Centering Learners

What are Learner Profiles? This activity asks participants to take the perspective of a particular learner–not a group of learners–as a way to examine how students experience science learning, and to uncover our own perspectives, questions, and assumptions about learners. Participants are asked to consider a learner for whom they have a relationship with in some way and create a poster by responding to pre-determined questions to help others understand this learner’s experiences better. 

Why do we use Learner Profiles? We use learner profiles as an emotive and perspective-taking experience to help us place some of our most marginalized learners at the center of our work. This strategy also gives us a visual data set for our particular community to work from and return to as we explore how we view learners, and how we might support them.