Hi Michael, Thanks for your post to the forum. Good point! The environment does reflect on the instructor as well. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
The physical setting is crucial when working with students of different learning styles. If your students aren't comfortable, they may not receive the material correctly, thereby resulting in poor grades and possibly retention.
I feel the classroom has to be set up and prepared for the days demo and practical work. Frustrations due to poor preparation should be avoided.
The environment must be conducive to learning for the students. If they feel the environment is not professional they are less likely to intently listen to the instruction by the professor.
Hi Margeaux, Very interesting question. I would say that it is a physical influence, especially since it often changes as we age. Teenagers, for example, learn best in the afternoon or evening. Younger children and many adults in the a.m. People can of course learn to adapt to learning at different times of day but as with learning styles, they usually have a preferred time of day to learn. I find that with my adult learners who are primarily evening students, many having worked all day, that I need to take frequent breaks and use interactive exercises to keep everyone awake and alert. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Susan, I have a question, more-so than a comment:
Would you consider time-of-day an 'environmental' influence, or a 'physical' influence, on learning? While I've heard of circadian rhythm affecting ability to learn, particularly in the early afternoon, I'm not sure into which category it best fits. Also, with regard to this, how do you suggest we help students overcome the extra effort it takes to focus and learn at that time of day?
Thank you!
Hi Carla, Thanks for your post to the forum.It may have been that removing the tables really did not do much to change the temperature in the room, but the fact that you took some action to address their complaints sent the message that you care about their comfort. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Edward, Yes, unfortunately we cannot always totally control the physiacl classroom envirnment but we can control the engagement of our students as we teach. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Darlene, - Absolutely! Creating a professional environment demonstrates what students should strive for once they enter the field. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Recently I was teaching a classroom of 35 (women) in a very small and warm room. Before the class started their were complaints. I knew it would be a challenge. Immediately I noticed some extra tables in the room, which would not be utilized. I contacted maintenance to have the tables removed. Removing or re-arranging itmes in a room can improve the learning environment.
I have found similar results. If you keep the students engaged and do all that you can to support them, the physical environment can become secondary. Students with computer access or other technical difficulty with equipment usually respond in a positive manor if the problems are addressed quickly in a positive manor. They recognize things do not always work as planned.
My experience has shown me that the physical setting has a great impact on my students. I am an organized teacher so my workspace is well organized as well as the classroom itself. I think this gives the students a lot of comfort, confidence and helps to build trust. My students tend to pick up good oganizational habits that show up in their classwork and homework or any assignment for that matter.
I find that all of the physical aspects of the environment affect the students at any age. I have taught 6th grade through under grad. I think that the temperature, the lighting, the orderliness and smell of the classroom affects how people learn.
Hi Jason, Thanks for sharing a good solution for the "skill gap" problem! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I also teach technology classes and I find that the generational gap you describe is often very apparent. One thing I sometimes do is provide options in assignments that vary in difficulty. The more advanced students can take on a tougher assignment and still feel challenged while the less experienced students can take on something a little more straight forward.
Hi FARZANA, Yes, exactly! As teachers we need to model professionalism and that demands that we provide a professional learning environment. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I prefer my learning environment to be clean and organized too. I find that some students care about their learning environment while others could care less what their learning environment looks like. But it is the teachers who can be role models for the students.
I try to create a real life environment. It alowes my students to practice in the lab just like real life.
Hi Brian, Thanks for your post to the forum. Great comments on the importance of the learning environment and how to approach it from the context of the learning styles!
Susan Polick
Every bit of the physical learning environment affects how students learn, and affects student's preferred learning styles as well. Lighting in a room affects visual and written learners most of all. Poor auditory conditions (outside noise, too large a room, poor elocution by the instructor, classroom noise from other learners) affect auditory learners most of all. Traditional classrooms with their emphasis on a lecture environment tend to retard the abilities of kinesthetic learners. When first viewing the physical space, an instructor must try to adjust for all of these issues. It will be easiest for the instructor to address issues that arise within their own learning style, but it is important to try to look at the classroom through the eyes of other learning styles. One technique that works well is to have students give feedback at the end of class as to what one thing they learned in that class. The instructor can then match the reponses on 2 scales - first, what the student's individual learning style was and second, what instructional method was used on that particular topic. That way, instructors develop a sense of what topics combined with what delivery methods work best for critical topics in the class.
