What is Student Centered Learning?

Using a student-centered learning model, VLACS gives students the opportunity to customize their learning experience in a way that best meets their needs, in a setting that engages their interests, talents, and passions.

At Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS), students are connected with learning in a way that engages their interests, talents and passions. Using a student centered learning model, VLACS gives students the ability to customize their learning experience in a way that best meets their needs.

Our personalized and flexible approach to learning allows students to cast aside the limitations of time and place-based learning, while giving students all the tools and direction they need to be active and successful participants in their education.

There are four key components to a student centered learning approach:

1. Learning is personalized

2. Learning is competency-based

3. Learning is anytime, anywhere

4. Students take ownership

Rather than having instructors simply hand down information, students can truly take ownership, preparing them to be successful in the future. Let’s take a look at each of these components.

Learning is personalized — Truly personalized learning provides students with the opportunity to make decisions about how they want to learn. This may include a traditional course in math, travel to museums for history, a family trip to master Spanish competencies, or an internship with a local business to learn coding.

Students take ownership of their learning — We believe that personalization is they key to taking ownership of learning. When students take ownership of their learning they control its direction, become engaged and excited about learning and are more likely to enjoy the deep thinking and hard work that follows.

Learning happens anytime, anywhere — The common definition of anytime, anywhere learning is based on the notion that students can learn in school or at home, at any time of the day, using a digital or online tool. However, the definition can be expanded to incorporate learning in the real world.

Learning is competency-based — Competencies are the glue that makes student centered learning work. Schools in which courses are the only method of delivery find it difficult to allow students to customize their learning, but in competency-based schools, students can choose from many learning options. At VLACS this is called learning unbound.

Learning through courses, projects, experiences, teams or college: it’s all possible in a personalized learning environment. All of this and more are available at VLACS. Come learn with us.