Paper Title
Putting The Learner in the Driver’s Seat: Interdisciplinary Team and Peer-Led Teaching as an Approach to Capstone Work: Benefits and Challenge
Abstract
There is increased attention on the value of adopting innovative instructional techniques that guide students to be independent, autonomous and collaborative learners in order to best prepare them for success in life-long learning within their professional careers. In the educational literature, it is apparent that there are those who characterize teaching as essentially an organization of the content of the teacher’s knowledge for transmission to the students, and those who regard teaching as focused on learning as permanent conceptual change.1, 2 Research suggests that how teachers understand or conceive of teaching informs their teaching approaches, indicating that a learner centered conception of teaching is necessary for quality teaching and learning to occur.1, 3, 4 It is the contention of these presenters that the word “educate”, derived from the Latin: “e-dūcere” which means “to lead out” clearly compels the educator to not only “pour in” content and knowledge but to literally lead and draw the learner out: to excite and engage the learner actively in discovery and critical thinking, allowing for concrete active application of knowledge.This presentation will describe a process of employing two different collaborative student centered learning strategies used in a capstone course in Athletic Training: team teaching and peer led learning.