Session 4 - 28 Nov

Today's learning points were from sharing and lecture on:-

1.why modify and how to modify existing learning environment validated instruments;

2. examining a conference paper on items modified;

3. case study analysis by different groups based on School Climate Environment Questionnaire (SLCEQ) on whether the schools are effectiveness

4. APERA conference paper on how Marsiling Sec Sch's D&T Dept. created different learning environments to engage their pupils.

1. The key learning points are validated instruments are cross-checked across different scenarios and iterations done to verify the validity of the instruments. Therefore, there is minimal need to reinvent the wheel and invent another totally different instrument. Hence, the focus was on modifications based on the target audience and context of the environment.

In example 1 of the constructivist instrument, the discussion narrowed done the wordings used the the items. Words such as 'complain' sounded negative and the word 'clarify' would enable the statement to be more positively worded. Another item statement of 'It is OK for me to speak up for my rights.' should be cancelled because of the context of the questionnaire, which is in an Asian context.

 

Reflection 1: I agree that various validated instruments have to be carefully considered before surveying on the respondents. The target audience's age, language ability and contextual situation are important factors to determine whether the instrument is suitable. Moreover, since validated instruments have been iterated, if there is a need to administer a survey, we could have considered the various instruments and choose one which is suitable. Modifying and customising the items would enable the results to be useful for further investigate and follow-up actions.

 

2. In the paper 'Validation of An instrument to Monitor My Students' Face-toFace Philosophy 'Communities of Iniquity' by Yip Meng Fai and Quek Choon Lang, the development and validation of a modified version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was done. The data analysis generally supported each scale's factor structure, alpha reliability, discriminant validity and ability to differentiate between classrooms. Discussion surrounded the modifications of a couple of items and the dropping of two scales and the addition of a 'Response' scale adapted from the scale of "Web-based Learning Environment Instrument' (WBLEI) (Chang & Fraser, 2003).

 

Reflection 2: I can see the relevance of modifying the instrument from this particular research paper. Selected wording and Scales were changed and removed in the context (In an Asian environment). It is clearly seen that modification was needed from the original Classroom Learning Environment Survey (CLES). From this paper, I learned that close examinable of each validated instrument is essential to use it for the right purpose and to obtain accurate and useful results.

 

3. Effectiveness of three anonymous schools (two are value-added schools) have been discussed. The basis of discussion was mainly based on the School Climate Environment Learning Questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of nine dimensions namely Student support, Affiliation, Professional Development, Achievement orientation, Staff freedom, Participatory decision making, Innovation resource adequacy and Work pressure.

 

Conducive areas:-

• good discipline in students
• good collegiality among staff
• strong leadership
• considerable structure
• emphasis on balanced development of students
• high commitment level of teachers
• opportunities for staff freedom and participatory decision-making

Non-conducive areas:-

• heavy workload
• high work pressure
• poor academic quality of students
• lack of motivations of students
• not enough autonomy for teachers
• over emphasis on academic achievement
• too much government initiatives

In the three schools discussed, all have areas which are conducive and non-conducive.

Reflection 3: The case studies have detailed write-ups on the school culture and climate and transcripts from interviews with teachers and HODs. For such a survey, the importance of quantitative and qualitative results is clear. Perceptions of the teachers shaped the results of the survey. From my own experience, schools with strong discipline culture tend to do well academically. Therefore, the School Excellence Model (SEM) is a platform for schools to self-examine the processes in place and to focus on the strength and weakness and to work to improve the processes. The learning environment is important for the student to grow up holistically and for the teachers to be more professional in their outlook. Schools need to be more outward looking and be ready to embrace the new changes happening around. Being adaptable and resilient to changes which help the student to thrive in the rapidly changing environment. Hence, the role of a teacher and the school is to create a learning environment for every child to learn at his/her own pace and to become the best that they can be.

4. Learning Environments created by the D&T department were shown in the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Approach, Knowledge-based Community (KC) and the redesign of the new D&T workrooms(integrated with computers and workbenches). Scaffolding in the KC helped to provide the support in terms of questions that students can post to each other.

