I believe that for the communication courses I teach, an open/network-oriented/circle format can have a positive impact on students as it lends itself well to reaching tactile, auditory, and visual learners better than some other arrangments may.
A positive learning envoirment is essential.If a student feels safe and secure they may take ricks and answer or ask more questions.
It can have a really big effect. If we do not feel right in a place we tend to shut down and not get compfy. I think we should have a good phisical setting to make sure our students have a good learning outcome.
I agree with you about the classroom being quiet during tests because some students really need that quiet time to do well.
Hi Nicole - Thanks for your post to the forum. I imagine it must be fun to create that vivid and
imaginative environment for your visual learners! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
In Fashion we get a lot of visual learners so having inspiration around and visible helps the creative process flow.
A learning environment that is clutter-free enables the best learning experience for the students. It is conducive to learning because the students' focus will be on the material that is being presented by the instructor - not other distractions or visual "noise".
I like to have certain material up and around the classroom so during lectures or discussion, I can easily pull material from around the classroom to address my visual and more kinesthetic learners.
The physical setting has everything to do with learning. If it's messy, disordered, unclean, and poorly equipped for instruction, the students will suffer.
I was teaching an Interpersonal Relations class and the classroom next door was doing massage therapy. The walls were thin and we kept hearing feminine giggles and things like "ooh, that tickles".
It was very distracting, to say the least. On more than one occasion during that quarter, I knocked on the door of the massage therapy room and asked them to keep the noise down. Eventually, that class was moved to another room that was more remote.
Students can't learn when they are being distracted by sounds and noise from other things going on around them.
Physical setting is key to learning. The more comfortable the setting (temperature of the class, lay out of the class, comfort of the chairs...) the more likely the students are to learn. However you don't want to make the physical setting to comfortable or relaxed, you don't want the students falling asleep.
Hi Robert - Thanks for your post to the forum and sharing some great examples of creating the right environment for learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
How does the physical setting impact the learning preferences of students?
Everyone performs better in a comfortable environment, be it learning, working or playing.
When I was learning how to work on cars, one of the first things I learned to do was sweep the floor of the garage because you would be crawling around on it. Next I learned to gather all the tools I was going to need, put them where I could easily reach to get them and keep them organized. It cuts down on the frustration so you can focus on what you are learning , rather than getting upset that you cannot find the 3/16th socket that you need.
We have all experienced that if it screaming hot outside, all you can think about is how uncomfortable you are. In a non air-conditioned garage, we were taught to set up a fan.
If you cannot see what you are doing, you need to set up a drop light.
As an instructor, we need to take the physical environment into account and provide for the basic comforts.Setting the stage is part of the learning enviroment.
Teaching at a tech school with the majority of the students being hands on learners, the learning environment has to be one that immediately grabs the students interest when he walks in the classroom. Having props such as engines, transmissions, posters and tool boards are instantly a point for beginning conversation and learning.
Hi Anita- Thanks for your post to the forum. You make a very important point - we really need to listen to our students! As instructors we are geared to dispense information, so it is, I think, actually difficult for us to stop talking and JUST LISTEN! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I also try and create a comfortable atmosphere so the students are relaxed and more willing to interact. I pride myself on being an instructor that is always willing to listen. That makes the students less defensive and willing to open up and even take chances.
Oh Richard- what a great suggestion! After years of teaching teachers, I have found that they can be the most critical of the environment in which they are being taught. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
How doesn't it? If it's noisy the auditory learners will have trouble--so could the readers. If it is too dim the readers and visual learners in general will have real problems. On the other hand, a comfortable environment will work for almost everyone. The tactile learners need space to work so that would be a concern too. Obviously ergonomics has to be part of the entire learning environment; regrettably it often seems to take second place to presentation. Maybe teachers should have some time sitting in their own classrooms watching others up front!
I think that the physical setting can have a great effect on student learning. For instance, it can be difficult to facilitate group discussions if the room is laid out in rows of tables. If possible, the tables could be moved together to create a more intimate seminar style. That is a quick way to change the environment of a classroom.
HI Jeanette- I really like that you take the time to make your students' learning environment as conducive as possible. Especially like your idea of changing up the seating plans! Best wishes - Susan
I agree with Jill, having a neat and organized classroom is a positive that everyone can accomplish. I get to class a little early each day so that I can tidy up. I also switch up the seating arrangement once a week to help students get to know each other better. The faster the students become friends, the better they work together.
