Session 3 Assessing the learning environment 1

Common terms associated with LE

Students needs; student perception; school culture; school perception; school environment; classroom environment; psycho social; cognitve.

When a child is put in a new and different environment, they go through adjustment physically emotionally and socially and psyhologically.

A learning environment constitutes

1. student -teacher relationships

2. Personal development

3. System maintenance and change.

Works from Fraser and Fisher

1. This paper done by Fraser and Drden focuses on the impact of reform initiative in changing high school science instruction towards a more constructivist approach.

http://surveylearning.moodle.com/cles/papers/Dryden_Fraser.htm


2. This article written by Supatra Wanpen and Darrell Fisher , emphasis how we can create the learning environment in a computer classroom to support constructivist learning.

http://www.iasce.net/Conference2004/23June/Supatra/paper%20IASCE.doc

3. About Darrell Fisher

http://www.smec.curtin.edu.au/staff/fisher.cfm

http://smec.moodle.com/user/view.php?id=14&course=1

Questionaireshttp://surveylearning.moodle.com/mod/survey/view.php?id=116&PHPSESSID=c951ceb33662b86ec56fdd15584aea54

Teacher-student interpersonal behaviourHow teachers interact with students.

Using the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction in investigating differences between boys' and girls' perceptions,

differences between students from different cultural backgrounds,

and the effects of teacher interpersonal behaviour on student outcomes.

Classroom and school learning environments

The development and validation of questionnaires to assess students' or teachers' perceptions of classroom or school environments and the use of these questionnaires in investigating the effects of classroom environments on student outcomes.

Curriculum evaluation of science innovationsEvaluation of the effectiveness of new curricula using either or both quantitative and

4. About Barry J Fraser

http://www.smec.curtin.edu.au/staff/fraser.cfm

Classroom and school learning environments

Use of a variety of quantitative and qualitative techniques in: the development, refinement and validation of questionnaires to assess students' or teachers' perceptions of classroom or school environments;

Investigations of the effects of classroom environments on student outcomes;

Evaluation of educational programs; changes across the transition from primary to secondary schooling; teacher action research aimed at improving their environments.

Curriculum evaluation

Use of a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods in the evaluation of curriculum,

Innovations and teaching approaches in terms of student outcomes,

Classroom interaction,

Classroom environments,

Students' opinions,

Case studies

New search engine

http://www.copernic.com/

AXON processor

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~axon2000/


Reflections for Session 3:
1. It is important to assess the learning environment that I am teaching so that teaching or learning can be further enhanced. Students perception and teachers perception can be looked into.
2. The correct instruments for the research should be carefully chosen.

3. The needs of our students have to be met. Their needs may be that of relationship, personal development and system maintenance and system change. Really, pupils in our class do not just sit there and listen to teacher talk and talk nowadays. They long to build relationship and rapport with the teacher. Teacher can no longer depend on what they have learnt years back from their University days. Teacher within us long to be on the forth front in this knowledge based economy. Our environment need to be changing to excite future learning.

4. The preferred form ( What is happening in my class) can be used in the beginning of the year.
5. The actual form ( What is happening in my class) can be used at the end of the term.

6. Need-Press allows me to pictorially imagine what can affect learning environments. And how learning environment can be assessed.

7. 3 types of approach when I assess learning environment.

• The use of trained observers
• The use of ethnographic data collectors
• The use of student/ teacher perception obtained through questioning and survey.

8. Some instrument used for research are

• My class inventory
• Science lab environment Inventory
• E learning
• What is happening in my class.