The Center s focus is to contribute to this enhancement of student learning through fostering faculty development. Collaboration also involves the Center working with the structures of the Faculty Assembly and the VPAA s office to provide guidance and support for the various projects of the Center. Since collaboration is at the heart of the new learning paradigm, the Center s projects and programs will develop this sense of cooperation and mutual development among the faculty as a whole. Learning Dominican College has embraced the new paradigm of education - to focus on student learning outcomes as standards by which to judge the achievement of the College s overall goals. The learning paradigm is supported by expanding faculty s repertoire of pedagogical and andragogical skills and the understanding of learning theory.
Students learn at different rates and in different ways.
By focusing on learning as the essential element in a student s education, faculty have the opportunity to influence the education of more students, many of whom would not have been able to succeed in a program based exclusively on the teaching paradigm. The shift to the learning paradigm has inspired faculty to focus on new pedagogical and andragogical techniques to enable student learning, for example collaborative learning and project-based learning methodologies. Such methods require faculty to be aware of students abilities and to shape lessons, assignments, and the learning environment in such a way to enhance the educational outcomes for students. Faculty must be able to judge when to be a sage on the stage and when to be a guide on the side. Knowing how and when to use the appropriate teaching tools is a key factor in being a successful and excellent teacher.