A Dozen Recommendations for Placing the Student at the Centre of Web‐Based Learning

Abstract

During the past year, 14 learner‐centred principles from the American Psychological Association (1993, 1997) were used to design, implement, and refine Web‐based educational psychology courses and laboratory experiences offered to pre‐service teachers at Indiana University. In this article, we reflect on our various experiences as well as the perspectives our students shared with us in their formative and summative evaluations of our Web courses. These impressions form the basis for a dozen learner‐centred recommendations for Web‐based instruction. The topics addressed in our recommendations relate to: (1) establishing a safe learning community; (2) fostering student engagement; (3) giving students choice; (4) facilitating learning; (5) offering public and private feedback; (6) apprenticing student learning; (7) employing recursive assignments; (8) utilizing electronic writing and reflection activities; (9) building on student Web link suggestions; (10) providing clear expectations and prompt task structuring; (11) evaluating student electronic work; and (12) personalizing learning as technology advances. Embedded in these twelve recommendations are pedagogical considerations to foster student thinking skills, problem solving abilities, teamwork and social interaction and debate.