Reflection 4: After the rich sharing, I learned that changes can be made if one people starts and move a small group to be committed to the course of action. The areas of PBLs and KCs have been around for a while. However, the implementation across schools seems to be in a more 'ad-hoc' basis. In spending the time to draft and refine the processes, the benefits of creating newer form of learning environment are important. I have experienced the joy and excitement that the presenters brought with them as they present the higher level of engagement in the students who have gone through the PBL and KC journeys.

Link to PBL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_Based_Learning

Link to KC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_community

Online Discussion Article : http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet24/cheong.pdf

Session 3 - 27 Nov

There are some useful links for future use as follows:-

1. http://www.springerlink.com.libproxy.nie.edu.sg/content/102953/ - learning environments journal

2. http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/ - free journals

3. http://www.sciencedirect.com/ – free journals

Today's lesson started off with the short lecture by Dr Quek on the subject:-

How to differentiate the different articles? Journal, Conference papers?

How do we start reading the paper? Dr Quek advised reading the introduction and the conclusion first and decide whether to continue reading. Dr Quek also recommend Scott Walker and reading conference paper which are more readable. Highlighting key words in each articule would help to in the focus on the key concepts shared. Later on, she shared on famous writer on learning environmens. There is a trend in learning environment (LE) researchers to move form generic to specific areas. There is also a move to customization to qualitative studies (move from quantitative to qualitative studies)

Reflection 1: The sharing by Dr Quek has provided a clearer perspective on how to choose more readable papers. Choosing papers that are of interest to the reader is important to save precious time. As educators, we need to be in tune with the latest developments in the field of educational research. Being in the know of T&L strategies that would enhance the level of engagement in the pupils is favourable to both the teachers and other stakeholders.

Learning Environment (LE)

In the LE there is :-

i. Physical (seating arrangement, noise level, space provision for movement and work, ventilation and resource provision) – e.g. infrastructure

ii. Students (working in groups/individually, students' behavior towards each other, group size and composition, student concentration) – e.g. racial mix

iii. Social (teacher's mode of instruction, teacher's acceptance/rejection, types of educational tasks required, type of activities) - e.g. use group survey to obtain feedback

Tools of assessment used

WHIHIC (latest instrument used)

i. Four-points lekert scale

ii. Preferred Form vs Actual Form

iii. Student Cohesiveness, Teacher Support, Involvement, Investigation, Task Orientation, Cooperation, Equity

iv. 20 items

v. Comparison of preferred and actual form scoresvi. Audience (flexible – any age group)

Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI)

i. Developed by Dutch researcher

ii. Five-point lekert scale

iii. Leadership, Helping/Friendly/Understanding, Uncertain, Dissatisfied, Admonishing, Strict

iv. More balanced view (students’ feedback and peers’ perception)

v. Audience: For primary and secondary students

How do we pick Instruments?

i. Target Audience (age group and academic ability)

ii. Design (no. of scales, no. of items)

iii. Moo's Scheme (focus on system processes in place) – Relationship dimensions, personal development dimensions, system maintenance and change dimensions

iv. Relationship - Extent of people's involvement ands support for each other

v. Personal development – direction along which personal growth and enhancement occur

vi. System maintenance and system change – extent of which the environment is orderly

Reflection 3: After learning about the three aspects of the learning environments, it becomes clearer to me about why tools of assessment of LE were drafted, produced and refined to suit the profile and understanding ability of the group under study.

Group Presentation on instruments developed by Moos, Walberg and Lewin and Wulbel
http://www.moos-moos.wetpaint.com/ - Moos
http://www.kurtlewin.wetpaint.com/ - Lewin
http://www.med858group4.wetpaint.com/ - Walberg

Reflection 1 on Article: Learning Environments Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Barry Fraser

Learning Environments Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Barry Fraser of Curtin University of Technology, Australia

There is availability of a wide variety of economical, valid and widely applicable questionnaires that have been developed for assessing the students' perceptions of classroom environment (Fraser, 1998b). These questionnaires have been cross-validated for use in several Asian countries.

Instruments for Assessing Classroom Environment

There are four commonly used instruments that have been in Asia. They are Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI), Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and What is Happening In This Class? (WIHIC).

