Hi Jennifer,
Instructors need to play to their strengths and you are playing to your extending your personality into the classroom. As a result your students see you in the role of a mentor, supporter and facilitator of their educational journey. This is so important, as you well know, to their success.
Gary
I believe the learning environment has a significant role in the learning process. If I walked into a “cold” environment, a room without any character or emotion, I would immediately make assumptions that the course material is “dry” and the instructor is “rigid”. I believe that applies to both online and face to face classrooms. With that as my first impression I may not be as open to learning. I teach courses in human resource management which means I should absolutely be viewed as a people person. I strive to bring “personality” to the classroom with fun visuals and slides tied to real world case studies. I believe learning can be fun, and we often laugh and share experiences which support the topic we are discussing. The students often tell me that they were initially worried the concepts were going to be boring but in the end were surprised they actually enjoyed learning more about human resource management.
As stated in module 2, the learning environment can directly impact the learning outcome. When the learner can be focused, comfortable, and the environment is inviting, learning increases. As well, I believe when the instructor is comfortable in the classroom environment it is projected back to the students. For example, a classroom where the tables can be moved for small group work is much more comfortable for the instructor and the students.
~ Debi
Hi Elizabeth,
What are some ways you use to reduce the noise in your classroom so your students can focus better on the material?
Gary
If its a loud classroom students will tend to not be able to focus on the material.
I agree with you. The learning environment is not supposed to simulate the work environment.
Of course this is not realistic, but good in theory.
I guess if you figure that fluorescent lighting and off-white surroundings are the norm in business today. The classroom environment is not necessarily the same environment as the everyday job environment, but it should not be a distraction to the student.
Hi Charles,
You make a very good point about students needing to understand different situations where they will be working and conducting their activities. They need to be flexible so they can be effective in different settings.
Gary
Hi Erin,
Right you are about how the classroom is set up and what the students expect is going to happen in the class. When I set the chairs up in a certain way the students know that it is going to be lecture or they are going to work in groups, etc. They set their minds to how the room is organized on how they are going to contribute to the class that day.
Gary
I believe the learning environment needs to be comfortable and professional. It is not always practical to make the enviorment 'career like'. I teach business law and work with the students to describe the office setting for meeting, negotiation and for reviewal of purchasing agreements etc. I think they know the classroom in this instance is not a reflection of the office decor, but rather the most efficient way of knowledge transfer. They also know that not all business it conducted in neat office- it can be at a lunch room table, over coffee or in a conference room.
A very important part because the learning environment sets the stage for their upcoming career as well as helps to motivate students to learn
The learning environment helps to establish the tone of the course. How the class is set up tells students what the focus of the course will be. Are all the desks/tables facing the white board? If so, this is most likely an instructor focused and lecture based class. Are the tables and desks facing each other? If so, this class will be more discussion and group work with a student center focus.
I teach medical assisting and it is vital that our classroom and lab need to be similar to what they would find in a clinic setting. It would be much harder to teach if the environments didn't match.
Hi Mark,
Your successful recipe statement is well put. With this approach I know your students are going to be able to have a clear picture of what they will be studying and how you are going to support their educational efforts. Thanks for sharing it.
Gary
It can both add and detract depending on the type of class and the material to be presented.
The learning environment is a critical component to optimize the instructional process. Clear communication of information, real-world exercises and activities, and realistic yet challenging performance expectations help students and instructors work together to achieve results that work.
The "successful recipe" tends to vary depending on the course objectives, level of expertise of the students and instructor and, of course the appropriateness of the learning environment. The teacher/mentor therefore has to be flexible and innovative, adjusting content, teaching style and activities as needed to maximize learning.
Hi Vince,
Little things can become big things with students. So anything you can do to make the environment more comfortable and supportive for the students the better the class will be. A walk through the classroom looking at the environment through the eyes of the students often times will help an instructor see how the environment impacts their learning.
Gary
The environment affects the classroom tone in more ways than I am even aware of. Teaching the same lesson in different room can have a huge impact depending on the type of technology and teaching materials available. Even subtle thing such as wall color and room temperature affect the attitude of the student.
The learning environment sets the tone for the learning. If you engage the students and have a pleasant environment, the students may get more out of the course.
