Environment and Context Theory Review

Environment and Context in Learning Theory Review EDAC 635

Chris McCown

Fall 2017

                              Name                                                                     Commented On

Chris McCown	Derek Watson
Chris McCown	Leilani Pearce

Introduction

            One of the most important factors influencing the learning process and learning outcomes is the physical environment and internal contextual variables or interactions that influence all learners and facilitators. Until recently, educators and researchers alike focused most of their attention on the individual learner and what was happening internally with cognition and learning comprehension. Moreover, there has been a shift of focus to examine the ‘environment’ as an internal and external context that is effecting both student/facilitator behavior and student learning. Some individual learners often battle with internal and external or visible and invisible contexts in the learning environment.

            The visible learning environment can be explained in terms of the physical makeup of the
classroom. The ergonomics of the classroom including table, chairs, desks, seating arrangements and instructors method of instruction. Some classroom environments invite cohesive collaboration of student to student (group) interactions. While other classroom settings might discourage group interaction and student to teacher interactions might be distant or difficult to complete.

            Other influences in the physical environment that affect learning are elements like the sound quality of the room. Listening to lectures or instructors is a crucial part of learning. Classroom environments with poor sound quality can distract or affect learning in negative ways. Lighting and visual factors in the classroom can also have an influence on the learning environment. Visual access to presentations and projected information is another critical area of the physical environment that should be focused upon. Technology tools that are utilized in some classrooms need to be maintained and function properly in order for learners to hear and see important information and knowledge that is delivered through devices and projectors.  

            The contextual factors that affect student learning can be considered the invisible environment. All learners have internal thoughts, beliefs and preconceived ideas about their reality that might be challenged through learning and collaborating with other students and instructors. Invisible contexts existing in the learning environment include cultural abstractions, social perspectives, and situated learning or cognition. All learning can be influenced by visible and invisible environments that contain contextual factors. Being aware of these environments, and utilizing classroom physical settings and strategically design learning activities to collaborate with both the student and instructors or facilitators. This open interaction of environments and learners allow everyone to be open and acceptable of internal and external contexts to benefit learning in many ways.

Themes   

 A Responsive Design

            The physical environment of a classroom learning environment can promote or discourage learning. The 21st century classroom is perceived as a place where the learner is engaged in individual and collaborative group learning activities. Technology is also integrated and utilized in the delivery of information and knowledge to the learner. The traditional 20^th century classroom environment has become a stalemate in relation to the interactive digital technological age that we have evolved into, and to which students require. The physical environment of the classroom has also transformed into a new design, integrating both technology and social contexts into the learning process.

            Peter Lippman created a theory that would benefit the physical environment of the 21^st century classroom. A ‘responsive design’ approach would help designers create more innovative and sustainable learning environments (Lippman 2010). Utilizing the educational ideology of practice theory “is a theory of how social beings, with their diverse motives and their diverse intentions, make and transform the world which they live in. It is a dialectic between social structure and human agency working back and forth in a dynamic relationship.” (Wikipedia). A responsive design for a physical classroom asks “How does the environment shape the learner and, in turn, how does the learner influence the learning environment?”(Lippman 2010). This brings to light the motivations and requirements of the learner with respect to time and place in which the information/ knowledge is acquired. In this context the learning environment is composed of the learner, peer students, instructors, and the physical environment. The new responsive design of a classroom environment will compliment 21^st century learning requirements and allow a collaboration of technology and social interactions for learning activities. Some classrooms will have to adapt and modify the physical settings of existing structures to allow interaction and collaboration of learners with the environment; as opposed to being previously passive environments.

Cultural Context  

Within the learning environment, the invisible context of ‘individual culture’ impacts student learning and social interactions. Mackeracher says that “culture is an abstraction; like intelligence; it exists in the mind of the beholder. As culture becomes more thing-like in our mind, we may begin to perceive it as having an existence external to those who invented it.” (Mackeracher p. 193). Culture is something that we as learners can identify with and belong to and defend it. When learners interact and collaborate with one another problems might arise when exchanging ideas or accepting new ideas and information that might conflict with a learners validity of new information or knowledge. Learners and facilitators both need to be aware of cultural differences in the classroom environment. Being a part of a culture might influence how we relate and view our existing ideas and beliefs but might allow us to ignore other relevant ideas and beliefs.

