The role of the learning environment is to provide students with an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. The environment should make students feel "safe" "comfortable" and “accepted’ so they can engage and participate in activities and focus on content being taught.
Hi LaToya,
Right you are. Once the students feels comfortable and accepted into the class then you can start building respect and rapport with them.
Gary
Your learning environment says a lot on how well you learn in a classroon. As an instructor it is our duty to make the student feel warm and welcome by providing with a nice neat and comfortable class. Being organize and structure in a classroom will help students focus on what is being taught.
I also concur that the learning environment needs to be a time for preparation and advice as to what students will encounter in the the working environment. I always encourage students to become good teachers, as this the best way to learn a topic, discipline or skill. It is of the utmost importance to give students the 'tools' they need to succeed and this begins with a positive Learning Environment and experience.
The learning environment plays a ver signaficant role in higher adult education. It must be an atmosphere that is comfortable and inviting to reduce any fears or anxities the students might have.
I have found that the environment can make the difference with students. If they are stimulated and feel part of the class, if they are comfortable and do not feel threatened and if the room is not too hot/cold, noisy etc., I'm more likely to have connected students that will be successful in the class.
The learning environment is crucial when instructing students. Get to know your students and how they learn best and try to teach in a way that taps into their individual learning styles.
I teach a couple of courses where the students start out with that "deer in the headlights" look! So, it is important to put them at ease as much as possible by setting expectations of their own understanding of the material.
We talk about degrees of understanding, e.g. being able to work the problems, even if the concepts are not quite grasped. I assure them that by working enough problems, their grasp of the material will improve.
Also, I find that if I can relate the material to everyday experiences, their grasp of the material comes sooner rather than later. I have found this useful in teaching Economics, Public Health Statistics, Basic Math for Dosage Calculations, etc. with a fairly good success rate and good student interest.
Hi Rachelle,
I agree with you about the need to set up the labs in a real world way. This will ease the transition for students into the work world. Also, this helps them to develop their coping skills as they will be solving problems in the lab and then upon graduation in the real world. They need all the experience they can get.
Gary
I think the learning environment is very important. We have a our labs set up like " real world", so that the students get the full experience of what they are going to be doing in this field of study. I believe the more realistic the labs are, the better prepared the students will be to deal with issues in the working enironment, such as, during our mock labs, we simulate bleeding vessels.
I think u need to keep the class romm fun when u are learning.It keeps the student intersted in what they are learning.
Hi Mary,
So true about the need for the environment to be supportive to the learning that is occurring. If the environment is not supportive then the learning will be greatly reduced to the disadvantage of the students. We need to always survey our classroom and labs prior to class so we can make any needed adjustments.
Gary
Thank You,,, You're experience and wisdom is much appreciated, and given in such an insightful and encouraging way:)))
Learning environment sets the stage for students in the professional realm. Instructors need to set a professional environment at all times so students see what a professional looks like. Also, the learning environment has to be conducive to learning otherwise students will become lost.
The learning environment plays a major role in how well the student will receive the information. If the environment is load and uncontrolled this will side track the students who are trying to learn. Temperture also plays a role in student learning, if the environment is to hot or to cold tis will be a distraction for the student as well. The instructor should be aware of the environmental problems that could distract the learner.
Hi Linda,
Good observational skills for an instructor new to teaching. Keep honing your observational skills and reading of students. Both of these skills will serve you well as you strive to customize your instruction to meet the different learning needs in your classroom.
Gary
Hi Kathleen,
Good for you. You have a great plan for starting a new course off on the right foot. The greeting them with a handshake and learning their names quickly are like money in the bank for students. You will have their respect right from the start and can continue to build on this respect throughout the course. This will help you and them when some challenges come up later on in the course.
Gary
Again, being new to instructing, this is my observation thus far. The learning enviornment plays a vital role, in that it can stimulate the desire to learn & achieve skills necessary to succeed in the workplace or profession, by making the learning environment organized & relevant, it increase the students enthusiasm for the learning activities required of them in the course.
It is enormous. If the classroom is situated next to an exit door, it can be disruptive. If the lights are out, it can create anxiety or tension. That is just the physical learning environment. The environment from the moment walks in the class from a socialization and behavioral standpoint is extremely important. I welcome all of my students with a handshake and learn their names after the first night of class. This makes for a welcoming environment.
I try to tell/show students what it's going to be like when they graduate and find a job in their field of study. I feel it's another way we can try to prepare students for the real-world. At the very least, they could have worse-case sceanarios in school which should help them be prepared for them in real life
