| A sample of digital media undergraduates participated in this investigation of students' understanding and perception of student-centered learning and how they demonstrated the three orientations of the Approaches to Study Inventory, achieving, meaning, and reproducing. The 32 study participants were queried on their understanding of the definitions of SCL, on their perceptions of the purpose of SCL, and on their understanding of the effect of SCL on their education and their preparation for the real world. The data gathered indicated a string understand and perception to the definitions, purpose and effects of student-centered learning. The study revealed high scores on the SCL instrument; ranging from 85% to 95% (agreed) on how the participants understood and perceived the definitions, purpose, and effect of student-centered learning. Individual areas within each SCL category (definition, purpose, and effect) included flexibility, individuality, responsibility, depth of learning, motivation, efficiency of learning, and preparing the student for the real world and job skills. The data gathered from the ASI on the achieving, meaning, and reproducing orientations were consistent with empirical data from previous studies that used the ASI instrument (Berberoglu and Hei, 2003; Gibbs, 1992; Lea, Stephenson, and Troy, 2003). Participant had scores ranging from 13.0 to 14.7 on the ASIs achieving, reproducing, and meaning orientations. These were average scores based on the empirical data (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983, Entwistle & Tait, 1994; Sadler-Smith, 1999). Overall the digital media undergraduates were in agreement with the definitions and the purpose of SCL. They also agreed that SCL positively affected their education and their preparation for the real world. Participants' ASI scores were within the mean score for each orientation (achieving, meaning, and reproducing). |