Social Positionality

The power context is another invisible environment that affects the learning process. This context is created through the cultural context. Along with cultures, individual learners bring with cultural “beliefs, values, assumptions, customs, meanings, and behaviors, but also their day to day responsibilities and current life problems.” (Mackeracher p.196). These interactions of cultures might allow some learners to use their culture as a platform to interact with other learners or facilitators. The idea of ‘positionality’ becomes a relevant influence in the social status hierarchy of the learners. “The term positionality is used to describe an individual’s location within a shifting network of relationships defined primarily in terms of race, gender, and class.” (Mackeracher p.197, Maher & Tetreault, 2001). The social structuralist perspective argues that individual behavior is influenced by society’s social structure of privilege, power and oppression. These societal power struggles might influence learning interactions with class materials and activities and discussion. The responsibility of the facilitator is to create an equal playing field for all learners and to allow everyone to speak, share, and have a voice/ opinion to discuss, interact, and engage content and ideas.

Situated Cognition

Different learning environments require a specific design of learning experiences. Situated cognition is a theory that states knowing is inseparable from doing by arguing that all knowledge is contextually situated and is fundamentally influenced by an activity bound to social, cultural and physical contexts. A good example of situated cognition might be learning how to drive a car. However, not every learning context will translate to other contexts or situations, causing the learner to reevaluate and build new skills for different learning environments. Both the learner and the instructor should be aware of the situated contexts that are suitable for specific learning be naturally tied to authentic activity.

Implications

Facilitators or practitioners who address the idea of ‘responsive design’ would likely evaluate how they want the learner to interact with the physical environment of the classroom setting. If learning activities require collaboration, arrangement and position of tables/desks and chairs should invite a group cluster of to allow for student interaction. If technologies are utilized in the physical environment accessibility to computers or view of peripheral devices should be considered. Facilitators or instructors should also be aware of student individual contexts of culture and cultural expressions to have an equal and safe place in the classroom. By identifying or sharing what each individual can bring to the group can allow for progressive collaboration and exposing individual differences that can contribute to the benefit the whole group and introduce different learning perspectives. Along with cultural context a social positionality can be present in the learning environment. Facilitators should be aware and address the social status of learners and provide an open, accepting forum of all perspectives and social roles. An option of allowing student learners to tell their story might provide a foundation of understanding of individual backgrounds and future aspirations might help explain what social roles exist. Facilitators also should be cognizant of the content of their learning activities and utilize situated learning and cognition in required areas of instruction and allow other instructional methods to play a role in their learning activities. Separating the knowing and doing activities.

Reflections

In reviewing the Environment and Context in Learning topics, I uncovered a few theories that I hadn’t considered. Specifically, the effects of physical environment upon the learner. The class environment can deter or invite group collaboration through the physical setup of learning environment. How the learner interacts with the physical environment is critical to allowing technology, self-directed or group collaboration to enhance the learning process. I also hadn’t given much thought to how class dynamics and cultural contexts might affect learning outcomes. Individual learners and facilitators need to voice or express their beliefs in a mutually respectful manner in order to provide a safe accepting environment for all participants. Every learner will bring their culture, beliefs, values, and assumptions into the classroom and affect learning outcomes. Allowing learners to understand and experience other perspectives is a positive start to having an structured open class forum to learn through one another. I related to the situated cognition or situated learning being a shop teacher. Situated cognition is identified as always being active in nature because the doing and the knowing are never separated in the learning process. (Mackeracher 2004, Wilson, 1993). However, not all situated learning contexts can transfer to other learning contexts and might cause learning barriers. I enjoyed learning more about the internal and external environments that are both visible and invisible to students and facilitators. To be more aware of these environments has provided me with possible solutions and ideas to create a learning environment that will influence all learners in a positive way.       

Table 1. Summary of the theoretical ideas

Main Theoretical Ideas		Summary of how to apply the main ideas into practice
1. A Responsive Design		Create an interactive physical learning environment.
2. Cultural Context		Be aware and respect your culture and other learners culture and perspectives. Storytelling of backgrounds or heritage.
3. Social Positionality		Identify social roles that work to benefit the whole group. Create various learning or instructing roles.
4. Situated Cognition		Learning happens in a specific context and situation, occurs with other people and is tools dependent. Make connections to allow learners to transfer learning experiences between contexts.

References

Lippman, P. (2010), “Can the Physical Environment Have an Impact on the Learning Environment?”, CELE Exchange, Centre for Effective Learning Environments, 2010/13, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5km4g21wpwr1-en.

Macheracher, D. (2004). Making Sense of Adult Learning. University Toronto Press. Toronto, CA.  

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practice_theory