The course council: an example of student-centered learning.

To promote student-centered learning, a course council was established in a beginning undergraduate nursing course. A student representative was selected by peers to attend a monthly course council meeting with faculty. Representatives were asked to query classmates in their section of eight students regarding opinions, questions, and concerns about the course and then bring those views to the council. In this monthly, small group, open dialogue setting, students spoke freely about experiences in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings. The stage was set for reflection, problem solving, and decision making involving students and faculty. Student input led to meaningful course changes, provided opportunities for students to learn from one another, and fostered critical thinking and professional responsibility. The course council approach was successful and has been expanded to include other nursing courses.