preferred+learning+environments

To measure the students preferences for their learning environment I use two separate survey techniques. One is a Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (developed at Curtin University by Barry Fraser, Darrell Fisher and Peter Taylor amongst others) that I used for my PhD studies at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre - I can't recommend them highly enough for post-grad studies.



The other is a Views About Teaching and Learning Survey that I borrowed from another student, I'll add her name when I can remember it, who developed it for her PhD studies at Curtin. I used it in mine to triangulate my CLES data, which was further crystallised by qualitative means (interview and observation mainly).



Both of these surveys have proved to be highly reliable over the years I have used them and the CLES has been thoroughly tested for use around the globe.

I'll add some ideas of how to use this information to enhance student's engagement with learning and to improve their outcomes when I get a chance - hopefully soon (5/11/08 - just to embarass myself into making those notes! - yes I finally got back on 11/12/09 - as I tell my students - successful people don't make excuses - they don't need to).

__Introduction __  My doctoral thesis concerned the use of constructivist epistemologies to improve the learning outcomes of students in middle school science. As part of that study I used two surveys to measure student preference for the classroom environment. One was the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and the other is a View about Teaching and Learning (VATAL) survey used to triangulate the data gained from the CLES.  The two surveys indicate what preferences the students have for aspects of the classroom environment and the teaching and learning process. They can also be used to measure the level of student satisfaction with the current environment.  __CLES __  Students respond to 30 statements collected into five scales. The five scales are: Scale 1 Personal Relevance This fist scale focuses on the connectedness of school activities to out of school experience and whether use is made of student experiences as a context for learning. Scale 2 Uncertainty This scale assesses the extent to which students are provided with opportunities to experience knowledge as evolutionary, non-foundational, culturally and socially determined and arising from theory dependent inquiry. Scale 3 Critical Voice The third scale examines the extent to which students feel empowered to question the teacher’s pedagogical plans and methods. Scale 4 Shared Control <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">This scale is concerned with students being invited to share control of the learning environment. Do they get the opportunity to articulate goals, design and management of activities and determine and apply assessment criteria. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Scale 5 Student Negotiation <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The final scales assesses the extent to which students have opportunity to discuss, explain, negotiate and reflect on the viability of their own and other students’ learning. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Individual student graphs for the five scales can be created and compared to a class average. I’ve been collecting CLES profiles since 1997 and students regularly respond in such a way as to suggest that they would like a classroom environment which seeks to achieve the five scales. However, interesting differences can be viewed between highly able and less able students in relation to particular aspects of the classroom environment. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">VATALS __ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The VATAL requires students to respond to 15 statements that are grouped into three scales. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Scale 1 Student Centred Learning <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The first scale asks students to rank their preference for tasks that require them to work independently. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Scale 2 Teacher Centred Learning <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">This scale asks students to rank their preference for tasks that have the teacher in control of the teaching and learning. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Scale 3 Working with other Students <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">The final scale asks students to rank their preference for tasks when they get to work with other students. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Individual student graphs for the three scales can be created and compared to a class average. Student’s usually report a balanced approach to their teaching and learning suggesting that they appreciate situations when the teacher takes control, situations when they have control and opportunities for working with other students. Interestingly, since we spend a lot of time working in groups, students often rank this scale as their least preferred. When one follows this up and talks with students, one tends to find that the highly able students resent working in groups as they feel they often have to complete the greater share of the work. Lesser able students often rank this scale higher as they appreciate the opportunity to work with people who understand what is required of the task. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> __<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Reflection __ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">As I am trying to work in a fashion that is inspired by critical constructivism and I attempt to share control of my classroom with my students, I find this information invaluable. However, I have learnt that one needs to follow up the surveys with individual or small group interviews to tease out the reasons certain responses are given. These interviews can be short and informal, or more formally conducted. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">This information is most valuable when one is open and honest about why one is collecting the information, discusses what the data means for a class with that class and then acts upon it when designing units of work and student tasks, with your students.