Theory Review

Theory Review: Environment and context in learning

Heidi Przytulski

EDAC 635; Spring 2022

Name	Commented on
Heidi Przytulski	Rhonda Jones
Heidi Przytulski	David Berry

Classroom environments and the ways and contexts in which we teach and learn have been shifting for years (Lawson, 2016), with the importance of this element only becoming more profound since 2020. In Karen Lawson’s 2016 The Trainer’s Handbook she lays out the multiple ways in which the learning environment had been changing up to 2016. Some changes we see within society at large she discusses include the increase in self-awareness and attention to differences in gender, age, self-identification, cultural differences and potential stereotypes (Lawson, 2016). While the main theoretical constructs provided by Dorothy MacKeracher (2011) in Making Sense of the Adult Learner still ring true today, we see many changes to the learning environment, reflective of the world at large. While still exploring environment under MacKeracher’s (2011) main tenants of physical, cultural, power, knowledge, and real-life environments, I will expand ideas to better fit the context of 2022 and propose potential application to help in this new era of adult learning.

Main Theoretical Points

While the physical environment can encompass the typical space such as chairs, tables, layout, sound quality, visual quality, and technology (MacKeracher, 2011), this last piece is what is becoming more pivotal. Within 20 years we have gone from one computer households with many people doing research at libraries and institutions, to most people now carrying a powerful computer in their pocket and the ability to work from virtually anywhere. This ability to be flexible in learning environments can have incredible benefits for teachers and students. Research has gone as far to prove that the physical environment in which education is set can have an impact on individuals learning outcomes and their satisfaction with the course (Han et al., 2019). By providing a focus on the comfort of learners within an environment, the educator or trainer in the situation is able to best prepare the individual to be in the right headspace to begin the learning process. In recent research on the pedagogy of the classroom in post-COVID-19, transparency with students is regarded as an important element of setting the tone with students (Kirschner, 2021) which can then impact all other elements of the environment. 

With a safe and comfortable physical environment, the focus can then shift to the more sensitive, but still important, topic of cultural and power environments. I combine these two elements because in many ways they influence each other. First, cultural environment includes aspects of cultural and social world around us that impact the ways we do work. This includes both cultural groups we are a part of and general ways in which we make sense of the world (MacKeracher, 2011). We then look to power environment through MacKeracher’s (2011) lens in which “power relationships from an individual perspective or from a social structuralist perspective”(p. 196) for further analysis. When we combine these, we can see how the power imbalances within social constructs can impact the learning environment. When looking to create a more culturally sound classroom environment, researchers found that faculty members being culturally sensitive and aware of these differences could positively impact students’ approach to learning (Colbert, 2010). While all aspects of culture would be practically impossible to unpack in a learning environment, understanding the effects both culture and the adjacent power, is still extremely important to remember when creating a planning a learning environment. 

The third main tenant I will break down is the aspect of the knowledge environment. This tenant deals overarchingly with the prior experiences individuals bring with them and the knowledges they have already attained. According to MacKeracher (2011), many ideas individuals have from this area come from observed occurrences, prior beliefs, or past experiences that influences ones understanding of related situations. While these beliefs may sometimes come through as more opinion based than a verifiable fact, it is important to understand the impact this can have on learners who believe them. As one example, Susan Munoz (2013) found many influencing knowledge factors for undocumented Mexican women in higher education, including topics of financial aid, internship opportunities, and anxiety about immigration status that all have implications on learning that go far beyond the surface. Understanding the role experiences can have on our learning will impact the environment, much like culture and power. 

Finally, real-life environmental context focuses on the situated experiences of learners that may influence a current or future learning attempt. MacKeracher (2011) provides the example of someone who struggled with math in high school and having a ‘math-phobia’ then having trouble with math in other everyday contexts such as money exchanges. As instructors, understanding prior experiences, and more specifically prior attempts to learn something, could heavily impact and individuals’ ability to learn in future ways. Learning with “authentic learning environments” have found great successes because of the way they works in conjunction with real-life contexts. Shadiev and their colleagues (2017) find that having a student-centered approach, with an environment focused on what they can transfer and carry with them to the real-world, should be central when hoping for sustainable learning outcomes. With all five sections of environment discussed here, we can understand why facilitating and applying aspects of a good environment are so pivotal to the learning experience. 

Application

First, for physical environment I would recommend having transparent communication about the learning environment and expectations for the time spent together. With many of the more traditional physical elements that MacKeracher (2011) discusses, small changes are able to be made to better accommodate learners. Ensuring sound quality or the availability of closed captioning, providing good lighting, and providing a safe and comfortable environment is the foundation of a good learning experience. 

