The Ideal Learning Environment

Teachers are divided over what approach they should adopt in a classroom. In the past classroom based learning was more teacher-centric whereas in progressive education the shift is towards the learner and hence learner- centric. It would be well to define what a learning environment is. The physical learning space provides a setting to students where they can stand outside the movement of time and space thereby observing the world fair and square. The idea behind such a setting is to use thought to understand the living experience and describe it accurately. It activates the flow of learning between the teacher and the students. It is not just an intellectual play but an emotional play as the teacher has to be able to control the classroom.

While this definition of a learning environment is taken for granted with due license given to the teacher towards classroom-coordination it puts pressure on some learners to digress from the topic of learning in hand and shift their attention towards matters extraneous to learning. Then as technology advanced, learning began to be perceived as a much more wholesome activity than previously conceived. Animation was not used to facilitate learning. Over time the utility value of animation has reached an all time high as children not only pay attention to ‘what’ is being taught but are also exposed to ‘how’ it is being taught. The importance of colours to enhance learning in children is given due emphasis in progressive education. Before, the concept of an ideal learning environment was largely ignored but as children are evolving to becoming more disce
ing they are more sensitive to their surroundings. Therefore the question of a learning environment can no longer be taken for granted. A learning environment can be defined as the setting that empowers learners to achieve learning experiences leading to well constructed knowledge structures.

The other challenge is to create in learners a questioning mindset as a natural flow rather than a class that has to be withstood. The difference that a learner- centric class can make is that intellectual play gets embedded in the emotional current that runs between teachers and students. This is important for children who respond to an amiable environment much more spontaneously than a dictatorial environment. Such children learn a lot more when they are given freedom to ask questions and experiment to discover what they need to learn. They respond very well to online tutoring as it is more learner-centric than the traditional classroom.