What is a Learning Environment?
Its often quite difficult to categorise what a learning environment is as there is so many different settings where we learn. A learning environment may be anywhere that engages or stimulates the individual. Education Scotland (2012) highlights that all learning environments should have a positive influence on children and young people. We learn at home, in education and quite often learn something new accidental.
Depending on the learning environment it may allow different individuals and learners to flourish at different times. For example, although children may be a in a formal setting such as school, there are opportunities for children to learn outside and quite often some schools have outdoor learning areas. Forest Schools Education indicate that forest schools are an innovative way to encourage outdoor learning and education. As long as the activities are meaningful and interesting for pupils it can provide great opportunities for learning. Similar if we look in the Foundation Phase in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government emphasise the importance of creativity and children are given opportunities to explore and mould their own learning experiences.
However, many of today's learning opportunities may arise as the result of increased use of technology. If we look at schools today or even at home even children as young as 3 years of age may have access to an iPad or a computer in which they are able to extend their learning. In my opinion though due to the rapid increase of technology in the 21st century many children neglect outdoors learning and I worry that if this continues it will lead to children having poor personalities and inability to communicate and respect peers.
