With career colleges in particular the learning environment should mirror the field you are teaching about. We do this at the vet tech college where I work by going so far as to bring in people to go over case histories with etc... I believe that the more we can show the real world in the learning environment, the better prepared the student is.
Hi Jonny,
This is why it is so important to pay attention to the little details in instructional planning and the learning environment. This little things all add together to make a big impact on the learning of students.
Gary
As students become a sponge to their environment, they become vulnerable. Would you make yourself vulnerable in a place that has no care for aesthetics, no attention to the intangible human consciousness that is a multi-faceted processor of knowledge in the modular range of the senses? ...The five we are aware of, and the kinestetic sense of spatial relations, and organic awareness of bodily functions. We cannot honestly ask students to truly participate in trusting and exchanging information if we care not for the light that we present it in.
Jonny_Dub
You need to make sure equipment, tools, and materials are readily available for the success of each student.
You need to make sure you have the right equipment and space so your students can learn to their full potential
I prefer the learning environment to be professional, but not cold. The tone this sets for the students is that we are going to behave in a respectful and professional manner. If the environment becomes too rigid, or cold, I think it makes students reluctant to be an active participant in the learning process. They should feel like they can relate to you as a professional peer in a way, so they can share and interact which comfortably. I think this promotes discussion which in turn allows the entire class to have the benefit of another's point of view.
Rob, I teach various Allied Health courses and we are able to offer our students a learning environment that will be similar to their future working environment. Our students also do clinical rotations which give them another glimpse into professional working environments.
Senior students also have to visit several speciality dental offices to observe and interview the staff. Unfortunately, during this time they witness many shortcuts that are taken by working professionals, but it gives them the understanding that the "real world" may be different than the school setting where policies must be adhered to.
Ileana
In a career college there are three different types of learning environments. For example, for a VN program, they have the classroom, the lab, and in the hospital settings. However, it is important to remind the students that the three areas may be different, but a professional demeanor is a must, because that is what is expected of them once they go out into the working world.
The learning environment is critical. It must be facilitating without being distracting. If a student is physically or emotionally uncomfortable, for example, it will inhibit his or her degree of concentration on the material at hand.
It is extremely important to provide the proper learning environment for your students. The environment must be professional and well organized. Students must realize when they arrive that they are in a the classroom to learn. I have had issues as a beginning instructor where the students took over my classroom with their 'poor me' stories and it was difficult for me to get them back on task. I have learned now to take control of that situation before it begins.
It is also imperative that the students have the supplies that they need. For example, while teaching ten-key calculators, it is necessary to make sure there are enough calculators as well as places to plug them in.
--Jeannie
The learning environment plays a big role in the instructional process. It's important for the instructor and the student to be in an environment that is conducive to their teaching and learning. Since I teach at a career center it's beneficial that the lab course is taught in an environment that mimicks the environment the student will eventually obtain employment in. It will give them the confidence they need to succeed.
Rhonda
The learning environment plays a major role in the instructional process because it establishes a place that is inviting for students success. It should be a place that provides the necessary resources and tools for students to succeed.
Hi Desiree,
I like the quote that your dad used with you. This is why we need to always bring our A game to the classroom and be ready to share in the growth and learning of our students.
Gary
Growing up, I played many sports. My dad used to always tell me, "what you do in practice is what you do in the game." The moral was, to always practice hard and take every practice situation as a crucial game-type situation. The learning environment is the practice, as the real-world is the game. This also means that as an instructor, it is my responsiblity to assure that homework assignments, tests, activities, projects, etc., are relevant and conducive to a professional work environment in order to prepare my students for game day.
I think the learning environment is just as important as the content of the course, because either one can discourage a student just as quickly as the other. Yes, the hands on part of a course is best if it can mimic the real world setting, but not always possible. I try to give students as many "visions" of situations and conditions which they may encounter in the real world, as possible. This actually seems to increase their comfortability in the classroom/lab. My students also can ask any question they have, whether I know the answer or not. This this too adds to thier ease and comfort in the learning environment.
If the enviornment for learning resembles that of the actual and there is positive and effective feedback from the students and teachers then the probability of succsess in the actual enviornment can be expected.
It is critical to have a realistic setting, including tools and equipment. However, it's not possible for every place to have a perfect setting or have all available equipment. Having the knowledge and being able to explain or show students optional equipment and how it works in pictures, diagrams or videos can be just as important.
Hi Luis,
Exactly right. The transition from school to the work world is difficult enough without having to totally adjust to the new setting. By having classes and labs that simulate the work setting this transition will be much easier for the students.
Gary
While it may not be possible to simulate a "real-world" environment in the classroom, it would be best to try to provide students with as close an environment as you can possibly create. In that regard, when they make the transition from classroom to industry, some of the environs may already be similar, and known to them.
Luis
Hi Kanokchez,
Good way of putting the course outline. This way the teaser or trailer gets their attention and they are ready to dive into the heart of the course as a result. They get a peak into the future through the overview you present.
Gary
