Commented on Carlynn Wood's (learning styles) and Krystal Zou's (physical learning) 

Environment and Context in Adult Learning

Laura A. Black

Ball State University

Course Title 635

September 20, 2013

Introduction

Caffarella and Merriam believe that the environment and context in learning can “create a set of learning and facilitating principles to help all adults become more effective learners regardless of their background and circumstances.”  Physical, cultural, power, knowledge, and ‘real-life’ are all environments that can help nurture adult learning.

The physical environment is exactly what it sounds like: anything affecting the physical comfort and well-being of both learners and facilitator. For example, the comfort and arrangement of chairs and tables plays a role in creating effective or ineffective learning environments. If you are uncomfortable in class, you will have a hard time focusing and participating. Instead, your body will be shifting and adjusting waiting for the moment you get to leave and sit somewhere padded chairs and tables that are designed for you (a.k.a. home).

Sound quality is a tricky element because it varies from facility to facility, but poor sound quality “can have a devastating effect on the social interactions that are essential to good learning”(MacKeracher, 189). If a learner cannot hear what is being said then he/she will give up, start sidebars with other classmates, or possibly go into silent mode. Additionally, a facilitator must be cognizant that learners can also be distracted by other sounds or be able to block out white noise completely. It is important to find a blend so that all learners can be successful.

Light and visual quality is important to the physical environment and includes features such as the texture and color of the walls, window hangings, floor coverings, and visual art on the wall. This is the Goldilocks syndrome again; too little visuals in a room can be depressing and unwelcoming, but too many visuals can be distracting. It is imperative to find the right balance.

Air quality is the last notch in physical environments, but learning can be ‘adversely affected by poor temperature control and poor air quality” (MacKeracher, 190). As a facilitator, it is imperative to be prepared for all situations and be able to adjust and modify at a moment’s notice. To support a positive physical environment make sure :

-the tables are big enough to encourage group collaboration

-chairs will support and comfort many different body shapes and sizes

-arrangement of furniture is welcoming and flows well

-microphones are working and other sound barriers are taken care of

-lighting is bright enough to see and can be adjusted for technology use

-temperature in the room is comfortable and air is clean

Above all, be prepared to change and adjust all of these elements if needed.

Cultural environment is perceived as the cultural and social expectations that control and direct how people relate and get work done.  Culture is a system of learned beliefs, values, assumptions, customs, languages, meanings, and behaviors shared with groups of individuals, and a guide for organizing the lives of group members (Barer-Stein, 2001). We integrate culture in family, community, workplace, religion, race, age, gender, language, and occupation into our reality therefore it becomes an existence in our minds. This is why “we may feel compelled to defend it, export it, or become distraught when others assess it unfavorably” (MacKeracher, 193).

There are many assumptions associated with cultural environment and adult learning. Marilyn Noble (2000) believes the invisible assumptions that accompany cultural beliefs lead to four major problems. For adults, the unknown differences and uncertainty can increase our stress and anxiety when we encounter cultures different from our own(MacKeracher, 193). The second problem is that we can sometimes use our personal model of reality to incorrectly interpret someone else’s behavior (Noble, 2000). Third, when we do not understand cultural differences between ourselves and others offense can be taken or given unknowingly to others. Fourth, differences between cultures are accompanied by power imbalances. Because culture is an invisible element that is always in learning environments, it is imperative to be aware of different cultures and how others may perceive your own culture.  Cultural assumptions can lead to a negative learning environment. Ramsey (MacKeracher, 195) believes that ‘becoming interculturally competent is a complex process. At its core, such competence calls for effective communication skills-listening actively, avoiding inappropriately projecting one’s model of reality onto others, and letting others be different.

Power environment is created when learners bring their culture, day-to-day responsibilities and current life problems into the classroom. Some students may hide behind these elements while others may use them as a platform, but either way, it creates learning context where power becomes crucial elements.  

Power elements can arise when positionality is used to describe an individual’s location within a shifting network of relationships defined primarily in terms of race, gender, and class (Maher & Tetrealut, 2001). Adults who occupy privileged positions may have no awareness of how their position affects or oppresses others. The entire matter of positionality calls on each member of a learning group to think critically about how behavior is affected on both visible and invisible privileges and oppression(MacKeracher, 197).  A facilitator should use his/her own positionality to analyze and encourage other members of the learning group to do the same. Analyzing another’s positionality without regard to your own can lead to blaming and bad feelings.

