Jacob Duncan,
Yes, it does. Do you teach in such a classroom or do you have to arrange it to your own style each time you teach in it?
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I agree Tony, I try and talk to my students during braeks and after class to see where they are at in the process of the class activities. They even come in on other days so they can feel comfortable with me and other instructors. It can be overwhemlming for them so I try and make it a complete group support system in my classes.
It plays an important role in the students learning. The students need to be very comfortable with the envirnment when you are trying to teach them. This makes them want to come to class they are not intimadated when they need to learn.
When the learning environment is not conduct to learning the student will not be comfort to work in the environment.
The classroom must be comfortable and conducive to learning. It should also be appropriate for the purposes of the particular course.
The environment in which a student learns is very important. This sets the mood and the pace in which they will feel comfortable and absorb information.
It helps the instructor focus on the content to better prepare for the audience
A comfortable, relevant environment is much more conducive to creating a positive learning experience. In other words, I wouldn't exactly put my classroom next to the railroad tracks unless we were studying high intesity noice frequency.
The learning environment is the most important role for the student. The environment needs to represent what the student is going to learn and a way to learn it. Student learn differently,so the environment needs to be stable.
Kizzy,
Great to hear about the success of the practice session as well passed the exam. This is what being an instructional manager of learning is all about. You are getting results.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
The learning environment is an important component of the instructional process. An environment must be supportive to the needs of the students as well as the instructor. The students must view the environment as conducive to learning. The environment must be comfortable, well organized and supportive. Students are more adapt to learn in such an environment. For the instructor, it must complement the course they are teaching. If these key elements are not incorporated into the learning environment, the instructional process may be difficult to achieve.
I agree about conditions of the classroom. I don't have the liberty to alter the classroom temperature sometimes and it does have a noticable distraction to the class.
I focus on "life balance" in their lives as they can impact success rates in everything they do.
I also assist them with understanding that college is "their job" and they need to work in the class "as if" it were their job. I explain this will help them in this tough economy to be better prepared to get and keep a job when they can learn overcome daily challenges instead of using them as excuses when trying to find balance in their life.
Not sure if that helps :o)
The learning environment is extremely important. Just this past week, my students and I had a study and practice session as an early dinner. The students were able retain the information because the learning environment was inviting. It almost seemed as if we were a big family having a family meeting. All the students passed the exam with flying colors.
Isaac,
I commend you for the way you are "reading" your students each time the class meets. You are right about the different moods and dynamics in the class and thus you have to be responsive to those changes if you are going to have an impact that day.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
very important. i teach algebra and was assigned a very tiny room that had chairs with little tiny desktops attached to them. the desktop was not big enough to fit the text, let alone a notebook and pencil for taking notes and working out problems. i had to request tables which were much more effective and conducive to learning and working out math problems.
A comfortable learning enviroment can create a student that is motivated to learn and open to information.
The environment I provide in the classroom is essential to my student's learning experience. I make sure to allow plenty of opportunities to ask questions and any extra help my students may need. Depending on the course and the goal for that day I may keep the classroom completly quiet or I may allow students to talk quietly, in order to help each other in the task assigned. I make it a point for myself to adjust my teaching technique whenever necessary in order to provide the best possible learning experience.
Johnson,
Can you expand on this statement some so I can understand it better? Thanks.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Agreed that little things can interrupt the learning progress. In addition to the heating and cooling issues you mentioned malfunctioning equipment can bring the learning progress to a grinding halt. I have experienced this in my class recently. It's extremely hard to get back on track when your lab computers suddenly fail.
The learning environment is crucial. I teach night classes. Many of my students have jobs and families. With many personal responsibilities and physical fatigue, they could easily become distracted. A poor learning environment would significantly compromise their ability to acquire the lesson. Consequently, I monitor the natural and artificial lighting since the class may start during day light and end after night fall. I also encourage group activities so that students are comfortable around their peers.