Historically, some questionnaires were development in the late 1960s. Learning Environment Inventory (LEI) began in conjunction with evaluation and research related to Harvard Project Physics (Walberg & Anderson, 1968) The Classroom Environment Scale (CES) (Moos & Trickett, 1987) grew out of a comprehensive program of research involving psychiatric hospitals, prisons, hospitals. (Moos, 1974)

QTI - Research focuses on the nature and quality of interpersonal relationships between teachers and students (Wubbels & Brekelmans, 1998; Wubbels & Levy, 1993). It was drawn from a theoretical model of proximity (cooperation-opposition) and influence (dominance-submission). QTI was developed to assess student's perceptions of eight behavioural aspects, The QTI has been used in a few large-scale studies in Asia. Moreover, QTI has been cross-validated and has been used in Singapore context as provided by Quek, Fraser and Wong's 2001 study. The validity and usefulness of QTI has been supported as the study in Singapore has shown.

SLEI - Assessment of the environment of Science Laboratory Classes at the senior high school or higher education levels. (Fraser, Giddings & McRobbie, 1995)

CLES - Developed to assess the degree to which a particular classroom environment is consistent with a constructivist epistemology, and to assist teachers to reflect on their epistemological assumptions and reshape their teaching practice. (Taylor, Fraser & Fisher, 1997)

WIHIC - Combines modified versions of salient scales from a wide range of existing questionnaires with additional scales that accomodate contemporary educational concerns (e.g. equity and constructivism). Even though it is new, it has been widely used in Asia context. It has been translated into several Asian languages and cross-validated. The English version of WIHIC in Singapore by Fraser and Chionh (2000) reported a strong validity and reliability for both an actual and a preferred form of the WIHIC.

From the paper, research has shown the associations between student outcomes and the learning environment. There are differences between student and teacher perceptions of actual and preferred environments. Determinants of classroom environment in Asia has been frequently tested on student gender. Comparisons of student's perceptions reveal that females typically have positive views of their classroom learning environments as compared to the males students.

Reflection: The paper has described in detailed the various instruments for assessing the learning environment. The key question that I asked as I read through the article is why are there so many questionnaires designed? It was after reading through the articles and listening to the short lectures by Dr Quek that I realised that instruments are validated over time and different groups of participants and used in different context and age group and for various purposes. Looking at how much time and effort has been spent to design the instruments and testing for their validity and reliability has provided greater insights to how high the researchers have regarded their work. Therefore, unless it is absolutely necessary, the instruments are already useful to obtain the results for the purposes need, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel and invent a very new instrument.

Session 3 - 25 Nov

Today, the main learning points (take away) from the session includes the following:-

1. Discussion of podcast on the topic of 'Learning Environment' by Dr Quek and presentation

2. Sharing by various groups on the 'Design of the Learning Environments' by Bransford

3. The sharing platform of WIKI (www.wetpaint.com) for doing group research on famous researchers in the field of learning environment

1. Discussion of podcast (Learning Environment)

The key concepts of perception, school climate, school culture, classroom learning environment and school learning environment were discussed. Human behaviour reflects attitude, sense of acceptance and the ability to build positive relationships. In schools, the link between perceptions and learning outcome cannot be denied. In the Map of 'Inter-relationships between Lewinan's formula and Murray's needs-press model, the links between the person, personal needs human behaviour, learning environment and participants are shown.The learning environment is congruent with the person and vice versa. One cannot lack the other. Moreover, the person has personal needs which affect the human behaviour. The learning environment determines the human behaviour and the person determines the human behaviour as well. As for the needs-press portion, there are two types of participants. One is the detached observer which assesses and exerts the Alpha press on the learning environment. The other is the Beta press (a group of people in the school) who assess and exert on the learning environment.

2. Sharing by various groups on the 'Design of the Learning Environments' by Bransford

Design of learning environment can be seen from four perspectives namely, the degree in which the environments are leaner-centred, knowledge-centred, assessement centred and community-centred.

What does it mean for a learning environment to be learner centred? There has to be close attention paid to the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs that learners bring to the environment. · There has to be teaching practices that have been called “culturally appropriate, compatible and relevant.
· The term diagnostic teaching comes into play, which is to discover what students think in relation to the problems on hand, discussing their misconceptions and providing the students the situations to think about their ideas.

What are the examples in the local context?