Knowledge environment in a classroom are comprised of the processes used to create and validate the knowledge generated by adult learners.  Harding believes that most adults would agree on the following characteristics of epistemologies:

a)      developed in response to observed occurrences in our natural world

b)       each is a local knowledge system

c)      Some are more powerful than others

d)     Each is based on the development of local resources, natural phenomena, and human interactions

e)      All knowledge systems have limitations

f)       Are political in nature

Only by listening carefully to the ideas brought forward from the margins will we come to understand the full range of natural phenomena and human interactions that might contribute to an adult education epistemology (MacKeracher, 201).

Real-life environment is based on the idea that learners learn best “by the activity, context, and culture in which it is developed and used” (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989).  In other words, being immersed in a situation is the best way to learn a new concept. By promoting collaborative activities among peers, providing coaches and mentors who observe learners as they carry out tasks, and provide opportunities for new initiatives and self-directed problem solving, adults are learning from experience and will be able to apply this new knowledge to their daily responsibilities and tasks.

Of all the environments, I think the cultural environment plays the biggest part in adult learning. Several theorists have shared the following ideas and assumptions about adult learning environments and contexts:

Susan Imel

Whose purpose should the learning serve? The individual or the group’s? Should the group foster the learning of the individuals or should the group as an entity learn? Imel believes that the root of education is still focused on Western civilization which puts the emphasis on individual learning. Drawing on these cultural traditions and other ideas about what constitutes good adult education; most adult education programs are built upon individual need (Imel, 56).

How a group interacts affects adult learning. For example, Imel references the power environment in adult learning stating that race and gender play significant roles in how a learner perceives the group. She mentions that is up to the facilitator to resolve possible conflicts by being supportive of individuals by helping resolve conflicts so that the group/individuals can get on with its task functions. Research suggests struggles individuals with less power are sometimes inhibited to make contributions and in some cases belittled or disregarded (Imel, 57).

Imel believes that the facilitator has control and influence over the group’s cultural awareness as well as possible power conflicts.

Marilyn Noble

Noble believes that the cultural context of a learning environment is what brings learners together. She stated, “cultural difference is sometimes such a subtle thing that we can walk right by it without seeing it. It leaps out at us if it comes packaged in different colored skin, ethnic dress or foreign speech cadences.” (Noble, 7)

In the knowledge environment, people remained in charge of whatever might occur between learners and facilitator – nothing would be done against their wishes or without their agreement, and no one would attempt to exert control over them. If the community members sat on couches and chairs, I sat on the floor in order to stay below their eye-level and avoid any hint of dominance. I took special care to avoid jargon or unfamiliar idioms (Noble, 8).

Noble believes her lessons are far from complete. She believes it is important to leave your assumptions at the door. Listen more than you talk – but be willing to share bits of your own story, too. Wear clothes that don’t draw attention. Be yourself. Let people know that they are valuable, worthwhile human beings. Give them room to nurture their hopes and dreams. Ask them what they need, and help them figure out how to get it. Cheer them on. Help them to handle setbacks. Be available for them. Be courageous. Laugh together. Cry together. Persist together. Grow together. Value one another. (Noble, 9).

Linda Zieghan

Zieghan believes that some concepts of adult education taught in the United States seem to reify core national values. As an example, self-directed learning is generally described as a process in which people take primary initiative for planning, carrying out, and evaluating their own learning experiences (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999). On the surface, such a construct appears thoroughly grounded in individualist cultural values like individual initiative and agency. However, recent theorists elaborating on self-direction have suggested greater roles for mentors and coaches (Grow 1994) and recognition that autonomy in learning does not preclude a valuing of interdependence, depending on the learning context (Nah 2000). A method born of one culture may be adaptable to another when relevant cultural differences are considered.

Zieghan asks how can teachers help learners appreciate the diversity in any classroom? Following are a few examples of culturally sensitive learning approaches that have the potential to foster inclusion:

The social construction of knowledge might be fostered through collaborative group learning, which emphasizes the process of listening to and respecting others, understanding alternative views, challenging and questioning others, negotiating ideas, and caring for group participants (Imel and Tisdell, 1996).

Teachers may want to provide structured guidance through learning experiences, a strategy that may be particularly useful for learners from cultures where hierarchy and expertise of the teacher are highly valued. Mentorships may serve as a bridge for culturally different students seeking comfort with dominant-culture teaching methods, especially if the teaching-learning interactions take place outside of class (Liang and McQueen 2000).

Students from other cultures may appreciate computer-assisted learning media, which allow them to share stories around personal and group cultural identities in an environment that may be perceived as more open and relaxed than the face-to-face classroom context (Coombs 1993). The online medium, which serves a variety of different purposes and audiences, is also helpful to non-English speakers seeking privacy and time to prepare away from real-time compressed communication (Liang and McQueen, 2000).

