The study of classroom and school learning environments and their effects on students' learning has been going on for more than a century. Past efforts in the study of the learning environment and its determinants have indicated that it plays a major role in improving teaching and learning in primary, secondary and higher education.This book covers various dimensions of the learning environment, its underlying theory, the impact on learning, the curriculum and classroom management. It is organized in such a way as to provide a cross-national and multi-cultural forum for presenting and discussing research findings, as well as development and applications of various techniques and instruments in learning environment research.
This open access book focuses on how the design and use of innovative learning environments can evolve as teaching practices and education policies change. It addresses how these new environments are used, how teachers are adapting their practices, the challenges that these changes pose, and the effective evaluation of these changes. The book reports on emerging research in learning environments, with a particular emphasis on how teachers are transitioning from traditional classrooms to innovative learning environments. It offers a significant evidence-based global assessment of current research in this field by designers, architects, educators and policy makers. It presents twenty-five cutting-edge projects from researchers in fifteen countries. Thanks to the book’s comprehensive international perspective, which combines theory and practice in a single publication, readers will gain a wealth of new insights.
This book describes important landmarks in the study of learning environments. First conceptualized as ‘classroom climate’, the field expanded considerably from its roots in science education. Promising areas for future research now include a range of diverse contexts and applications.
Few things are as certain as societal changes—and the pressing need for educators to prepare students with the knowledge and ways of thinking necessary for the challenges in a changing world. In the forward-thinking pages of Designs for Learning Environments of the Future, international teams of researchers present emerging developments and findings in learning sciences and technologies at the infrastructure, curricular, and classroom levels. Focusing on ideas about designing innovative environments for learning in areas such as biology, engineering, genetics, mathematics, and computer science, the book surveys a range of learning technologies being explored around the world—a spectrum as diverse as digital media, computer modeling, and 3D virtual worlds—and addresses challenges arising from their design and use. The editors’ holistic perspective frames these innovations as not only discrete technologies but as flexible learning environments that foster student engagement, participation, and collaboration. Contributors describe possibilities for teaching and learning in these and other cutting-edge areas: Working with hypermodels and model-based reasoning Using visual representations in teaching abstract concepts Designing strategies for learning in virtual worlds Supporting net-based collaborative teams Integrating innovative learning technologies into schools Developing personal learning communities Designs for Learning Environments of the Future will enhance the work of a wide range of professionals, including researchers and graduate students in the learning and cognitive sciences, and educators in the physical and social sciences.
Readership: Trainee teachers; educational policy-makers; school management personnel; information and communication technology coordinators; computing teachers; academics.
This book explores how science learning can be more relevant and interesting for students and teachers by using a contextualized approach to science education. The contributors explore the contextualization of science education from multiple angles, such as teacher education, curriculum design, assessment and educational policy, and from multiple national perspectives. The aim of this exploration is to provide and inspire new practical approaches to bring science education closer to the lives of students to accelerate progress towards global scientific literacy. The book presents real life examples of how to make science relevant for children and adolescents of diverse ethnic and language backgrounds, socioeconomic status and nationalities, providing tools and guidance for teacher educators and researchers to improve the contextualization and cultural relevance of their practice. The book includes rigorous studies demonstrating that the contextualization of science learning environments is essential for student engagement in learning science and practitioners' reflections on how to apply this knowledge in the classroom and at national scale. This approach makes this book valuable for researchers and professors of science education and international education interested in designing teacher education courses that prepare future teachers to contextualize their teaching and in adding a critical dimension to their research agendas.
In recent years, the use of technology for the purposes of improving and enriching traditional instructional practices has received a great deal of attention. However, few works have explicitly examined cognitive, psychological, and educational principles on which technology-supported learning environments are based. This volume attempts to cover the need for a thorough theoretical analysis and discussion of the principles of system design that underlie the construction of technology-enhanced learning environments. It presents examples of technology-supported learning environments that cover a broad range of content domains, from the physical sciences and mathematics to the teaching of language and literacy. The emphasis in this book is not on the design of educational software but on the design of learning environments. A great deal of research on learning and instruction has recently moved out of the laboratory into the design of applications in instructional settings. By designing technology-supported learning environments instructional scientists attempt to better understand the theories and principles that are explicit in their theories of learning. The contributors to this volume examine how factors such as social interaction, the creation of meaningful activities, the use of multiple perspectives, and the construction of concrete representations influence the acquisition of new information and transfer.
Education abroad is an essential part of the university student experience. Initiatives such as IIE's Generation Study Abroad encourage more U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad. According to the Open Doors 2019 Report by the Institute for International Education (IIE), 341,751 students participated in post-secondary education abroad programs during the 2017/2018 academic year. This figure represents an increase of 2.7% of U.S. students studying abroad from the previous year. Research shows that education abroad provides students with opportunities not only to see the world but also to develop intercultural competence, which is increasingly crucial in the 21st century workplace. There are also numerous studies that show gains in autonomy, confidence, and tolerance for ambiguity in students who complete some type of study abroad experience. In sum, the education abroad experience in itself represents a powerful learning environment that continues to support personal and professional development long after returning home. Nonetheless, these learning environments must be cultivated along with faculty who develop and lead programs, as well as university partners and providers. Furthermore, education abroad programming and assessment is complex and must take into consideration many factors including academic goals, purposeful curricular development, and a balance between academics and leisure activities on site. This book explores the many aspects of education abroad as a learning environment, such as student learning outcomes, faculty development, and program assessment and evaluation. In addition, several chapters present education abroad experiences as a model for community engagement and activism. The authors represent a diverse range of institutions and perspectives and discuss programs around the globe. The book represents the voices of faculty that lead education abroad programs, students who participate in them, and also those of international students on a U.S. campus reflecting on their personal experiences abroad. Furthermore, this book contributes to the discussion of best practices to assist faculty and program directors in creating robust education abroad programs that meet the needs of their students and institutions.
El espacio, ya sea físico o virtual, puede tener un impacto significativo en el aprendizaje. Learning Spaces se centra en la forma en que las expectativas de los alumnos influyen en dichos espacios, en los principios y actividades que facilitan el aprendizaje y en el papel de la tecnología desde la perspectiva de quienes crean los entornos de aprendizaje: profesores, tecnólogos del aprendizaje, bibliotecarios y administradores. La tecnología de la información ha aportado capacidades únicas a los espacios de aprendizaje, ya sea estimulando una mayor interacción mediante el uso de herramientas de colaboración, videoconferencias con expertos internacionales o abriendo mundos virtuales para la exploración. Este libro representa una exploración continua a medida que unimos el espacio, la tecnología y la pedagogía para asegurar el éxito de los estudiantes.
Improving Learning Environments provides the first systematic comparative cross-national study of school disciplinary climates. In this volume, leading international social science researchers explore nine national case studies to identify the institutional determinants of variation in school discipline, the possible links between school environments and student achievement, as well as the implications of these findings for understanding social inequality. As the book demonstrates, a better understanding of school discipline is essential to the formation of effective educational policies. Ultimately, to improve a school's ability to contribute to youth socialization and student internalization of positive social norms and values, any changes in school discipline must not only be responsive to behavior problems but should also work to enhance the legitimacy and moral authority of school actors.
