Definition
An assessment method in which the learner first grades their own performance on a flight or scenario, and then the instructor provides their assessment. Both assessments are discussed together to identify strengths, weaknesses, and the next steps for training. It is the primary tool used to assess single-pilot resource management (SRM) and aeronautical decision-making skills, where there is often no single correct answer.
Plain English
A grading style where the student rates their own flight first, then the instructor adds theirs, and the two talk it through together. The goal is to build the student's ability to honestly judge their own performance, not just receive a grade.
Context Anchor
Seen in instructor training, especially during debriefs that assess single-pilot resource management and decision-making skills.
Derivation
Learner centered' means the activity is built around the learner doing the work, not the instructor delivering it. In this method, the learner does the first grading — that is what makes it learner centered.
Why Pilots Care
Real flying constantly requires you to assess your own performance with no instructor present. Learner centered grading trains that self-assessment habit during instruction, so it's already in place when you're flying alone.
Grounding Statement
In a debrief, LCG means the learner first explains what went well, what did not, and why, then the instructor adds guidance and correction.
Intuition Check
Learner centered grading does not mean the learner sets the standard or gives themselves any grade they want. It means the learner participates in evaluating performance while the instructor keeps the evaluation tied to the required standard.
Example Sentence 1
After the cross-country flight, the instructor used learner centered grading and asked the student to assess their own decision-making before offering any feedback.
Example Sentence 2
Using learner-centered grading helped the student realize they had skipped a checklist item before the instructor pointed it out.