THE LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT
Report by: So, Niña Marie
‘’When the atmosphere
encourages learning, the
learning is inevitable.’’ –
Elizabeth Foss
What is learning Environment?
• Refers to the diverse physical locations, contexts, and
cultures in which students learn.
• The relationship between a teacher and his or her
students.
• Is the educational setting and how it looks and feels
and can be positive or negative.
Why the learning environment is
important?
• Classroom environment is one of the most important factors
affecting student learning.
• Learning environment provides relevant content, clear learning
goals and feedback, opportunities to build social skills, and
strategies to help students succeed (Weimer, 2009).
• When educators foster a positive learning culture; learners are
more likely to acquire higher motivation that leads to wonderful
learning outcomes.
What are the types of Learning
Environments?
• Student/learner centered
• Knowledge- centered
• Assessment- centered
• Community- centered
Student/learner centered Environments:
• 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:
• 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.
• 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.
Assessment-Centered Environments:
• 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.
• Students need opportunities to get feedback so they can revise
their work.
• 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.
Community-centered environment:
• Is based on reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships between
instructors, students, and community groups.
• Community-centered learning environments explicitly promote norms
and expectations that encourage critical inquiry and collaboration.
• A climate of trust between you and your students and amongst their
peers is one of the essential ingredients of a community-centered
learning environment.
• When students know that you are interested in their needs and those of
the entire class, they are more likely to participate in the community
building process themselves.
• The absence of fear of failure or ridicule encourages students to
challenge themselves and focus on mastery rather than just learning for
good grades.
Classroom Environment:
• Classroom environment is one of the most important factors
affecting student learning.
• Simply put, students learn better when they view the
learning environment as positive and supportive.
• A positive environment is one in which students feel a sense
of belongingness, trust others, and feel encouraged to tackle
challenges, take risks, and ask questions.
• Such an environment provides relevant content, clear
learning goals and feedback, opportunities to build social
skills, and strategies to help students succeed.
Classroom Interactions:
• Students differ In abilities and interests while teachers likely
employ different strategies.
• Teachers must be sensitive to positive or negative
interactions and must Immediately undertake an instant
revision or adjustment in the methodology when necessary.
• Primary goal is to be able to motivate them to work
harmoniously, thereafter, include the values of cooperation
and congeniality.
A Facilitative Learning Environment
• Encourages people to be active • Evaluation is a cooperative
• Promotes and facilitates the process which emphasis on self-
individual’s discovery of the evaluation.
personal meaning of idea. • Encourages openness of self
• Emphasizes the uniquely rather than concealment of self.
personal and subjective nature • People are encouraged to trust
of learning. In which difference is in themselves as well as in
good and desirable. external sources.
• Consistently recognizes people’s • People feel they are respected.
right to make mistakes. • People feel they are accepted.
• Tolerate ambiguity. • Permits confrontation.
10 Characteristics of a Highly Effective
Environment
• The students ask the question – • Learning is personalized by a
good questions variety of criteria
• Questions are valued over • Assessment is persistent,
answers authentic, transparent, and
• Ideas come from a variety of never punitive
sources • Learning habits are constantly
• A variety of instructional design modelled
methods are used • There are constant opportunities
for practice
 Lets remember!
A good learning environment is not only about
what your classroom look like, because no matter
how pleasant the classroom is if the relationship
between the learners and the teachers are bad, it
will not count as a good learning environment.
The Classroom’s Physical
Arrangement
Classroom Arrangement for an Effective
Learning:
• The term physical environment refers to the overall design
and layout of a given classroom and its learning centers.
• Teachers should design the environment by organizing its
spaces, furnishings, and materials to maximize the learning
opportunities and the engagement of every child.
• When your classroom setup is in harmony with your teaching
style, your students, and the space and furniture you have to
work with, the benefits can be endless.
The Physical Condition of The Classroom
• As soon as the students enter they are attracted by a
clean and orderly set-up.
• Natural light and flowing fresh air add to their comfort
and ease.
• Free from noise coming from the surroundings,
student’s concentration and interest are easily
sustained.
• The doors and windows could be opened and closed
with less difficulty and noise.
• The light fixtures are located where needed.
• The decoration should be age and level
appropriate, the classrooms should not be
heavily decorated as it can distract students from
learning specially the primary level classrooms
and the Preschool classrooms.
• Boundaries need to be as visually clear as
possible.
Classroom Seating Arrangement
Alternative
Configurations:
Runway
• Best used with smaller
classes, this setup puts the
emphasis on the educator.
• The teacher uses the runway
between the two rows of
facing desks to conduct the
lessons.
• This layout is great for
discussions and lecture
based classes.
Stadium
• A variation of the classic
row configuration and
runway, desks are
grouped in clusters but all
facing the same direction.
• Like runway, this layout is
best suited teacher-
centric classes.
Combination
• This configuration is great for
classes with students of varying
learning levels, methods of
learning, and behavioral issues.
• Mix and match any configuration to
best fit your needs and your
students’ abilities.
• For example, set up part of the
room as rows for students who
need to focus on individual work
and another part as a mini
horseshoe for students who require
more discussion-based activities.
 Conclusion:
• Every classroom, teacher, student, and situation is unique.
• To find the best classroom arrangement for you, a little ingenuity
and creativity may be necessary.
• A good relationship between the teachers and students is also part
of their learning environment.
• Always consider the what is best for each class you have because
every class has a different atmosphere and environment.
 Activity
For you what is the best environment for
the
students and teachers to teach and to
learn?
 END
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING
Sources:
• https://study.com/academy/lesson/types-of-learning-environment.ht
ml
• https://www.edglossary.org/learning-environment/
• https://www2.education.uiowa.edu/html/eportfolio/tep/07e190-191f
older/LearningEnvironment/learning_environment.htm
• http://www.buffalo.edu/ubcei/enhance/teaching/learning-environme
nts/community-centered-environments.html
• http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/sf114049/chapters/The-Imp
ortance-of-a-Positive-Classroom.aspx
• https://www.displays2go.com/Article/Tips-Most-Effective-Classroom-
Seating-Arrangement-32
• https://www.displays2go.com/Article/Tips-Most-Effective-Classroom-
Seating-Arrangement-32