Lesson 6: The Setting of Learning Environment (Week 6)

Objective/s:

 Determine the different settings of learning environment and the appropriate type of teaching based
on these settings

Content Focus

The Setting of Learning Environment

 Well-designed learning environment helps to maintain pupils’ attention and interest in learning and
facilitates the achievement of teaching aims. In this way, it is more easy to achieve the aim of
teaching. The teaching environment should be designed to support remedial teaching and group
activities. Seat arrangements of pupils should be flexible to meet the specific teaching purposes of
each learning activity. For example, teachers and pupils may form of circle when holding
discussions; and the two pupils or group members involved may sit together during peer group or
small group learning.

 Teachers should prepare a rich, pleasant and comfortable learning environment for pupils. For
example, they may set up a self-learning corner, book corner, toy corner, science corner, prize
corner or stationery/learning resources corner, etc. to enkindle pupils’ interest in learning.

 Teachers may display the teaching materials of the week or the learning outcomes or products of
pupils at prominent places to stimulate their motivation in learning.

What is a learning environment?

Learning environment refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts, and cultures in which
students learn. Since students may learn in a wide variety of settings, such as outside-of-school locations
and outdoor environments, the term is often used as a more accurate or preferred alternative to classroom,
which has more limited and traditional connotations—a room with rows of desks and a chalkboard, for
example.

The term also encompasses the culture of a school or class—its presiding ethos and characteristics,
including how individuals interact with and treat one another—as well as the ways in which teachers may
organize an educational setting to facilitate learning…..’
The Glossary of Educational Reform, 29 August, 2014

This definition recognises that students learn in many different ways in very different contexts.
Since learners must do the learning, the aim is to create a total environment for learning that optimises the
ability of students to learn. There is of course no single optimum learning environment. There is an infinite
number of possible learning environments, which is what makes teaching so interesting.

Learning environment refers to the physical, social, emotional, cultural and intellectual context in
which students learn. It may refer as well to values and contain the department, school or community in
which learning takes place. We will focus on the elements of in-person and online classrooms and explore
strategies that cultivate positive learning environments.

In positive learning environments students experience a high level of trust amongst themselves
and their instructor, they view decisions as fair, they have a sense of belonging, and they feel listened to.
In these environments, students are encouraged to tackle challenges, take risks, express themselves and
ask for help.

Components of an effective learning environment

Developing a total learning environment for students in a particular course or program is probably the
most creative part of teaching. While there is a tendency to focus on either physical institutional learning
environment (such as classrooms, lecture theatres and labs), or on the technologies used to create
online personal learning environments (PLEs), learning environments are broader than just these physical
components. They will also include:

 the characteristics of the learners;

 the goals for teaching and learning;
 the activities that will best support learning;
 the assessment strategies that will best measure and drive learning
 the culture that infuses the learning environment.

Fig. 1 Learning Environment in Different

Perspectives
 Figure 1 illustrates one possible learning environment from the perspective of a teacher or
instructor. A teacher may have little or no control over some components, such as learner characteristics
or resources, but may have full control over other components such as choice of content and how learners
will be supported. Within each of the main components there are a set of sub-components that will need to
be considered. In fact, it is in the sub-components (content structure, practical activities, feedback, use of
technology, assessment methods, and so on) where the real decisions need to be made.

Different Types of Learning Environments

Learner-centered environments pay close attention to the needs of the student. Students bring
culture, beliefs, attitudes, skills, and knowledge to the learning environment. A learner-centered teacher
builds on the conceptual and cultural knowledge of each student. The classroom is often involved in
discussion, where the students do much of the talking and construct their own meaning based on prior
knowledge and experiences. The teacher acts as a bridge between new learning and what students already
know.

Knowledge-centered environments focus on helping students learn information with deep

understanding so students can use it in new situations and contexts. Teachers who believe in knowledge-
centered classrooms believe rote memorization does not lead to true understanding and only helps students
learn at the surface. Deep learning involves learning through problem-solving.

An example of this type of learning environment is one where a teacher directly teaches a concept,
such as how to find area and perimeter. The teacher would then take this concept one step further,
connecting this new knowledge to a real-life scenario. Maybe the school needs new tile floors. The students
would actually measure the area and perimeter of the classroom and the hallway, using the measurements
to calculate how much tile would need to be ordered. This would give them the understanding that these
new math skills are used in real jobs, such as installing tile.

To be effective, learning environments must also be assessment-centered, which stress the

importance of feedback to learning. Students need opportunities to get feedback so they can revise their
work. Assessments must match learning goals. Formative, or classroom assessment, used to improve
teaching and learning, is a constant source of feedback throughout the context of a course. Examples
include teacher comments on work and quick checks for understanding in the classroom. Summative, or
end-of-unit or course assessment, measures what students have learned by the end of a period of learning
activities. Examples include state-wide assessment tests and teacher-made end-of-unit exams.

Community-centered environment. The norms and expectations established in your classroom

enhance or hinder your students’ learning experience. Community-centered learning environments
explicitly promote norms and expectations that encourage critical inquiry and collaboration.

For example, in a community-centered class it’s more important to take a risk than to answer every
question correctly. On the other hand, in classrooms where it’s not OK to make mistakes and only correct
answers are lauded, students are discouraged from asking for clarification, taking risks and exploring new
hypotheses. The focus is on the learners, their current understanding and the process of learning, not on
the correct answer itself.

Source:

 https://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/chapter/5-2-what-is-a-learning-environment/
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-learning-environment.html
 http://www.buffalo.edu/ubcei/enhance/teaching/learning-environments/community-
centered-environments.html