Last Updated on November 17, 2017

In an era which has been defined by its fast-paced & intellectually dynamic people, education systems seem to have fallen behind, unable to adequately respond to the needs of our modern society.

If education is indeed an attempt to solve problems around the world by bettering one’s self & the world around us, then students today should be inspired & motivated to use the knowledge they acquire during their school years to solve real world problems.

The Educational Paradigm: Shifting from Instructional to Learning

We are currently witnessing a pivotal shift in education, placing greater emphasis on “learning through student discovery and construction of knowledge” (Barr and Tagg 1995), rather than transferring knowledge directly from teachers to students. Τhe theory has been out there for ages. In practice, it has only been a few years since technology has enabled innovative and “early adopter” educators to activate student-centered learning (SCL) tactics in class. 

SCL is a term used to describe the importance of allowing students to move from being inactive information recipients to dynamic participants in their own discovery process.

What does SCL look like in practice?

Teachers are increasingly adopting SCL methods by applying technology, to enrich each student’s learning journey, in the classroom. 

Education technology has enabled an unprecedented level of personalized learning. Schools now use technology to increase their access to material & resources, as well as to differentiate their teaching approaches, satisfying the needs of all learners in the classroom.

Why SCL matters?

Studies have shown that when students are given the opportunity to shape their own learning, they become trailblazers, using their curiosity as their compass to solve real-world problems (Collins & O’Brien, 2003).

SCL ultimately allows students to participate in the decision-making process of their education, i.e. what they learn & how they learn driven directly from their passions, abilities, and needs.

Start Empowering Your Students

100mentors is the platform and network empowering students to connect with mentors on-demand to guide them in their most important academic and career decisions. With 100mentors, schools enable students to open up their circles of influence to include mentors from 300+ universities and 500+ companies across the world, while companies and universities are able to tap into a quality pool of potential program and job candidates.