Everyone learns differently, some more from books, others hands-on, and some from both. You never know which one is best for the class. If you combine them, you will at least hit on all. Its hard to please every student. I found in a class that the easire the issue, the more they failed. The harder the question, the easier it was.
Ive noticed that the student learns better if they feel more comfortable in the learning environment.
Of all the factors governing education in career colleges, the learning environment, I believe, is the area instructors have the least amount of control over. Are there sufficient computers, is the lighting sufficient, does the overhead projector work, is the seating sufficient, is the temperature comfortable... you can report problems and put in requests, but other than that there is not much you can do about the learning environment except to put on a smile, welcome your students and try to make them feel at ease and do the best you can with what you have without complaining about the physical components of the classroom setting.
Try to build a safe environment, allowing students to focus on the material instead of their surroundings.
The learning environment should be a comforatble area with the appropriate tables and chairs for that particular class. if the students are comfortable it allows them to focus more on the curriculum instead of the room temperature or uncomforatble seat.
I think that the learning environment has a lot to do with both the instructional process and the learning process. We want our students to feel safe and wanted. We as the instructors need to have a traditional school environment to keep the focus on learning. If you are in a lab/clinical type setting then you would need to the required equipment in order to better prepare the students for their "real world" experiences. Not everyone can picture the scenarios in their head. They need to have the audio/visual/tangible type of instruction.
Michelle,
Great news to hear. There is so valuing going on with the students. Nice and supportive learning environments reflect on the attitudes of the students and the school they are attending.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Michelle,
What are some of the ways that it does so?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that a positive conductive environment assists the learning process by allowing the state of mind to diminish the buffers that otherwise would become distractors.
It has a huge impact. Each student has their own learning adaptability. Some can only focus with a quiet environment. So it is important that we provide an environment that will cater to the needs of the students.
The learning environment plays a huge part in how the students perform. We recently moved to a new "upgraded" location and we were all very surprised at how the change affected our students (in a very positive manner).
It plays a very important role. It has to be conducive of learning.
Jacqueline,
Right you are. All aspects of the learning setting need to be in balance. So preparation and the environment need to be considered in planning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The learning environment plays a very important role in the instructional process.
For example, if the environment (tone of classroom) is perceived by the students to be
judgemental then the student may not engage. They may feel that they will be judged harshly.
If the physical environment is uncomfortable for the students, for example a room that is too warm or too cold then they may not focus as well.
It serves as a huge role in the learning environment. If you do not have a proper learning environment students will not be able to focus on the material being presented. When taking the time to prepare the material for the class, the learning environment should be chosen to best support the delivery of that material.
Jamilya,
A very good point and one that the college cannot overlook. If the environment is not supportive it is tough to teach there due to the student discontent.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The learning environment plays a vital role in the instructional process. Students expect to have their instruction provided in an environment that's considered to be conducive to learning. If not, complaints are made. The most famous is, "I'm spending my money to come here! Why is this, that, and the other not working or functioning properly, especially if it's something like to projector not working.
Samantha,
You make a good point about how for many students the classroom is a temporary escape from the pressures of life. Knowing about some of their challenges can help you target your support for their efforts in the class. This is the human factor of being an effective instructor.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is always useful to get an understanding of where your students are coming from and what their "daily lives" are like...it allows us to have a better understanding of them as a person and not just a student; but i think this can help us as instructors to strive for a better classroom atmosphere. Sometimes a students only escape from their hectic lives is the classroom setting so however long they are in your classroom you want to make sure they are focused and are getting what they deserve from the institution and instructor
Ted,
Good point and one that we need to consider each time we enter the classroom/lab and look around. We need to make sure it is set up for learning.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
