational path.
Student-centred learning encourages students to think creatively, because there are endless possibilities for structuring the education that the student follows. Thinking outside the box and beyond established expectations is encouraged in this form of education, and students are encouraged not to choose the beaten track in advance. Within this flexibility, frameworks are seen only as guidelines and not as dogmas.
It is evident that student-centred learning is necessary for maximum self-development. Only when students can organise their education entirely according to their own needs can optimal development take place. After all, students themselves know best what needs and interests they want to develop.
Flexibility
The practical implementation of student-centred learning involves developing flexible educational programmes that meet the needs of individual students. Educational programmes are flexible if there is room to make choices, choose one’s own direction, but also to take courses or sit exams at different times. It is important for students to have a flexible timetable so that they can also develop in other ways than just within their own studies. In addition, it also offers the opportunity to study alongside other tasks, such as work or raising children.