Shift in Classroom Autonomy and Learning Source

Independent instructional strategies focus on the students learn and their leadership within the classroom. This strategy leads to students pursuing their own interests within the class. Students are found to have in independent instructional approach, "much greater conceptual understanding, more complex critical-thinking skills, better class attendance, more independence in lab settings, and greater confidence. About two-thirds of the faculty members we interviewed said that they covered fewer topics in class when they used group work, but that students learned and retained more of the ―big ideas‖ that they chose to address relative to using lecture formats" (Froyd &Simpson, 2010). 

Additionally, in Wiggins and McTighe (2012) Understanding by design model, transfer is the third stage within the model that encourages independent learning and autonomy for students to apply information to new material with teacher "providing specific feedback in the context of authentic application" and encouraging students to self-assess and reflect on material. 

References

Froyd, J. Simpson, N. (2010) Student-Centered Learning Addressing Faculty Questions about Student-centered Learning. Texas A&M University. Retrieved on April 26, 2016 from: ccliconference.org/files/2010/03/Froyd_Stu-CenteredLearning.pdf

McTighe, J., Wiggins, G. (2012) Understanding By Design Framework. Alexandria: ASCD. Retrieved on April 26, 2016 from: www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf