Learner-Centered Teaching
Goals and Objectives
The goal of the National Learner-Centered Teaching Partnership is to prepare baccalaureate degree-level faculty within our nation’s 1890 land-grant universities and HBCUs (historically Black Colleges and Universities) to adopt and integrate learner-centered instruction for enhancing student learning across general food and agricultural sciences courses. The National LCT Partnership provides pedagogical support and energize professors to teach more diverse student populations as well as, improving their productivity and the educational quality. As a result, students will enhance their critical thinking, and heighten their decision-making and problem solving skills through new experiential learning opportunities.
Neil Knobloch & Orlenthea S McGowan
2021 Conference
Project Directors
Orlenthea S McGowan, Ed.D
Dr. Orlenthea McGowan is an Associate Professor in Education & Behavioral Science at Langston University. She has experiences directing a nationally recognized PT3 program, establishing learner centered communities involving elementary and secondary pre-service and in-service teachers, administrators, and university faculty, and designing digital resource materials for agricultural science’s faculty. In this project, she is the co-director for intra-school collaborations. She is also responsible for coordinating all project activities and implementing the project objectives.
Contact Information:
Phone: 918-877-8159
osmcgowan@lunet.edu
Neil Knobloch, Ph.D
Neil Knobloch is an Associate Professor in Life Science Education at Purdue University. His research consists of systematic studies of teaching and learning methodologies. He is an expert in faculty development; personal epistemology and expectancy value motivation; experiential learning in the context of agriculture, environment, and sciences. In this project, he is the responsible for the website and online course design as well as the instruction of LCT methods at the faculty development workshops.
Contact Information:
Phone: (765) 494-8439
nknobloc@purdue.edu
Bryan Hains, Ph.D
Dr. Hains’ background is in teaching and learning and allows him to apply research findings within multiple educational, community and professional contexts. A primary context for Bryan’s research and instruction is socio-cultural and identity development. Dr. Hains uses his training in emotion and cognition to enhance cultural intelligence at both individual and group levels. Dr. Hains is the Director and Co-Founder of the Community Innovation Lab at the University of Kentucky. Within the lab, he works with diverse scholars and community practitioners to examine and explore innvations within communities of place, interest and practice. Within the classroom, Dr. Hains uses learner centered/experiential education methods as a catalyst to solidify student emotion and cognition regarding concepts associated with cultural intelligence.
Contact Information:
Phone: 859-257-7578
bryan.hains@uky.edu
Langston University, a land-grant historically Black institution of higher learning, was established in 1897 and is located at Langston and Tulsa, northeast of Oklahoma.
Purdue was founded in 1869 and its main location is in West Lafayette, Indiana. However, it has a statewide university system that includes five campuses and numerous teaching and research sites.
University of Kentucky is a land-grant located in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1865 as a male-only school, but admitted women beginning in 1880.
Langston University is in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, handicap or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.
Purdue University is committed to maintaining a community which recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters tolerance, sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; and encourages each individual to strive to reach his or her own potential. In pursuit of its goal of academic excellence, the University seeks to develop and nurture diversity. The University believes that diversity among its many members strengthens the institution, stimulates creativity, promotes the exchange of ideas, and enriches campus life.
University of Kentucky is committed to fostering a diverse community of engaged students, improving workforce diversity and inclusion, and engaging diverse worldviews and perspectives by increasing awareness of diversity and by communications across campus that address these issues. This is grounded on the premise that to truly prepare students for life and work in an increasingly diverse society, public postsecondary institutions within the Commonwealth shall develop a plan to embrace diversity and equity within constitutional and legal parameters, commit to improving academic achievements for all students, create an inclusive campus environment, and produce culturally competent graduates for the workplace