Stuctures

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—e.g., by conducting classes in relevant natural ecosystems, grouping desks in specific ways, decorating the walls with learning materials, or utilizing audio, visual, and digital technologies. And because the qualities and characteristics of a learning environment are determined by a wide variety of factors, school policies, governance structures, and other features may also be considered elements of a “learning environment.”

Educators may also argue that learning environments have both a direct and indirect influence on student learning, including their engagement in what is being taught, their motivation to learn, and their sense of well-being, belonging, and personal safety. For example, learning environments filled with sunlight and stimulating educational materials would likely be considered more conducive to learning than drab spaces without windows or decoration, as would schools with fewer incidences of misbehavior, disorder, bullying, and illegal activity. How adults interact with students and how students interact with one another may also be considered aspects of a learning environment, and phrases such as “positive learning environment” or “negative learning environment” are commonly used in reference to the social and emotional dimensions of a school or class.

Considerations: The goal of teaching is to promote learning. To accomplish this goal, an instructor must choose a teaching method that is appropriate for the specific learning situation. There are different teaching methods an instructor can utilize to teach a particular lesson. When thinking about how to approach teaching a specific lesson, a few different factors should be considered:

• Who are the learners?
• What is the learning objective?
• What is the course content?
• How much time is allocated?
• What's the instructor's teaching style?

It's important to consider these factors to ensure that the type of instruction fits the learning needs. For instance, understanding the characteristics that make up the specific student population one is teaching will help to determine which instructional methods or strategies will be most effective. If the instructional method does not fit the needs of the learner, then learning will not take place and the lesson will be unsuccessful. Knowing the purpose of the lesson is also extremely important in deciding what methods to use; both the learning outcomes and course content will dictate what strategies will be the most effective. In addition, instructors should acknowledge time limitations, as well as recognize how their own teaching style plays a role in this decision making process. Ultimately, the teaching method should match the needs of the learning situation in order for the lesson to have the greatest chance of success.

Guided Instruction: On the other hand, guided instruction is a constructivism approach to education. Proponents of guided instruction regard learning as an active and social experience. They believe that students learn best from their interactions with the world. With guided instructional teaching practices, the students take an active role in the educational process and the instructor acts as a facilitator or guide. With guided instruction, students learn from their experiences, making it an inquiry-based or discovery-based model of teaching. A variety of teaching strategies fall under the umbrella of guided instruction, including but not limited to the following:

• discussions, including the Harkness discussion method
• workshops
• seminars
• case studies
• collaborative learning
• project-based learning (PBL)
• role play
• debate
• flipped classroom

Guided instruction, like direct instruction, has both advantages and disadvantages. In terms of benefits, guided instructional practices are very student-centered and foster an active learning environment. Often times, guided instruction strategies are grounded in learning experiences that are authentic and have real-world applications. This, in turn, facilitates higher-order thinking skills is engaging for students. They often have a social component, which allows students opportunities to engage with their classmates, exchange ideas, and learn how to work together towards a common goal. Another advantage of guided instruction is that it gives students ownership over their education. During guided instruction activities, much of the responsibility for learning falls on the student, which can have a lot of benefits but can also be difficult for some students. In addition, with some guided instructional strategies students are challenged and pushed outside of their comfort zones. This can have its advantages, but it also has its drawbacks if students are not motivated or willing to participate in the process.