Reflections On Session 4

• 3 Questions were posed. Q1. - Any follow- up after research findings Q2. Any collaboration between NIE and school Q3. Different Learning styles
• Action - research
• Some features of the learning environment
• SLCEQ - as instrument used on student support, affiliation, Professional Interest, Achievement Orientation and staff freedom
• group work - Some key factors of the research on school A , Positive and negative findings and Recommendations
• Cronbach's Alpha - test reliability
• WIHIC - Student's preferred and actual forms.

Reflections on Session 3 - 3/12

• Key terms associated with learning Environment.

- Student needs

- Perceptions of environment

- School Culture

- Human Behaviour

- School Environment

- Classroom Environment

- Psychosocial

- Gender differences

- Assessment

- Attitude

- Cognitive Development

- Community

• What and how to assess?
• http://docs.google.com/Present?docid=dhhf7zkk_60ttczhk
• Visited copernic.com to do research in groups about the 'giants' who contributed to LE - Murray ( needs press mode), Lewin,Leary,Walberg, Moos, Fraser and Fisher
• The different instruments to measure LE - MCI,SLEI, E- learning,
• WIHIC,QTI being the most efective ones - incorporates Moo's schema -
• Moo's Schema - 3 dimensions:
• 1. relationship, 2. Personal development 3. System Maintenance and Change
• Viewed videos on the different learning styles -tr - centered, student - centered , use of roleplay, casestudy and tr as facilitator, tr led discussions and socratic questioning
• Online survey of student and teacher - Actual vs preferred forms

New Learning Environments: The case of problem based learning

6 fundamental characteristics have been identified in the case of problem - based learning. Learning 1. perceived as student centered 2. is in small student groups 3. is under the guidance of a tutor 4. is taking place with the tutor as a facilitator or guide 5. is encountered with real-life problems and challenges 5. acts as a tool to acquire problem - solving skills to solve problems 6. transforms into self-directed learning to access new information.
The learning environment is constantly reshaping its landscape. The above is particularly relevant to a new learning environment that is taking its form in a new initiative which my school has undertaken for this year.
A group of 23 Sec 3 students have embarked on a new project, Regional CIP to Chiangmai in Thailand. The learning experience in a new environment has not only shaped their personalities with the qualities of resilience and persistence but also contributed significantly to social and emotional learning.
The students have to stay in a village near a hill top to experience this new learning environment. While at their stay there, they were involved in mural paintings and in planning and teaching their lessons to some children. Furthermore, the students were taken care by some native folks for their homestay. In the homestay, the students were to fend for themselves in terms of cooking their own meals, and handwashing one's own clothes. On top of that, they helped the villagers to clean the corns as well.
Next year, a different group of students(as mentioned by the teacher in charge) will embark with the task of building a small water tank.
The feedback gathered from the students has been very promising and encouraging as students have not only learnt to respond positively to authentic real- life challenges but also learnt to equip themselves with the necessary skills, knowledge, attitudes and values which are pertinent to life skills.

New Learning Environments and Constructivism

In the learning environment, the learner is constantly constructing knowledge. One of the views of the research is that 'even in teaching situations, such as drill and practice, students are constructing knowledge'. With reference to language teaching and learning, drill and practice may be dull and monotonous, but the learner is seen to construct knowledge 'because that is the way the mind simply operates.' As a MT language teacher, I find drill and practice effective with weaker classes. Drill and practice in terms of weekly short assessments have helped to produce good 'O' level results especially with students who have little language acquisition. Drill and practice could be made effective if it's varied.