The Learning Environment Effect
The learning environment should be a comfortable and supportive learning site that will enable students to focus better on the content of the course. Some adaptations that may be undertaken is furniture rearrangement if allowable or the size of class will permit . An example may be a semicircle instead of chairs in rows. It seems to set the stage for more interaction between and among students with students as well as instructor with students. An idea that I have also tried is placing relevant educational materials i.e posters, research papers, etc around the classroom so that the students can review while in the classroom setting.
Comfort and being able to participate always makes the students focus well.
Hi Vinita,
What part of the learning environment do your students see to focus on the most?
Gary
When students are comfortable they focus better.
This is a very important factor in learning. Comfort plays a big role.
Hi Kathryn,
I agree with you on the point about lighting and the setting of the stage for learning. I teach at nights so I have to come up with alternative ways of keeping the students focused on what is going on in the classroom.
The seating issue that you address is something that needs to be taken care of from the beginning by position the tables like you do you are bringing all of the students into the learning setting. I do the same thing and this way I don't have a back row since I use a horse shoe shape seating arrangement when I am lecturing.
Gary
What role does the learning environment play in the instructional process? What are some ways a learning environment can be adapted to maximize the instructional process?
I think environment plays a factor in the control of a classroom.
I am a big fan of natural light. I believe that students can learn better if there is natural light to enhance the artificial lights that we must use. I do not let my students sit in teh dark very often. So many equate semi- or darkness as license to doze off. I insist on as much light as possible to give them the connotation that they need to be alert & at their best that day.
I also believe in the psychology of different room arrangements. My biggest student issue has been a clique of students who sit in the very last row with arms folded during class. I like to push the tables up against the walls which forces the class to sit in the chairs in more of a circle in the middle of the room. I also do not hide behind a podium. I feel this gets me closer to interacting with my students rather than the lecturing with separation.
Hi Denise,
You are doing a great job of blending a number of different presentation styles into your hybrid course. This helps the students to see the different applications of their newly acquired knowledge.
Gary
I feel you must be comfortable and engaged to learn effectively. I am always looking for new ideas and ways to engage the students. I teach a hybrid class which is partly online and so I take time every class period (I teach a once a week night class) to bring the students to the computer lab to work on something online. It gets them up and moving and changes their environment and mode of learning. This is a way I try to maximize my instructional process.
Hi Jean-rene,
Good strategies for keeping your students focused on your class and not what is going on in the halls outside of the room.
Gary
in my classroom sometimes some students go through the corridor and distract my students, we have large windows, make some noise, bad attitude,funny gestures.Two ways for me to resolve this problem:
I talk to these students and explain them why they don't have to act like this.
I pull Down the projector shield,or the curtains
Hi Bellerieve,
You have a number of strategies you are using that work with your instructional style and give you good results. This is what instructors need to do as they develop their skills in the classroom. Through experimentation these strategies can be identified and refined just as you indicated. Well done.
Gary
Hi Ted,
You are right about the need for an environment that reflects the industry for which the students are being trained. To have anything less is to cheat the students of the training for which they have paid serious money to receive.
Gary
Learning environment plays a very crucial role to the success of the student. If a student is not comfortable coming to class then he/she will not become motivated to participate. I feel that it is the duty of the instructor to set a tone of comfort in the classroom.
I, personally, like to lecture first to my class and then give them in - class assignments to practice. I sometimes allow them to work on their own and I sometimes place them in groups of 2 to 4 members.
I, also, allow students to place their work on the board so that the rest of the class can see how a certain problem is tackled and completed.
These are some of the ways I have experimented with in the past and will continue to do in the future, because they have served me well.
In a trade setting the environment can make or break the difference between a student understanding the real needs and expectations of the industry and them heading off to a career for which they are unprepared. Offering the tools needed to complete a task and instruction in their use sets students off on a firm start.
*oops! Typo: I meant to say that I like to make sure that my lighting is comfortable-- this is because I have so many students complaining about headaches from the bright lights.
Learning Environment is very important to give the students the real approach for what are learning, everything count, class room, materials, teacher attitude, computer center, , library, etc
The learning environment can either assist or inhibit successful learning. If the classroom doesnt have the proper resources or media tools it can be difficult to deliver course content. Also, if the environment is uncomfortable for students they wont be able to focus. Making sure that the environmental factors, media tools, and instructional tools are all in place will maximize student learning.
I always make sure that my learning environment is clean and that the lighting is not comfortable.
