Hi Sabrina - Thanks for discussing something that we are all having to deal with in one way or another. The on-line environment is really challenging. Face-2-face we can more easily be empathetic and responsive. Learning how to do so online is important. Best wishes - Susan
NOTE: Physical setting is virtual....
Generation X & Y and Millenials are offsprings of a digital birth, a fast-paced childhood and a solitary existence strive to utilize skills and creativity to control their environments. The solitary nature of life is both increased and decreased with each computer link. The known world has become closer through the technological linkage.
Students are drawn in by the sights and sounds of an online classroom. The layout is slick, professional and visually stimulating. Do your announcements, chats, and emails fit in? Online students are most likely heavy Internet and computer users and their visual tastes have been molded by the activity. Creating announcements that look and sound like webpages is appealing to students.
Many faculty members are turning to multimedia chats which include voice capabilities as well as slides to enhance the student experience. Just as more and more websites are becoming interactive, this is what is expected of an online classroom and to address the various learning models.
Every corner of the globe will one day be accessible by a single keystroke. The known world has become closer through the technological linkage with language less of a barrier. Technology has converted many activities of life. It is communication, socialization, entertainment, work, a friend and a teacher. As online education matures and learns from experience so too does classroom technology.
Responsiveness, empathy, and feeling need to be part of the communication process-being able to translate the traditional classroom persona and energy to the online environment is important. Closing a class is as important as making the initial contact especially with an at-risk student.
HI Paul - Welcome to Ed 103! Thank you for your post which describes a perfectly appointed classroom to address the learning styles.Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
The physical setting of the class room should promote learning through a balanced set of visual stimuli that are directed to the different student learning preferences; signs to be read, pictures related to the topic and if possible hands-on apparatus.
The learning environment will impact the student's ability to learn. The environment should reflect cleanliness, organization, relevant educational material and be void of extraneous noises.
I too have had this happen. It's sometimes unfortunate that we don't always have the tools we need, but just like the hospitality business we must find a way to make it work. This could easily go either way in the perception of the students, but if you make it positive then they really see that when a problem presents itself instead of complaining....... figure out a solution and make it work.
The physical setting is very important to the students because they need to be comfortable in the environment so that they will learn effectively. Creating a positive learning environment is very important.
I was co-teaching a wine tasting class and the room was too cold for the students and they were really uncomfortable. We tried to move the class to another room but there was no place else to go so we decide to let the students stand up and go into discussion groups while tasting the different wines.
Hi Brad- Welcome to ED 103! Thanks for a great explaination of how the classroom environment can be used to effect student learning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Organization is usually, more than not, the key to students success in retaining information.Generally I prefer students to be facing the front were I am the focus. However, I do like to change things at times since a different perspective within a classroom environment can provide a new outlook. For example, having students working in groups changes the focal point. I,the instructor, am no longer the center of attention. Also, students within smaller groups with their peers may feel a sense of security and confidence. This may help certain students retain information better. This will also give others students a chance to prove their mastery of the content by translating it to other students. It is safe to say that any time you change the outlook or students perception of a classroom, you are allowing the students to obtain information differently. Structure, however, is the consistent thing I maintain. Without this, the class will become disjointed and everyone will not be able to learn effectively.
As a marine repair technical instructor, I find that providing a positive physical environment for my students in our classroom sets the stage for the remainder of the course. Professional presentation, organization, punctuality, and commitment to success helps illustrate for your students that the choice to further their education was very important to reaching their personal goals in the workplace and in life.
I believe a clean, organize and cool room, provide the mental peace needed for a positive learning experience.
The physical setting can either complement a student's learning preference or detract from it. If a student is a visual or auditory learner, conducting class in a noisy location or allowing other students to disrupt the class would prove very distracting to those students. If a student prefers to learn through a kinesthetic style, conducting class in an area where they can only look at drawings or pictures instead of actually laying hands on the training aid would detract from the learning experience.
It can reinforce and enhance the environment in which you are trying to create. If you want more discussion you can set up for that. If you need more focus on a presentation you can set up for that too.
The physical environment has a huge impact on students. We can only focus on one thing at a time so it is important for students to have limited distractions. If students are more comfortable in their environment and their preferred learning style is available they are more likely to focus.
HI Carol - You are an instructor who goes the extra mile- well done! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
Hi April - Thanks for your post! You mention an important point. The instructors are also part of the learning environment. A negative attitude can really affect the learning in a classroom. Best wishes - Susan
I am an instructor in a collision repair school. I think clean and organized class rooms and lab areas set the stage to enhance the information you deliver.
The physical setting impacts the students by creating a negative or postitive environment by what they see. Is the classroom environment clean, is the equipment up to date and work? I think as instructors we contribute to the perception by what we say as well.
Sometimes you can't do much about the actual physical facilities that you work in; but you can bring materials to class that add to the learning experience. Especially a technical subject, like textile science, when studying basic fibers, I bring in cotton plants from the field so they can touch and feel. Along with study guides that they fill in from the textbook, and power points, some provided by the textbook, some developed by the instructor. If it's a touchy feely subject give them that to experience along with their textbooks and class materials.
I think the physical setting impacts the learners a great deal.
Entering a classroom that is organized with objectives outlined for the day can help prioritize the learning and put the student at ease.
A classroom that has related material/posters on the walls helps create an environment that puts the student into the learning. For example, when I took a geology class I walked into a room that had the maps we would learn to read hanging from the ceiling, rocks we would learn to identify were in glass cases, and lots of other related material. It set the stage of excitement for me as a student and I looked forward to the class.
