Theory Review by Nicole Brennan

 Theory Review: Environment and context in learning

Nicole Brennan

Ball State University

EDAC 635_800

Dr. Bo Chang

February 20^th, 2022

Name	Commented on
Nicole Brennan	Andi Miller
Nicole Brennan	Logan Marlatt

 

 

 

 

Main Theoretical Points

            When learning is brought up as a topic of conversation a lot of the time people think learning relies on one’s own capabilities to process, learn, and memorize information. However, many people do not think about outside sources that could negatively and positively impact learning. The environment can have a significant impact on an adult’s learning capability. The four main theoretical points below will shed some light on the impact environment can have on learning. The four main points to be discussed are the physical environment, technology, work/life environment balance, and cultural learning.

The physical environment can impact many individuals when they are trying to engage in a learning environment Xiong et al. (2018) studied what is known as sick building syndrome (SBS), due to most individuals learning and working indoors there is rising concern about the overall environment indoors. “Effect of physical learning environment especially on cognitive load can be regarded as a determinant of the effectiveness of instruction (Xiong et al., 2018). In this study by Xiong et al. (2018) they examined how and if temperature, noise, and illuminance (lighting) would have an affect on learning efficiency. It was determined that there was considerable evidence that the physical environment of temperature, noise, and illuminance caused significant harm to a learner’s efficiency in perception, memory, problem solving, and attention-oriented tasks (Xiong et al., 2018).

Technology keeps on advancing and it can sometimes be difficult for adult learners to keep up with the advances made in technology. However, there are a lot of benefits to technology for an adult learner. This even includes social media platforms such as Facebook, in a study by Hursen (2018) it was determined that using social media platforms such as Facebook provided the adult learners with convenience, easy collaboration, and they engaged in active participation in learning. It was also found that “Facebook provides learners the opportunity to save time because it provides immediate feedback and correction” (Hursen., 2018). These results help facilitators and learners broaden the types of technology used when teaching or learning.

An individual’s work-life balance can significantly impact the quality of learning. It can be stressful and difficult to maintain a health work-life balance when adults are in school. There are so many moving parts to an individual’s life, work, family, physical and mental health and more. An adult adding obtaining an education onto their daily life can cause a lot of issues with work-life boundaries. Berry and Hughes, (2019) researched how work-life balance is affected by technology and adult student’s experience with online learning. It was found that “Most students in this sample believe traditional face-to-face education with set class times in specified physical classroom locations does not meet their needs in terms of efficiency or effectiveness, or overall life balance” (Berry & Hughes., 2019). Online learning helps individuals maintain a health work-life balance due to it being more flexible than traditional learning, online learning also eliminates the need for traveling to class therefore saving time, money, and the need for childcare. “Online offers these students more autonomy and thus more control, and thus less stress” (Berry & Hughes., 2019). This eliminates some negative aspects of learning as an adult, making it easier on work-life balance, leading to healthier more balanced individuals.

The cultural environment has been changing for many years, as technology has also grown so is cross-cultural understanding. “Developing the skills of lifelong learning, digital competence, intercultural competence, and collaboration are important for both learners and educators” (Shonfeld et al., 2021). Mackeracher (2004) mentioned that culture is a system of beliefs, language, assumptions, religion and more. “It is important to understand the culture of others and to avoid developing stereotypes that can lead to ethnocentrism, racism, and so on” (Mackeracher et al., 2004, p.193). This is highly important to remember for students but also for the facilitators of adult learning. As seen above the use of technology is only broadening the ability for individuals all over the world to take part and gain an education as an adult. This means many different cultures being blended together, making it more important than ever to be aware of cultural differences, having an open mind, and keeping the learning environment safe for all individuals.

Application

            When it comes to the physical environment especially indoors there are many factors that must be considered to produce a more effective and positive physical environment. It was found that individuals were their most productive under thermoneutral to warm temperatures, relatively quiet to fairly quiet noise levels, and moderate to bright lighting conditions (Xiong et al., 2018). Taking this under consideration is it important to maintain a cool to warm temperature within a room, if a room is too hot or too cold this can negatively affect the learner. Lighting is best at bright to moderate lighting, if the lighting is too dark it may impact an individual’s ability to memorize and learn (Xiong et al., 2018). Noise is very impactful on an individual’s learning capability, if there is too much noise it can be highly distracting and cause negative impacts on learning. It is important to ensure that there are no loud or consistent buzzing for example that could hinder an individual’s learning capabilities (Xiong et al., 2018).

