| Dedication | 5 |
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| Contents | 7 |
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| Abbreviations | 9 |
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| List of Figures | 10 |
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| List of Tables | 11 |
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| Chapter 1: Introduction | 14 |
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| 1.1 The Changing Context of Higher Education in Europe | 15 |
| 1.2 Student-Centered Learning as a Promising Pedagogical Approach for Higher Education? | 17 |
| 1.3 Research Objective and Research Questions | 22 |
| Notes | 26 |
| Bibliography | 28 |
| Chapter 2: Constructivist Foundations and Common Design Principles of Student-Centered Learning Environments | 35 |
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| 2.1 Constructivist Perspectives and Learning and Instruction Models | 35 |
| 2.1.1 Cognitive Constructivism Focusing on the Individual Mind | 36 |
| 2.1.1.1 Common Characteristics | 36 |
| 1. Learning as a cognitive knowledge construction process | 36 |
| 2. Learning and motivation | 37 |
| 3. Importance of the social and cultural environment | 38 |
| 2.1.1.2 Aebli’s Model of Problem-Based Construction | 39 |
| 2.1.1.3 Duckworth’s Model of Critical Exploration | 42 |
| 1. Represented challenge | 43 |
| 2. The role of the students in the learning process | 44 |
| 3. The role of the teacher in the learning process | 45 |
| 2.1.1.4 Summary | 46 |
| 2.1.2 Social Constructivism Focusing on Interactions among Individuals and Society | 47 |
| 2.1.2.1 Common Characteristics | 48 |
| 1. Learning as a social knowledge construction process | 48 |
| 2. Learning and motivation | 48 |
| 3. Importance of the social and cultural environment | 49 |
| 2.1.2.2 Communities of Learners Models | 50 |
| 2.1.3 Situativity Theory and Situated Models | 55 |
| 2.1.3.1 Situative Views on Cognition and Learning | 55 |
| 2.1.3.2 Activity Theory: Classrooms as Activity Systems | 57 |
| 2.1.3.3 Semantic Versus Systemic Principles of Interactions | 59 |
| 2.1.3.4 Concepts of Practices in Activity Systems | 61 |
| 1. Dialogic discourse practices | 62 |
| 2. Norms of interaction | 64 |
| 3. Affordances of the learning task | 65 |
| 2.1.4 Criticism of and Misconceptions about Constructivist Perspectives | 66 |
| 2.1.4.1 Criticism of Constructivist Ideas on Learning and Instruction | 66 |
| 2.1.4.2 Misconceptions about Constructivist Perspectives | 69 |
| 2.2 Design Frameworks for Student-centered Learning Environments | 71 |
| 2.2.1 “How People Learn”: Four Perspectives on Effective Learning Environments | 77 |
| 2.2.2 The Teaching for Understanding Framework | 81 |
| 2.2.3 A Framework for Designing Cognitive Apprenticeship Learning Environments | 85 |
| 2.2.4 Constructively Aligned Learning Environments | 89 |
| 2.2.5 A Framework for Designing Powerful Learning Environments | 92 |
| 2.3 Summary and Conclusions: Common Design Principles of Student-Centered Learning Environments | 95 |
| 2.3.1 Curriculum for Understanding | 95 |
| 2.3.2 Customized Learning | 96 |
| 2.3.3 Supportive Community of Learners | 97 |
| 2.3.4 Ongoing Assessment and Feedback | 98 |
| 2.3.5 Adaptive Instruction | 99 |
| Notes | 101 |
| Bibliography | 103 |
| Chapter 3: Empirical Education Research on the Effectiveness and Quality of Learning and Instruction | 116 |
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| 3.1 Process-Outcome Research on Instructional Effectiveness in Higher Education | 117 |
| 3.1.1 Research Context and Methods | 117 |
| 3.1.2 Effective Instructor Behavior and Students’ Learning Outcomes | 119 |
| 3.2 Effectiveness Research on Self-Regulated Learning and Instruction | 124 |
| 3.2.1 The Self-Regulated Learner | 125 |
| 3.2.2 Instructors’ Conceptions of Teaching | 126 |
| 3.2.3 Zimmerman’s Social-Cognitive Model of Self-Regulated Learning | 128 |
| 3.2.4 The Importance of Context for Self-Regulation of Learning and Motivation | 130 |
| 3.2.5 Effective Ways to Promote Self-Regulation among Students | 131 |
| 3.3 Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education | 134 |
| 3.3.1 The Concept of Problem-Based Learning | 134 |
| 3.3.2 Research Findings on the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning | 136 |
| 3.4 Empirical Instructional Research on Quality Features of Teaching and Learning | 143 |
| 3.4.1 Effective Surface-Level and Deeper-Level Features of Learning and Instruction | 144 |
| 3.4.2 Basic Dimensions of Deeper-Level Features of Instructional Quality and Students’ Cognitive and Noncognitive Development | 149 |
| 3.4.3 Teachers’ Professional Competence and High-Quality Instruction | 153 |
| 3.4.3.1 A Model of Teachers’ Professional Competence | 154 |
| 3.4.3.2 Professional Competence and Instructional Quality | 155 |
| 3.4.3.3 University-Based Teacher Education and Knowledge Acquisition | 157 |
| 3.5 Summary and Conceptual Framework Outline | 158 |
| Notes | 161 |
| Bibliography | 164 |
| Chapter 4: Multiple Ethnographic Case Study Research of Student-Centered Learning Environments in Higher Education Classrooms | 179 |
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| 4.1 Rationale for Multiple Ethnographic Case Study Research | 179 |
| 4.2 Overview of the Research Design of the Empirical Study | 182 |
| 4.3 Case Study Selection Process | 186 |
| 4.3.1 Selection of the Empirical Study Site: Harvard Graduate School of Education | 186 |
| 4.3.2 Purposeful Selection of Three Ethnographic Cases | 188 |
| 4.3.2.1 Ethnographic Case Study Selection Criteria | 189 |
| 1. Expert instructors in higher education | 190 |
| 2. Constructivist instructor beliefs | 190 |
| 3. Student-centered learning environments | 192 |
| 4.3.2.2 Rationale for Case Selection Process | 192 |
| 4.3.2.3 Student, Instructor, and Course Characteristics | 194 |
| 4.4 Data Collection Methods and Instruments | 200 |
| 4.4.1 Participant Observations and Class Documents | 201 |
| 4.4.1.1 Instrument Design: Participant Observations | 201 |
| 4.4.1.2 Procedure and Rationale | 202 |
| 4.4.2 Semi-structured Interviews with Instructors and Students | 203 |
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