learningandcentric

Learningandcentric is a term used in education and instructional design to describe an approach that places the learner at the center of the educational process. It seeks to design curricula, platforms, and assessments around individual goals, prior knowledge, cultural context, and preferred modalities of engagement, rather than around a single standard curriculum. The term is a portmanteau of learning and centric; it emerged in the early 21st century within education technology and pedagogy discussions and is often used interchangeably with learner-centered design, though with an emphasis on integrating technology and data-informed personalization.

Core principles include learner autonomy and agency, where students influence pace and path; personalization and adaptive pathways; accessibility and inclusivity through universal design; ongoing feedback loops; alignment of learning objectives, instruction, and assessment; and the ethical use of learner data to improve outcomes. Practice typically involves modular or competency-based curricula, adaptive learning paths, formative assessment, reflective practice, collaborative learning, and the use of analytics to inform improvements while protecting privacy.

Applications span K–12, higher education, and corporate training, especially in online or blended environments. Its methods are implemented in learning management systems, educational apps, and platform-enabled courses that support choice, pacing, and scaffolding.

Critiques focus on resource intensity, potential privacy concerns, algorithmic bias in personalization, and the risk of overfragmentation or loss of shared standards. Learningandcentric is related to learner-centered education and universal design for learning, sharing goals of equity, engagement, and effective knowledge construction.

Note: the term is context-dependent and lacks a single universal standard, leading to varying interpretations across institutions.