Next, as Colbert (2010) found, being aware of the cultural differences and embracing that within the learning environment can actually create an inviting atmosphere for students. To better approach culture and power issues within the environment of a classroom, it is up to the instructor to begin the open and transparent conversations. By being open, sharing ones own differences and experiences, the power imbalance comes a bit closer to equilibrium. When students see this and interpret it as an accepting space, they may also return this transparency, which in turn creates a more open, inviting, and culturally rich environment. 

Similar to culture and power, the aspects of knowledge environment make it pivotal to listen to the voices within the environment and make adjustments where possible. For example, the findings about knowledge topics for the women in Munoz’s (2013) research, instructors being open about financial aid or being non-judgmental about status could provide a safe and welcoming environment for learners to come into. Tailoring lesson plans to encompass some of these concerns, such as a lesson on financial aid, could be extremely beneficial to students to ask questions in an already safe space. Finally, by having these conversations and knowing the struggles learners are currently facing, instructors are better able to provide resource information for scholarships, mental health services, or other agencies that could help the student and create an even more safe environment for their future learning. 

Finally, with a focus on the ‘real-life’ environmental aspects, instructors can work to include more reflexive exercises that include the learners and require more participation (MacKeracher, 2011). By providing ways to engage in the learning process hands on, the learners will hopefully become more comfortable with concepts and be able to utilize them in other contexts. Much like we can expect learners to be hesitant if they have had bad experiences in other contexts before coming to our learning environment, it is difficult to expect them to use what they learn from us if they are not comfortable with it before leaving our context. Allowing space for their experimenting with the lesson and creating a mindful learning environment can help ensure this level of comfort in the spaces we create. 

Reflections

Highlights

The overarching highlight of my research is the importance of focusing on the experiences of the learner. Every individual that comes to any exchange of communication is carrying their own baggage, experiences, and history with them. As the sender of a message, we need to understand where the receivers are coming from so we can better meet them in the middle. Learning from others’ experiences, cultures, and lives can allow the best understanding for us to adapt our environments and have a welcoming space to collaborate.

Process

To complete this literature review, I started by reviewing the assignment details and examples provided on Canvas. I then pulled environment research from other courses I have taken to refresh myself on the topic from a familiar standpoint. I then used my interest from these articles and the main points of the book chapter to guide the structure and main points of this paper. I used as much information as possible but still found myself cutting ideas out in the end, with a final edit providing 7 pages of content on Microsoft Word. 

Table

Main Theoretical Ideas	Summary of how to apply ideas to practice
Physical Environment	Focus on providing a comfortable space for learning to begin in. Provide transparency (Kirschner, 2021) and allow the learners to have a role in their learning, especially if learning virtually. If in a physical space, allow learners to have a say in the sound, visual, and technology aspects of the space when possible (MacKeracher, 2011).
Culture & Power Environment	Instructors should be introspective prior to approaching this subset of the environment. Being self-aware and prepared to be open with students allows for not only better understanding of the power at play in the moment but allows for the sharing of our cultural experiences to hopefully make it easier for someone else to share. By opening the door oneself, the potential for sharing will only increase.
Knowledge Environment	Similar to culture and power environment, providing an open and transparent environment will allow space for learners to openly explore. By allowing for an open space there is higher potential to understand the needs of the learners and address them in a natural way. Daily questions as an attempt to facilitate natural conversation and relationship building with acknowledgement of emotions in the environment could be an initial step to create this type of welcoming space.
‘Real-Life’ Environment	Really working to include learners in the lessons and provide them multiple opportunities to get involved in their learning can be beneficial here. Allowing for hands-on and practical experiences with lessons provide a better likelihood of utilizing the learned information in other contexts.

References

Colbert, P. J. (2010). Developing a culturally responsive classroom collaborative of faculty,

        students, and institution. Contemporary Issues in Education Research, 3(9),

         17-26. https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/mba_fac/1

Han, H., Moon, H., & Lee, H. (2019). Physical classroom environment affects students’

        satisfaction: Attitude and quality as mediators. Social Behavior and Personality, 47(5), 1-10. http://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2961

Kirschner, J. (2021). Transparency in online pedagogy: A critical analysis of changing

        modalities. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 76(4),

        439-447. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769582110022485

MacKeracher, D. (2004). Making sense of adult learning (2nd ed.). University of Toledo Press. 

Munoz, S. M. (2013). “I just can’t stand being like this anymore”: Dilemmas, stressors and

        motivators for undocumented Mexican women in higher education.

        Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 50(3), 233-249.

        https://doi.org/10.1515/jsarp-2013-0018

Lawson, K. (2016). The trainer’s handbook (4th ed.). John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 

Shadiev, R., Hwang, W. Y., & Huang, Y. M. (2017). Review of research on mobile

        language learning in authentic environments. Computer Assisted Language

        Learning, 30(3-4), 284-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2017.13083838