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Innovative Learning Environments

By Pelin Gürel

Boğaziçi University

Sced48g- Designing and

Creating Learning Focused

Environments

Instructor: Kayhan Karlı

Fall 2013

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INNOVATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Creating … Before you create something, first think has to done to analyze the reasons about why that

must do it. When you satisfied the answers, actually you have got some reasonable objectives.

Therefore, you knew where you want to go. You can easily determine how you can go there. Your

path is your choice. Your final destination may be the same as another person but you can create

your own path. At the end point, the path which you choose will not important anymore. However,

knowing the final stop can help you to find the shortest way to reach there. If you search it a little bit,

if you ask people for suggestions, you have got some different options. To choose the best way to

use is up to you.

… a Learning Environment Why do teachers want to create a learning environment? That is not a hard question. There

is no trick. There is no hidden something under this desire. Of course, the reason is that students

learn something. Therefore, teachers know their main objective is learning. (Some people and

traditional teachers may say not learning it is teaching. However, I am writing on a contemporary

view of education. Therefore, traditional approach is not appropriate in this text. Also, in a traditional

perspective, there is nothing like creating learning environment. There may be creating teaching

environment because it is teacher-centered system, not the student-centered education unlike

contemporary approach.) They have to specialize their objectives. According to previous part,

learning is a continent. But knowing the continent to reach a point is not enough. We have to know

the name of country. We have to know the name of city. Even if we have to know name of county,

street and building, number of flat and some other things. Therefore, our objectives must be clear

like a full address.

Understanding by Design (UbD) After the determination of the objectives, we should use Understanding by Design (UbD)

process techniques.

What is Understanding by Design (UbD) framework?

The Understanding by Design® framework (UbD™ framework) offers a planning process and

structure to guide curriculum, assessment, and instruction. Its two key ideas are contained in the

title:

1) focus on teaching and assessing for understanding and learning transfer

2) design curriculum “backward” from those ends. (1)

Backward Design

Now, we are still talking about the UbD, backward design is the one of the essential notions

for UbD.

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The UbD framework offers a three-stage backward design process for curriculum planning,

and includes a template and set of design tools that embody the process. (2)

This 3-stages:

Stage 1 starts with educators identifying the desired results of their students by

establishing the overall goal of the lessons by using content standards, common core

or state standards.

Stage 2 focuses on evidence of learning by assessment.

Stage 3 lists the learning activities that will lead students to your desired results.(3)

When we rethink about above, we can say that stage 1 is the same thing with determination

of final stop. In stage 2, actually is like determination of mid stops. Therefore, you can understand

that you are on right or wrong way. And in final stage, you should draw a travel plan on a map.

Therefore, you have a path to go to your desired place. Your path must include the mid points which

you determined in stage 2. If it does not, you cannot understand your direction is right or wrong.

Innovation Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulated

needs, or existing market needs. (4)

Picture 1-Innovation neurons comic

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The picture above emphasized many things about innovation. This picture is also depicting

the meaning of innovation in my mind. There are some concepts and also there are other concepts

are related to the first group of concepts. Therefore, it looks like hairy root.

Some concept which is closely related to innovation:

Present

New

Future building

Change

Integration

Innovation in Education

Today, there is no sector which does no innovation, including

education, because today’s children were born in technologies and

technological development is increasing day by day, minutes by

minutes. Innovation in education is required for following the new

generation and its trend. Its trend is also affecting their types of

learning. They are more interested in technological things than their

lectures. Therefore, the objectives which teachers want to reach are

lost in older educational system. That’s why; the teacher must find a

way to attract students’ interest. At that part, innovation was born.

Otherwise, students get bored. They don’t want to be in class. They do

not want be active. They do not want to learn anything.

Creating an Innovative Learning Environment From the beginning to here, we mentioned about;

Creating

Creating a learning environment

Creating a learning environment with backward design

Innovation

Innovation in education

Now we pick all of them above. And we are going to talk about “creating an innovative learning

environment”.

Being noticed that we learn something in school to use in daily life situation gives meaning to

learning activities. Without innovations and technology, what kind of information can help us

today? We are not using encyclopedia (book) anymore. Information is easily accessible for

everyone thanks to internet in mobile phones, in netbooks, in notebooks, and in tablets. This

accessibility should be benefited. Otherwise, it hinders education.

Picture 2- students in a daydream in class

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In picture 3 we can observe many differences traditional and constructive education system.