In local context, the use of cooperative learning strategies are common in learner-centred classrooms, whereby students are given the time and the space to construct their own knowledge. There have been streaming exercises held every 6 years and 4 years of main stream schools for schools to assess the students’ ability in the cognitive aspects.

What are the constraints?

The need for time to complete the syllabus and the summative assessment modes affects the way the teachers deliver the lesson.

What does it mean for a learning environment to be knowledge-centred?

— Provides context/subject matter for learning skills

— Leads to understanding and subsequent transfer and development

— Focuses on kinds of information and activities to bring about sense-making

— Approach: ‘Progressive Formalization’ – Informal ideas can be transformed and formalized

What are the examples in the local context?

— Surface and address of prior knowledge before new learning takes place
— Learning resources (e.g. Textbooks and lesson notes) provided
— Subject-related posters in classrooms
— Display of students’ work

What are the constraints?

— Striking a balance between learner-centred and knowledge-centred environments
— Knowledge-centred environment tends to disconnect the different disciplines. (specialised areas)
— Impedes the holistic development of the learner. (too focus on content acquisition and lacking on soft skills)

What does it mean for a learning environment to be assessment-centred?

· Should provide opportunities for feedback and revision and what is assessed must be congruent with one’s learning goals

· Formative assessment (students’ thinking made visible and feedback provided

. Focus on learning with understanding and not mere memory work for procedures or facts)

· Feedback to occur continuously.

What are the examples in the local context?

· The use of white-boarding in schools to allow pupils to vocalize their thinking process, teachers provide feedback accordingly.

· The use of rubrics for pupils to self-assess their own progress

What are the constraints?

· Time constraints in providing quality feedback to every pupil.

What does it mean for a learning environment to be community-centred?

· The norms of the society for people to learn from each other.

· Social norms that value the search for understanding and allow students.

· Connecting the school with outside activities

· Connecting the school with the families

What are the examples in the local context?

· Association with Parent Support Groups (PSG) and Alumni Associations and outreaches from the Beyond Social Services (BSS) and National Enviroment Agency (NEA) on joint-projects and Community Centres

What are the constraints?

Not that I can think of.

3. The sharing platform of WIKI (www.wetpaint.com) for doing group research on famous researchers in the field of learning environment

Each group is assigned a researcher to research on. Dr Quek showed the website wetpaint which is a platform for group discussions to occur and each member can contribute his/her ideas in the website.

Our group is tasked to research on Walberg and our weblink is http://walberggroup4.wetpaint.com/

Found this video in YouTube on how classroom learning has changed.

Session 2 - 19 Nov

Read through the articles today. There were two articles on the tools of assessing the various classroom environment climate. Quite heavy reading stuff as there were lots of statistics and explanations on the tools used for different purposes. I decided to look through the pdf articles and happened to chance on the link to an idea of the 'classroom of the future' @ http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/Designing_21st_Century_Classroom.htm

The learning environment ideally is to be:-

1. inspirational

2. adaptable

3. sustainable

4. fresh

5. safe

6. flexible

7. ICT enabled

8. fun

9. delightful

10. growing

11. natural

The question is how to ensure that the learning environment is physically , socially and psychological safe for the students in the class.

Session 1 and 2 (17 and 18 Nov)

17 Nov



It was a long journey from to NIE. On reaching Blk 2, happened to see Ai Rong across the block and realised that she had no idea where ECL 3 is. She looked lost and was relieved to see a familiar face. We went about to search for the venue and finally found the location.



On entering the venue, we realised that MEd 858 is not the usual type of module that we have taken earlier but is ICT-related in some sense. The course co0rdinator, Dr Quek introduced the course and led on on the hands-on portion on accessing the 'Lesson Box' and the creation of a blog. As I had some prior experience in creating a blog due to a practice of writing weekly reflection journal on my teaching portfolio, I went on to explore other functions in the blog.



Later on, as my course mates created their blogs, I linked their blog addresses so as to enable the reading of their blog in the near future.



The reading materials distributed looked intimidating.

It would be wise to devote much time to read before writing the reflection for the articles and to do reflections on the readings.



18 Nov



I attended a whole day of staff seminar today. I will post my reflections of the readings tomorrow, 19 Nov. I need time to amend the work review forms , LNA and PPCR forms.