What has created the shift to an emphasis on a more “learner-centered” environment for learning?
Table 1-5 on page 13 of Educational Technology for Teaching and Learning highlights the key role changes for teachers and students as this shift towards a more learner-centered environment for learning has occurred. There are a number of related reasons for this shift. First and foremost is the increased levels of technology in our lives. We live now squarely within the “information age.” With greater access to huge databases of information, the Internet, etc. the view of the teacher as the “sole source of knowledge” within the classroom is quickly dissipating. Instead, the role of the teacher is now shifting to one of facilitator and resource. Students must now proactively discern what types and sources of information to obtain, access the information, interpret what they find, and apply that information in a unique manner. Another cause for the shift has developed because of a need to produce learners with different/greater capabilities. That is, we now live in a world that requires
