One way that student-centered learning can be fostered in the classroom is by using independent study projects. Typically, an independent study involves a student or a group of students working on a subject together and then presenting the findings in a written report or in a presentation to the class at a time specified by the teacher. The teacher supplies the subject topic and support materials, like books, articles, or videos, but the student(s) must combine the information in these materials and present it in a clear and concise way.
Another student-centered learning idea for the classroom is having students complete poster presentations. In poster presentation projects, students get into groups of three or four people and create a poster with images and text that displays the themes of a particular unit or subject matter being studied. The teacher supplies the poster materials, but the students can present the information in whatever way they choose.
A third student-centered learning strategy is the self-initiated assignment. In this strategy, a student chooses a subject matter that he or she wants to know more about, researches it, creates a report and presents the findings to the class as a whole or to the teacher. Usually, the subject matter relates to the general subject being taught, but the student can choose to learn more about something that hasn't been taught or something that has been taught but not focused on.