Constructive system supports the innovation, while traditional education system is using old and

stereotyped educational techniques without using technology. In picture 3, after the title, first

writing is conspicuous is “How to improve learning system with use of technology?” We can say that

without using technology we cannot mention about innovation. This is not completely true but also

this is not completely wrong because we can live in a technological era. Today almost everything we

use in daily life is a product of a technology. While I was writing this essay I am using one of the

important technological devices in human life.

There is no age constraint to reach

technological devices. Today many children spent

more time with computer than with books. They

prefer watching video instead of reading

something. Therefore, most of them do not enjoy

reading book or newsletter but watching film,

playing videogame.

Innovative learning environment is our

last hope to attract to students’ interest. They do

not want get bored. So, even if sometimes, it

looks like they do not want to learn, that is not

the truth. Most probably when it looks like that,

they do not just want to learn with this way. They

have some problems with teaching methods or

teaching techniques.

Picture 3- Innovation in Education

Picture 4- Children with computer

Picture 5- Student in innovative learning environment

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On the other hand, almost all people

have an artificial profile in internet. They

have a lot of friends in cyber world. While

they are talking their friends, they are

looking the monitor instead of face of friend.

Being social has another meaning thanks to

accessibility on internet. And people,

including children, spend a lot of time in

front of the computer. Therefore, in school

they need to do something by touching,

seeing, moving. They need to move. They

can sit down at home. Teacher can access

them via internet. It is not impossible.

The characteristics of a learning environments that enpower innovational

thinking “Imagine an educational system in which: Teachers are charged with student assessments

based on ongoing portfolios of work rather than on standardized tests. Traditional classrooms have

evolved into flipped learning environments where students review lessons online at home and

discuss them in school the next day. Students are empowered to take ownership of their learning

with a get-to-do rather than a have-to-do attitude.

These were some of the ideas explored at the recent 5th Innovation in Education Social Think

Tank hosted by Dell in partnership with Intel and the Texas Association of School Administrators

(TASA) at the TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin, Texas. The think tank brought together an

eclectic mix of students, thought leaders, administrators and superintendents to share ideas on how

to transform schools through innovation.” (5)

Below we see that some infographs about innovation in education from 5th Innovation in

Education Social Think Tank. Thanks to them, we form a list of characteristics of innovative learning

environment.

1- Transforming Education: Innovative Practices

2- Customizing Learning: Classrooms of Future

3- Measuring success: Meaningful Student Assessment

Picture 6- Accessibility of social media

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Transforming Education: Innovative Practices

Picture 7- Transforming Education: Innovative Practices

Customization

Humanization

Transformation

Personalization

Freedom

Student’s need

Creativity

Curiosity

Enjoy

Trust

No success anxiety

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Customizing Learning: Classrooms of Future

Developing “Bring your own Device Programs”

Facilitator teacher

Flipped classroom

Youtubes lessons

Personalized learning

Accepting students are citizens of Web World

Using Web as a contributors

Guiding to the information

Directing to critical thinking

Connection with community

Informal lecture spaces

Students responsible for learning

Picture 8-Customizing Learning: Classrooms of Future

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Measuring success: Meaningful Student Assessment

No Standardized Test

Involving the parents in system

Formative assessment to adding summative assessment

Student portfolios

Brain storming

Group working

Preparing students to daily life and its problems

Picture 9-Measuring success: Meaningful Student Assessment

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To sum up, learning environment is also constant

like other things are affected from technology, politic,

culture, types of living, place of living. It changes by

time. Resisting being same to stay in confidence is not

reasonable. Therefore we need another plan for it. And

it should be a changeable, flexible plan to

accommodate all changes.

Creating a learning environment to develop critical

thinking is creating a timeless education place at the

same time. Because it is emphasize, critical thinking is

the most influent thing while solving problems. With

changing in time, daily life’s problems are also

changing. According to its characteristics, we

summarize all of them; we need innovation

everywhere, in car, in home, in restaurants, in kitchens.

Also to have innovative thinking, the place where we learn something, the school, cannot escape

the need, if it would want to be achieved to learning goal. Because, we need innovation in our

minds.

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References

1- McTigh J., Wiggings G., (2012), Understanding By Design Framework, ASCD, Alexandria, USA,

http://WWW.ASCD.ORG, p.1

2- McTigh J., Wiggings G., (2012), Understanding By Design Framework, ASCD, Alexandria, USA,

http://WWW.ASCD.ORG, p.2

3- Wikipedia, Understanding by Design,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design#Backward_design ( January,2014)

4- Wikipedia, Innovation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation (January, 2014)

5- Johnson K.F., (2013), Infographic: Innovation in Education Social Think Tank,

http://techpageone.dell.com/business/infographic-social-innovation-in-

education/#.UsdHD9JdWuI (January,2014)