1. Learning Environments

2. Aims
To recognise some of the key features of excellent learning environments. 
To consider how excellent learning environments might be developed in the school. 
To agree action that would help to create excellent learning environments. 

3. Activity 2: Group discussion
What is ‘learning’? How might you define or describe learning? 
What makes a learning environment excellent?

4. Activity 3: Learning and pedagogy - video
Questions
What are the main messages emerging from this film?
What changes to the nature of learning and teaching seem to be emerging? 
To what extent do these developments reflect what’s happening in our school?

5. Activity 3: Summary of key points
Excellent learning is at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence. 
One of the key challenges is transforming the new curriculum framework into effective, lived experiences for young people.
Curriculum for Excellence places emphasis on making learning more active and engaging for the children and young people.
Excellent learning environments feature a variety of approaches to learning and teaching. 

6. Activity 3: Summary of key points (continued)
Interdisciplinary learning is a prominent feature of excellent learning environments. 
The role of the teacher is changing as children become more empowered and self-directed in their learning.  
There is little new in any of these teaching and learning strategies – many teachers have already made use of these approaches. 
Curriculum for Excellence is less about what teachers teach and more about how children learn.

7. Activity 4: Perspectives on learning - videos
What are the main ideas emerging from this these films? 
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the views presented? 
To what extent do these developments reflect what’s happening in our school? 

8. Activity 4: Key points
The ethos of the classroom is more important than school ethos. 
It is the teacher’s role to create an ethos where learning is more likely to happen.
Excellent learning environments feature a variety of approaches to learning and teaching. 
Excellent learning environments engage children learning and give them more autonomy in what and how they learn. 
Learning is contingent – ie, during the learning process teachers find out what children know and understand and adjust future teaching and learning accordingly.

9. Activity 5: Task
Working in groups, compile a list what you consider to be key features of an excellent learning environment. Such a list might cover, for example:
The kinds of teaching approaches 
The kinds of learning that young people experience 
The nature of tasks and activities 
Factors relating to the ethos of the classroom

10. Activity 5: Task
Is it possible to identify features that were commonly highlighted amongst the different discussion groups?
Which were the most frequently identified features? 
Is it possible to identify a feature that might be considered to be the most critical? If so, why is this feature so important? 
From the various responses, is it possible to derive an overall picture of what might be considered an excellent learning environment?

11. Activity 6: Active learning approaches
Pupils are active in their learning
Learning is frequently based on real-life contexts
Tasks and activities promote thinking skills
Classroom work promotes creativity and imagination
Frequent and varied use of ICT and digital media
Assessment for Learning techniques are embedded
Teachers employ varied questioning techniques
Learners are involved in self and peer assessment
Learners collaborate - partner, group and team activities
Work promotes independent and self-directed learning

12. Activity 6: Active learning approaches
Classroom work promotes investigative and discovery learning
Resources for learning are varied and stimulating
Classroom work develops skills in literacy and numeracy
Teachers/learner dialogue is regular and meaningful
Tasks are rich – involving different curricular areas or subjects
Approaches to assessment are varied and formative
Learning experiences help pupils develop skills for work
Pupils have a meaningful say in what and how they learn
Learners are encouraged to develop metacognitive skills
Pace, challenge and risk meets the needs of all learners

13. 1 Active learning
This covers a wide range of learning strategies but the essence is that pupils are not listening passively to the teacher, copying from the board or processing worksheets. Pupils are meaningfully engaged in the learning process, the classroom work is pupil-centred and requires learners to be active participants in that process.  

14. 2 Real-life contexts
Tasks and activities are frequently based upon contexts for learning that are real and meaningful in the lives of children and young people.  

15. 3 Thinking skills
Tasks and activities develop different thinking skills including analysis, problem solving, critical thinking, evaluation and creative thinking.  

16. 4 Creativity and imagination
The nature of tasks and activities promotes creative thinking in pupils. Learners are encouraged to think outside the box and develop imaginative responses to problems and challenges.  

17. 5 ICT and digital media
This covers a wide range of technologies that might be used as part of the learning process including the Internet, computer software, games-based learning, podcasting, using video and other creative technologies. It would not include, to the same extent, the routine use of technology such as pupils observing whiteboard activities or word processing. The use of ICT and digital technology has to be integral to and meaningful within the learning process.

18. 6 Assessment for Learning
Key Assessment for Learning strategies include sharing learning intentions, developing success criteria with pupils, getting feedback on how and what children are learning and using this information to adapt and plan next steps in learning.

19. 7 Questioning techniques
Teachers employ varied techniques such as open questions, wait time, taking questions around the class, questions that require analytical, evaluative and critical responses.

20. 8 Self and peer assessment
These forms of assessment are powerful devices if used effectively within the learning process. This might include traffic lighting, learning logs, two stars and a wish and a range of other techniques which enable pupils to reflect on and evaluate their learning.

21. 9 Collaborative learning
There are regular and meaningful opportunities for pupils to learn with others. This might include working with partners, learning as part of a group and undertaking cooperative learning tasks.

22. 10 Independent and self-directed learning
Pupils are given tasks and activities that help them to take responsibility for their own learning. This would include encouraging pupils to determine learning outcomes for themselves, set targets and determine the approaches to learning and the resources used in the learning process.

23. 11 Investigation and discovery
The tasks and activities undertaken provide pupils with regular opportunities for research, investigation, discovery learning and finding things out for themselves.

24. 12 Learning resources
The resources used for learning are varied and stimulating. They cater for a range of different learning styles and preferences and they promote active learning.

25. 13 Literacy and numeracy
One of the objectives within Curriculum for Excellence is that all teachers have the responsibility of developing literacy and numeracy skills. The planning of projects, topics, and programmes of work should incorporate experiences and outcomes drawn from Language & Literacy and Mathematics & Numeracy.

26. 14 Dialogue
There should be regular and meaningful dialogue between teachers and learners. This includes opportunities for pupils to give formal and informal feedback on the nature, quality and effectiveness of their learning experiences.

27. 15 Rich tasks
Rich tasks generally feature a variety of approaches to learning and teaching, but their overarching feature is that they are interdisciplinary by design. This typically involves themes or topics that draw from a range of different curricular areas or subject disciplines.

28. 16 Assessment approaches
A range of approaches to assessment. In addition to summative tests and exams, assessment techniques might include comment-only marking, open-book assessments, self and peer assessment techniques and the use of technologies such as video.

29. 17 Skills for work
Learning experiences include for example, visiting speakers, study visits, education for work activities and partnership projects with employers.

30. 18 Empowering learners
This covers a wide range of aspects and approaches but the essence of it is that pupils have a meaningful say in what and how they learn. They are given and take a significant level of responsibility for planning and directing their learning.

31. 19 Metacognition
Learners are encouraged think about and evaluate their learning. Teachers promote metacognitive skills in young people and foster a language for learning – ie, a vocabulary and terminology that enables all stakeholders to reflect upon learning and teaching experiences with the aim of creating more effective learners.

32. 20 Pace, challenge and risk
The tasks and activities undertaken by pupils have an adequate level of pace, challenge and risk. Learning tasks are based on the unknown rather than the known, uncertainty rather than certainty, and challenging pupils to work outside their comfort zones and take risks in their learning.