Although there are some general categories of difference between cultures, there are many ways that instruction can be designed or redesigned to become more culturally sensitive. Adult educators can start to become more sensitive to cultural difference in the classroom by first examining the cultural values that underlie their preferred methods of teaching. Diversifying teaching methods should be an interactive process with learners that enrich all of adult learning.

Nancy Maresh

Maresh states that children learn, as they absorb the entire experience, including feelings. Thus, the whole context, as well as the content, is learned. Context is the entire physical, social, and emotional place in which learning takes place. Learners need a safe and supportive physical environment, an emotionally rich social environment, and in intellectual framework where connections between old and new information can flourish (Hall,22).

Maresh suggests that the most effective unifying force for creating the ultimate learning context is through metaphor.  Because metaphors “are intrinsic to the construction of new knowledge and lie at the heart of the creation of meaning.” For example:  time is money, love is war, life is just a bowl of cherries, etc. Learning by metaphor gives learners a base of knowledge they can connect between a new concept and a past experience. The concept is then clarified and the mind is encouraged to explore it further. Metaphor becomes a means to effectively engage all the systems of the brain and, in doing so, creates a dynamic context for learning.

When a metaphor fits, everything else seems to fall into place. Additionally, an effective metaphor can provide and introduce a multitude of comparisons between a common experience and the subject matter being taught. (Hall,24)

The fastest learning with the best retention occurs in a sensory-rich metaphoric learning context in which the learner is engaged and relationships are built and reinforced. The most effective trainers make sure that the participants fully connect with themselves and with others, taking complete responsibility for their own and others’ learning(Hall,25).

Implications

After reviewing several different theories and articles, it is important to know how to use these theories in practice. Many theorists and experts believe the following suggestions will help as you transition into the role of adult learning facilitator:

Physical environment:

-arrange tables and chairs in a design that is conducive to your facilitating needs

-check sound and light equipment beforehand to ensure ALL learners will be able to hear you as well as see any visuals being used

-ensure temperature in facility is conducive for learning

-use technology that appeals to more than one learning style

Cultural environment:

-use effective communication skills (listening activity, letting others by different (Ramsey, 1996).

-managing emotional responses to new experiences

Power environment:

-facilitator should analyze and confront power-related incidents by calling attention to power dynamics when they arise

Knowledge environment:

-facilitator should listen carefully to the ideas brought forward by all learners (and not dismiss any ideas)

Real-life environment:

-telling stories to make connections to a new situation

-reflecting during learning activities

-promoting collaborative activities among peers

-providing opportunities to engage in practice

-use technology to stimulate learning

Conclusion

Most educational studies focus on how the individual learns, but research suggests that environment is a huge factor in how this learning process is affected. The learning environment encompasses not only the physical, but the power, knowledge, culture, and real-life of the learning process. Many theories, implications, and ideas have been shared, but the focus remains on thinking critically about learning environments and context so that learners can be effective.

	Main themes/ ideas in the literature	Application of the main ideas in practice
Idea 1	Environments must be conducive to all learners	Prepare to reorganize the room and ensure quality physical resources are available (temperature systems, sounds, visuals, furniture)
Idea 2	Cultural environments are major factor of creating positive/negative learning environments	use effective communication skills (listening activity, letting others by different)
Idea 3	Power environments can be controlled by facilitator	facilitator should analyze and confront power-related incidents by calling attention to power dynamics when they arise
Idea 4	Creating a context for learning	Make connections with learners to create real-life applications

References

Imel, S. (1999). Using groups in adult learning: Theory and practice. Journal of Continuing Education in

                the Health Professions, 19, 54-61.

Imel, S., and Tisdell, E. "The Relationship between Theories about Groups and Adult Learning Groups." In

LEARNING IN GROUPS. NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, no. 71, edited by S. Imel, pp. 15-24. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996.

Liang, A., and McQueen, R. J. "Computer Assisted Adult Interactive Learning in a Multi-Cultural

 Environment." ADULT LEARNING 11, no. 1 (Fall 1999): 26-29.

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

Merriam, S. B., and Caffarella, R. S. LEARNING IN ADULTHOOD: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE. 2D ED. San

                 Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Noble, M. (1999). Learning to lead from the middle: An apprenticeship in diversity . Adult Learning,

                "Learning Across Cultures" , 11(1), 6-9.

Piskurich, G., Beckschi, P., & Hall, B. (2000). The astd handbook of training design and delivery. (pp. 3-

                27). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ziegahn, L. (2001). Considering culture in the selection of teaching approaches for adults. ERIC

                Clearinghouse on Adult Career and Vocational Education,