At the final event of the joint project with the European Students’ Union currently taking place in Leuven, Belgium, Education International launched a toolkit for staff and students to promote the concept of student-centred learning.
The project, entitled “Time for Student-Centred Learning”, is a European-level campaign within the context of the European Higher Education Area, to advocate for a more participatory way of teaching and learning in higher education institutions.
The launch took place in Leuven’s Museum M, and was attended by the Belgian Minister of Education for the Flemish Region, Pascal Smet, the Mayor of Leuven, Louis Tobback, the chairperson of the Flemish student union VVS, Tom Demeyer, as well as EI Deputy General Secretary Monique Fouilhoux and ESU chairperson Bert Vandenkendelaere.
Commenting on the crisis of financing for the higher education and research sector which resulted in staff having to do more with less, Fouilhoux remarked that by working together with the students on student-centred learning, staff send a strong message to governments and institutions that quality education requires the necessary resources and supportive environment.
“Education International is concerned about the quality of education at all levels. This is one of the principal aims of our existence,” stated Fouilhoux.
“Student-centred learning is about changing the teaching and learning paradigm in higher education to include consideration for a student’s background and capacity,” explained Vandenkendelaere.
EI and ESU will continue to work together to distribute this toolkit among their membership to ensure that the implementation of the concept is done at the institutional level.
To download a copy of the toolkit, or for more information about the project, please visit the project website: www.t4scl.eu