Learner-centered teaching, often referred to as student-centered teaching, refers to an approach that focuses on what students are doing, rather than what the instructor is doing. According to Weimer (2002), “Being learner-centered focuses attention squarely on learning: what the student is learning, how the student is learning, the conditions under which the student is learning, whether the student is retaining and applying the learning, and how current learning positions the student for future learning (p. xvi).” Weimer offers the following characteristics of learner-centered teaching* :

Learner-centered teaching engages students in the hard, messy work of learning. On any given day, in most classes teachers are working much harder than students.
Learner-centered teaching includes explicit skill instruction. Learner-centered teachers teach students how to think, solve problems, evaluate evidence, analyze arguments, generate hypotheses -- all those learning skills essential to mastering material in the discipline.
Learner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they are learning and how they are learning it. They challenge student assumptions about learning and encourage them to accept responsibility for decisions they make about learning; like how they study for exams, when they do assigned reading, whether they revise their writing or check their answers.
Learner-centered teaching motivates students by giving them some control over learning processes. Learner-centered teachers search out ethically responsible ways to share power with students.
Learner-centered teaching encourages collaboration. Learner-centered teachers work to develop structures that promote shared commitments to learning.

To be truly learner-centered we must ensure that each individual student has what they need to succeed, that is, we must be equitable in our teaching. Learner-centered courses focus on the design of the environment rather than how to change the learner. When environments are intentionally designed to reduce barriers, all learners can engage in rigorous, meaningful learning. (Universal Design for Learning, https://udlguidelines.cast.org/)

*originally published in Faculty Focus, as cited in this document produced by the Texas A&M CTE and this blog post