APA Learner-Centered Psychological Principles

In response to proposals for educational reform (e.g., A Nation at Risk), the American Psychological Association in 1990 organized a Task Force that would attempt to offer a summary of what the research literature could contribute to shape reform efforts. As reform initiatives continued (e.g., Goals 2000: Educate America Act), the APA process of attempting to generate and communicate essential guiding principles in understandable language has also continued.

Here is my summary of the 1995 Principles:

• Successful learners are active, purposeful, and self-assessing. Learning requires the interpretation of new experiences within the context of existing knowledge and the reorganization of existing knowledge based on new experiences.Unless new experiences and existing knowledge are merged, what is learned will be less likely to be applied in new and appropriate situations. Effective learning requires the application of strategies suited to particular circumstances. To make such adjustments, learners must think about their thinking and assess how well their own attempts to meet specific goals work out.
• Because the acquisition and application of complex skills requires a great deal of effort, the motivation to learn plays an important role in effective learning. Learners are more likely to motivated by tasks that are optimally challenging and personally meaningful. Because different tasks will satisfy these goals for different individuals, providing for personal choice and control can be important.
• Learners benefit from activities encouraging interaction and collaboration. Learning within a social context confronts learners with other perspectives promoting reflective thinking.
• Assessment plays an important role both in guiding learners and adjusting instruction.

We find the APA Principles to be consistent with many of our own priorities. Note that the principles attempt to define characteristics of effective learners and do not directly address curriculum (what skills or content should be learned), teaching practices, or the structure of schools and how they are run. Other reformers target emphasize these other areas. Still, APA attempts to establish a "bottom line" - "educational practice will be most likely to improve when the educational system is redesigned with the primary focus on the learner."

Examine the full text of "Learner-Centered Psychological Principles."