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A Learner-Centered Approach to Industrial Technology Education: A Case Study of a Multimedia Team Project

L. V. Harris, Ph.D. Graphic Information Technology Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a university multimedia team project, taught as a learner-centered alternative and enhancement to a lecture-only traditional approach to industrial technology education. Creation of Flash movies integrated with interdisciplinary content can be used not only for student learning in an academic environment, but also for transfer to the training of the industrial technologist.

In a higher education milieu, the prevailing approach to teaching and learning is external. The professor determines what to do to and for the student in order for learning to take place. The internal learner-centered approach is to shift the responsibility of learning to the student, so that the student becomes the center of the educational process and becomes an active decision-maker by making choices on how his or her learning will take place. The professor's role is transformed to that of a facilitator and supporter of the learning process. This learner-centered education prepares students for lifelong learning and transferable skill sets.

Macromedia Flash, a vector-based animation software, can be used to create multimedia learning objects for the academy, as well as for training in industry. In this case study, graphics students were challenged on how to create organic chemistry molecular structures using Flash animation. The challenge to the professor was to examine alternative shifts in attitude as to how learning should take place, and how the presentations should be used in visual and verbal formats for optimal learning.

I. What is Learner-Centered Education? There is a quiet revolution occurring in higher education –– a change of philosophy on how one teaches, how one learns, how a classroom is structured, how faculty and college students relate to each other, as well as in the nature of the curriculum. Learner-centered education and the philosophy of learning, encompass issues from society, the quest for life-long learning, the culture of the evolving university classroom, and technology. Learner-centered education focuses on the interest, skills, and needs of the student, with the computer as the vehicle of learning.

In the academy, the professor typically determines what to do to and for the student in order for learning to take place. The internal learner-centered alternative is to shift the responsibility of learning to the student, so that the student becomes the center of the educational process and becomes an active decision-maker by making choices on how his or her learning will take place. The professor's role is transformed to that of a facilitator and supporter of the learning process. Learner-centered education prepares students for lifelong learning and skill sets that are transferable to industry.

“Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Harris, L. V. A. (2005, June), A Learner Centered Approach To Industrial Technology Education: A Case Study Of A Multimedia Team Project Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--15493