Learning Environment approach and Network Building in Education

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Learning Environment approach and Network
Building in Education
Promoting Innovation and Creativity Schools'
Response to the Challenges of Future
SocietiesWorkshop 1 Partnership and networking
for creativity and innovation

• Dr. Jyri Manninen
• Professor, Director of Research
• University of Helsinki University of Joensuu,
  Finland

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Key message
Traditional curriculum based approach (David
Istance standard/traditional models of schooling)
maintain individualistic work practices in
schools, and discourages networking with wider
society.
Modern Learning Environment approach (David
Istance modern, innovative directions of
schooling)
encourage team work practices in schools, and
require networking and cooperation with wider
society.
Manninen, J., Burman, A., Koivunen, A.,
Kuittinen, E., Luukannel, S., Passi, S. Särkkä,
H. 2007. Environments that support learning.
Introduction to Learning Environments approach.
Helsinki National Board of Education
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Use of term Learning environment

• 1. Learning environment as a pedagogical model
  guiding the planning of teaching and education
• 2. Learning environment as a way of thinking
• 3. Learning environment as a fashionable term
• New learning environment, Open, Digital

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Differences

• Curriculum approach
• teacher directed
• focus on teaching
• curriculum based
• delivery of information
• individualistic work practices (teacher class)
• school as a closed organisation
• working alone

• Learning Environment approach
• collaborative
• focus on learning
• problem based
• construction of knowledge
• team work practices (team of teachers
  partners)
• interaction with school and society
• networking

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Case Helsinki Museum of technology as part of a
learning path

• own tailormade project based learning paths for
  schools
• for example Amazing innovations theme
• preparatory work at school ? museum visit
  (learning tasks, games, collaborative work) ?
  conclusions, sharing of knowledge

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Case Helsinki Museum of technology as part of a
learning path (2)

• Learning paths planned in cooperation with
  various actors
• teachers
• museum specialist
• museum pedagogy specialist
• representatives from business industry
• university department

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Network / Planning team
Business industry designers
Museum of technology museum specialist museum
pedagogy specialist
Schools teachers
University researcher
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BACKGROUNDFive perspectives on Learning
Environments

• Manninen, J., Burman, A., Koivunen, A.,
  Kuittinen, E., Luukannel, S., Passi, S. Särkkä,
  H. 2007. Environments that support learning.
  Introduction to Learning Environments approach.
  Helsinki National Board of Education

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• Why Learning Environment approach is a relevant
  theme?
• Why new book on Learning Environments is needed?
• What is the (new?) message?

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Some definitions

• The learning environment refers to the entirety
  of the learningrelated physical environment,
  psychological factors and social relationships.
  In this setting study and learning take place.
• (Finnish National Core Curriculum for Basic
  Education 2004, p. 16).
• "A learning environment is a place or community
  where people can draw upon resources to make
  sense out of things and construct meaningful
  solutions to problems"
• Wilson, B. (ed.) (1996) Constructivist Learning
  Environments Case Studies in Instructional
  Design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Educational
  Technology Publications.

Is traditional teacher centred classroom a
learning environment?
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Traditional Teaching Studying Learning
process (Uljens 1997)
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Learning process in a web-based learning
environment
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Why new book on Learning Environments is needed?

• Learning Environment is a central and commonly
  used, but very fuzzy concept
• ? concrete definitions needed to clarify
  discussion
• LE metaphor commonly used as framework for
  development work
• ? deeper understanding about the nature of
  Learning Environments is needed

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Why new book on Learning Environments is needed?

• Literature on Learning Environments is widely
  available but fragmented, focusing on single
  narrow themes
• ? comprehensive analysis of the whole phenomena
  is needed
• Literature also fragmented according to age of
  the learners, school level and formal informal
  dimension
• ? comprehensive approach covering all ages from
  pre-school to adult learners

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Why new book on Learning Environments is needed?

• LE have different meanings for different people
  (eg. architect a building, ICT-teacher Web
  based learning environment)
• ? common language and understanding of different
  meanings is needed
• ? helps to discuss over language barriers
• Theoretical background of LEs is seldom
  discussed, or simply linked to constructivism
• ? a deeper analysis of learning theories behind
  learning environments is needed

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Group?
Building?
Didactic
Social
Physical
Technical
Local
Web?
Museum?
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Five perspectives on Learning Environments

• Physical
• LE as a space and a building
• architecture or space planning/design
• Social
• LE as human interaction
• social psychology, group Processes and
  communication
• Technological
• LE based on educational use of ICTs
• Information ciences
• Local
• LE as places and areas outside school, such as
  the real world, places of work, the
  countryside, the city
• Museum pedagogy, Outdoor pedagogy, Learning
  Organizations
• Didactic
• LE as an environment that supports learning
• didactic and pedagogic models