Maintaining a good environment is key as it allows students to stay focused and able to ask questions. If not maintained they struggle with distractions.
Joyce,
This is what student centered teaching should be able. Well said.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I really like this response! Every single student in your classroom deserves careful consideration of who they are as an individual and focus on the specific needs he or she may have in the learning environment in order to be successful. That should be our number one priority.
Linda,
I have been forced to teach in overcrowded settings and really appreciate your comments about how overcrowding impacts learning. We need to be respective of our students and their needs for a quality learning environment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Robert,
Right you are. Distractions of all types need to be reduced to enhance the learning environment. This is why it is good to walk into the classroom or lab and try to see the environment through the eyes of the students. This will help instructors to work on creating an environment that is supportive and inviting to the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The learning environment is very important to student learning, one item that I did not see is overcrowding. There must be enough room for the student to have there own space, and the ability to complete there assignments without being in each others way.
If there is not enough space or equipment it can be very frustrating to the students.
The learning environment doesn't just apply to the classroom for example I have seen many classrooms where there are an abundance of training aids sometimes the students are playing with training aids or are concentrating on one they are not familiar with. I usually throw a towel on them or put them away until needed. when a training aid becomes a distractor then it is not accomplishing its goal
The learning environment is extremely important for the instructional process for example if you are teaching a medical ancillary career having your students in scrubs and lab coats as they would have to wear in the hospital, having anatomical models and medical/anatomical posters as well as fully functional labs within the department gives the student the feeling and perception that they are medical professionals which they would be in a few monhs and make them study hard and put on the effort, it makes them want it more.
LaWandra,
I agree and we instructors need to look at the classroom or lab through the eyes of our students so we can see how they are perceiving the learning environment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The learning enviroment plays a major role in the setting for instructional purposes. I think that not only seating arrangements,students should feel comfortable and it should be visible to the chalk board and any other visual aide being utilized.
I think that it just helps to set the tone for the overall learning process. They need to feel a sense of comfort within the classroom enviroment.
The learning environment plays an important role in the instructional process by being comfortable and therefore conducive to learning. The classroom must be appropriate for the type of learning activities used throughout the class. Audio visual and lab materials must be functioning properly for instruction to be optimal.
Sarah,
Physical comfort supports active learning. I have taught in some very poor situations because nothing else was available including a cave in the mountains of South America. Once I was able to give my students some food and get them warm we were able to proceed with our learning. I was and continue to be amazed at these kids and how they wanted to learn to read so bad. Our students hopefully can appreciate the learning environments they have to learn, grow and achieve their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Faith,
Well put!! The ozone layer is a great analogy. The classroom environment is much like other systems that strive for a homeostatic balance.
The learning environment sets the stage for where the educational process takes place. Personally, I prefer classrooms with windows, high ceilings, and comfortable temperatures. Nothing is worse than sitting in a classroom that is so cold that you are literally shivering the whole time! No matter how awesome the lecturer is, there is only so much attention that can be directed to the speaker when your physical surroundings are less than optimal or downright uncomfortable!
Donna,
These three concepts can serve to direct you as you plan your instructional delivery and content. Once you have completed a unit and have it ready for delivery pause and ask yourself if it provides the three elements. If it does you are good to go and if not be creative and try to add content that will enable the three to be achieved.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I liked what I read in one of these training modules, that motivation for learning depends on 3 factors: (1) Appreication of the value of the larning experience, (2) Expectation of success, and (3) Belief that performance is related to rewards. These factors seem to me to be the intangible part of the learing environment. It will be important for me to keep these in mind so that my students can do their best.
I use all types of instructional settings because every student learns differently.
I have found that it plays an important role especially when you have students that are easily distracted by everything. The more conducive the environment the better the learning experience.
Jeff,
These types of instructional settings are very difficult to work in. I can appreciate your challenge of trying to keep your students focused on your class while hearing distractions from the other class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The environment has a significant impact on keeping the students engaged, ineffective structure can have a derogitory effect - for example; we have a split classroom divided by a movable wall. when both classes are in session there is significant disturbance from the adjoining room making it difficult to keep focus during lectures.