Technology can help advance an adult learners’ environment by providing them with an easy and more intimate way to communicate with their peers, as stated by Hursen (2018) “it is believed that Facebook provides convenience to teachers and students, particularly in the sharing of related resources during the learning-teaching process.” Technology helps teachers create a healthy learning environment by providing adult learners with an open, real-time learning experience. It is suggested that teachers encourage adult learners to communicate and learn with each other through social media platforms such as Facebook.

            For an individual to maintain a healthier work-life balance it is suggested that adult learners seek online learning platforms to obtain their education. “Regarding work-life balance, the benefits of online learning include personal flexibility, autonomy, and choice” (Berry & Hughes., 2019). It is proposed that online learning become even more accessible by schools providing money for computers and devices required for an online school to be bought. It is also suggested to make a weekly schedule to evenly spread-out time management between work-life, not allowing work to get in the way of off-work hours.

            It is suggested that individuals learn about Online Collaborative Learning (OCL) as outlined in Shonfeld et al. (2021) as well as have many multicultural study groups that can work together and discover each other’s cultures without traditional learning occurring. This will broaden individuals’ ability to understand cultures they may not know about. This is also important for teachers of adult learners to take part in, whether that be learning through their own research, or enhancing their learning through their students.

Reflections

Highlights

            This assignment helped me broaden my knowledge of the different types of learning theories and their subcomponents. It is always so interesting to learn about the stuff we take for granted and don’t even realize is around until we read or write about it ourselves. Through this assignment, I was able to gain a deeper knowledge of what to be aware of when it comes time for me to teach adult learners, but this has even helped me learn more about how to provide a well-balanced environment for the children I work with right now, this is very significant within the physical environment as I work with kids with autism spectrum disorder and it is so important to keep the environment as comfortable as possible to avoid hindering their learning experiences.

Process

            To get the ball rolling on this assignment I began by combing through Ball State’s online library to find articles that would back up my main theoretical points. Once I did that and developed the proper APA citation for each article or book that I was going to use I laid out my word document, so I had a clear view of the format and what I needed to write. I found that researching articles first was the best approach to this assignment so I could get the main ideas figured out and begin visually the paper before I even wrote it. Between work, school, and the rollercoaster of days it can be hard to correctly manage my time however, my process during this assignment made me feel more confident in my abilities, it was also very helpful to have the group to rely on if I had any questions.

Table 1

Summary of main theoretical ideas

	The main theoretical ideas	Summary of how to apply the main theoretical ideas in practice
Idea 1	Physical environment	Create a physical environment that is comfortable by providing: ·         Low noise interference ·         Comfortable temperatures, not too hot, not too cold. ·         Eye friendly lighting, bright to medium, to avoid eye strain and enhance learning
Idea 2	Technology	Using technology to the learner’s advantage by: ·         Using easy to learn/use platforms ·         Promote the use of social media platforms to enhance peer interaction and expand their learning
Idea 3	Work-life environment balance	Maintain a well-balanced work-life environment by: ·         Engaging in online education due to its flexibility ·         Develop and stick to a schedule
Idea 4	Cultural environment	How to provide a successful cultural environment: ·         Providing a safe and supportive classroom ·         Learn through study groups, where individuals share their cultures ·         Do your own research to develop a better understanding of various cultures.

 

References

Berry, G. R., & Hughes, H. (2019). Integrating work-life balance with 24/7 information and communication technologies: The experience of adult students with online learning. American Journal of Distance Education, 34(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1701301

Hursen, C. (2018). The effect of technology supported problem-based learning approach on adults’ self-efficacy perception for research-inquiry. Education and Information Technologies, 24(2), 1131–1145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9822-3

MacKeracher, D. (2004). Making Sense of Adult Learning (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division.

Shonfeld, M., Cotnam-Kappel, M., Judge, M., Ng, C. Y., Ntebutse, J. G., Williamson-Leadley, S., & Yildiz, M. N. (2021). Learning in Digital Environments: A model for cross-cultural alignment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 2151–2170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-09967-6

Xiong, L., Huang, X., Li, J., Mao, P., Wang, X., Wang, R., & Tang, M. (2018). Impact of indoor physical environment on learning efficiency in different types of tasks: A 3 × 4 × 3 full factorial design analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), 1256. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061256