Open pedagogy values: Learner empowerment

This value centers on empowering students in all aspects of their learning, fostering self-efficacy, confidence, and independence. It is realized through student autonomy and student ownership, where learners actively participate in knowledge creation, determine how learning occurs, and engage in the assessment of themselves and others. This shift transforms students into independent agents of their own education, capable of self-regulated learning and student self-direction.

Learner empowerment is cultivated in a participatory culture and learner-centric environment that prioritizes interactive learning and reduces authoritative learning resource use. It encourages freedom to make mistakes and emphasizes student responsibility for learning, which helps build intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy.

This value challenges traditional education models as it seeks to change teacher dominance and learner passivity while focusing on social justice, diversity and inclusion, and the inclusion of multiple perspectives. Ultimately, learner empowerment aims to change inequitable power structures in education and include non-traditional learners, ensuring that all students can develop the confidence and skills needed to direct their own learning journey.

Resources: 

• https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00191-0