Show
A Group of
female students work on computer-based problems with an instructor at the base of the UT Tower, the Texas Capitol looms in the distance. Managing the Learning Environment Teaching and learning do not happen in a vacuum. The intersecting contexts of the learning environment work together to create a dynamic ecosystem of physical, virtual, and cultural space. When managed well, all students have the opportunity to thrive.
Who's Doing This at UT?Stephanie Cawthon, Educational Psychology, investigates issues of equity and access in education from multiple vantage points. She has found teaching to be as much about facilitating dialogue and shared critical thinking as it is about providing opportunities to learn the facts and procedural knowledge needed to gain expertise in a field. Both go hand in hand. How Can I Do This?The learning environment is not merely a background variable. Teaching is most effective when the physical, virtual, and cultural spaces of the classroom are conducive to both personal and social learning. How can physical space impact learning? Whether your course is lecture-based or emphasizes group-discussion, think about modifying the physical space so students can engage with you, the content, and each other.
Whether you teach online or face-to-face, it is important to think about how technology can increase student interaction with you, each other, and the course content.
“That is, the headspace of the people who inhabit the learning environment...In the same way that we can talk about furniture in physical space, we can talk about furniture in cultural space: valued behaviours, routines, self-concept, the way the students and teachers think about what they’re doing and why they’re there” (Collis, 2016).
Why Is This Important?The learning environment can produce conditions and mediate relationships that can positively influence student cognitive, social, emotional, and mental well-being, and increase student receptivity to you, content, exchange in the classroom, student motivation and study habits, and learning (Hess & Smythe, 2004). Support student learning outcomes. Research shows that purposeful modifications to course design and formal learning environments leads to “increased levels of conceptual understanding, especially among the top tier of students, improved problem-solving skills, attitudes and class attendance rates and a reduction in both the overall and at-risk student failure rates” (Beichner et al, 2007; Brooks, 2010).
Research shows that if instructors provide a learning environment where students feel emotionally supported, comfortable and free to express opinions, and connected to the learning community, students demonstrate more interest in subjects, are more likely to internalize tasks, have reduced learning apprehension and may even be less likely to engage in academic dishonesty (Müller & Louw, 2004; Ellis, 2004; Bouville, 2010; DiPietro, 2012; Barr, 2016).
Effective learning environments are about "developing proactive ways to prevent problems from occurring in the first place while creating a positive learning environment" (Weimer, n.d.).
How can you create an effective training environment?Creating an Effective Training Environment. Embrace the distractions: When coaching or providing on-the-job training, treat the distractions of the workplace as opportunities to reinforce training. ... . Create a positive atmosphere: Managers are role models for the attitudes of employees.. How do you create a learning environment in training?What Are The Factors That Make A Positive Learning Environment?. Establish a supportive learning culture. Each member of the learning community should have the feeling of connectedness. ... . Address Learners' Needs. ... . Keep it Positive. ... . Provide Feedback. ... . Celebrate Success. ... . Safety. ... . Employ Interactive Games and Activities.. What managers should do to support trainings?Here are 6 ways in which managers can support their team members' learning journeys.. Decide if training is really the best solution. ... . Collaboratively set a goal. ... . Take an interest (and be positive) ... . Practice makes perfect. ... . Share the learning. ... . Set aside some time to digest.. What recommendation can you suggest to improve the training programs in the future?Here are seven key steps you should consider to both build out and update an effective training and development program.. Benchmark against the competition. ... . Survey your employees. ... . Align training with management's operating goals. ... . Run it like a business. ... . Weave it into your company's culture. ... . Keep innovating. ... . Measure results.. |