Physical Learning Environment Research Articles

The quality of universal language supporting provision in maintained nursery classrooms in economically disadvantaged areas of England: Identifying strengths and areas for development

Background: Oral language competence provides children with an essential foundation for academic achievement and emotional well-being, yet many children enter school with delayed language and those living in economically disadvantaged areas are at disproportionate risk of experiencing language difficulties. A tiered system, offering high-quality language teaching for all children in early years classrooms, is widely acknowledged as an appropriate means of supporting language learning need. An understanding of the current quality of language supporting practices in English early years settings is essential to inform teaching practice and professional development, but evidence is limited. Methods: This study employed the Communication Supporting Classroom Observation tool in 39 nursery classrooms in economically disadvantaged areas of England to identify strengths of practice and key areas for development. Results: Observations revealed well-equipped physical learning environments and responsive teaching practices, but few structured opportunities for language learning and development. Variation in quality was observed across the nursery session. Conclusions: Findings suggest a need for adaptive professional development programmes supporting the more consistent use of structured language learning opportunities, the enhanced use of interaction promoting strategies and the provision of more complex and contingent language models. Further investigation of language supporting practice at a fine-grained level is desirable.

Digital and Physical Interactive Learning Environments: Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs about Technology through Reflective Writing

Digital and Physical Interactive Learning Environments: Early Childhood Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs about Technology through Reflective Writing

Enhanced Design of a Tai Chi Teaching Assistance System Integrating DTW Algorithm and SVM

Physical education using technology has enabled traditional practices like Tai Chi, a martial art known for its multiple health benefits and meditative aspects, to set coordinated goals. This research presents an intelligent Tai Chi Teaching Assistance System supported by the integration of the Dynamic Time Warping algorithm and Support Vector Machine, in which can practitioners providing real-time feedback to improve Tai Chi learning and quality. In the system, the DTWA Dynamic Time Warping Algorithm was used to accurately compare a practitioner’s complex body movements with the Tai Chi standard movements dataset, taking into account execution speed deviations and others. Meanwhile, the SVM was employed to classify the movement as to quality and correctness, thereby being able to provide precise, individual feedback. This hybrid approach ensures a high-motion recognition accuracy rate while also adhering to nuanced Tai Chi requirements. The system was evaluated through detailed testing with various levels of Tai Chi experience. Evaluation showed that the students’ performance and understanding of most Taijiquan movements and related physical exercises improved significantly. It indicates the system has a practical application value for also beginners and intermediate and last expert, respectively. It also shows the effectiveness of combining DTW and SVM to support learners ‘body movement trajectory in a physical learning environment, opening them up to additional technology-assisted physical training applications. This provides implications for a more promising generation of future physical education involving the incorporation of complex AI technology.

Child-Centric Interiors: Physical Learning Environment in Preschools

Child-Centric Interiors: Physical Learning Environment in Preschools

National Benchmarks to Understand how Doctor of Physical Therapy Learners from Minoritized Race and Ethnicity Groups Perceive their Physical Therapist Education Program.

The demographic homogeneity of the physical therapist workforce and its educational pathway may undermine the profession's potential to improve the health of society. Building academic environments that support the development of all learners is fundamental to building a workforce to meet societal health care needs. The Benchmarking in Physical Therapy Education study uses the Physical Therapy Graduation Questionnaire to comprehensively assess learner perceptions of the physical therapist academic environment. The present report examined whether racial and ethnic minoritized (REM) physical therapist learners perceive their Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education differently from their non-REM peers. Five thousand and eighty graduating DPT learners in 89 institutions provided demographic data and perceptions of a range of learning environment domains. Analyses included REM versus non-REM comparisons as well as comparisons among individual race and ethnicity groups. Compared to their non-minoritized peers, REM respondents expressed less satisfaction with their education and lower confidence in their preparedness for entry-level practice. REM respondents observed more faculty professionalism disconnects and demonstrated less agreement that their program had fostered their overall psychological well-being. REM respondents experienced higher rates of mistreatment than their peers and reported higher rates of exhaustion and disengagement, the 2 axes of academic burnout. Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a/x (Hispanic, Latino, Latina, and/or Latinx) respondents incurred significantly more educational debt than Asian and White respondents. REM respondents reported greater empathy and greater interest in working in underserved communities. REM respondents perceived the physical therapist learning environment more negatively than their non-minoritized peers but expressed strong interest in serving people from underserved communities. These national benchmarks offer academic institutions the opportunity to self-assess their own environment and to work to improve the quality of the educational experience for all learners. In a nationwide benchmarking study, learners from minoritized race and ethnicity backgrounds reported more negative experiences and outcomes during physical therapist education than their non-minoritized peers. These same learners demonstrated high empathy and interest in serving people from underserved (under-resourced) communities. Learning environments that permit all individuals to thrive may be an essential avenue to improve the health of a rapidly diversifying society.

Research on the integrated solution of physical education based on smart campus.

To improve the physical education experience for students, this study investigates the idea of an integrated solution based on a smart campus for physical education. Within the physical education curriculum, the study focuses on the integration of smart fitness monitoring and wearables, interactive fitness equipment and gamification, mobile applications and customized workout plans, smart facilities, indoor navigation, and data-driven curriculum enhancements. The data gathered from a study involving two groups of students, an experimental group with access to smart campus solutions and a control group without such access, was analyzed using an organized and component-based framework. The data study looks at how the smart campus solutions affect the students' academic performance, fitness levels, motivation, and adherence to exercise regimens. The analyzed findings point to a few advantages of using smart campus technologies in physical education. Compared to the control group, students in the experimental group showed higher levels of academic performance, increased motivation, improved exercise adherence, and fitness. Students who had access to smart campus solutions reported much better experiences with physical education overall. The results imply that smart campus technologies have the potential to produce a physical education learning environment that is more interesting, focused on the needs of the students, and effective. Smart campus solutions help optimize curriculum design, boost motivation, and enhance academic performance by utilizing data-driven insights and personalized learning experiences.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study investigates the idea of an integrated solution based on a smart campus for physical education. Within the physical education curriculum, the study focuses on the integration of smart fitness monitoring and wearables, interactive fitness equipment and gamification, mobile applications and customized workout plans, smart facilities, indoor navigation, and data-driven curriculum enhancements.

Research on the Interdependent Relationship between Teaching Methods and Technology : Focusing on the Internal Communication between Instructors and Learners

This study examines that even in an era when technology is essential to education, the essence of liberal arts education lies in the instructor's consideration and internal communication with learners. Technical skills are essential in limited physical and group learning environments, and technology and teaching methods are interdependent. By empirically observing the period of transition from non-face-to-face to face-to-face, we confirmed the interdependence between teaching methods and the university's LMS in H University's liberal arts writing class. Technology functions to sustain and promote the internal relationship between instructor and learner, and internal communication is achieved through the instructor's consideration for the learner. When a sense of trust is formed through the instructor's consideration, learners can focus on writing independently, even in a group learning environment where they do not receive attention. The university's LMS is used for hybrid education where instructors and learners maintain internal communication and communicate using online technology and offline consideration. However, the interdependent relationship with technology in education is meaningful when instructors aim for internal communication through consideration as humanization.

Exploring challenges and perceptions in the learning environment: an online qualitative study of medical students

BackgroundThe teaching and learning environment (TLE) in medical schools is critical for shaping the outcomes and competencies of graduates. Research on TLE has highlighted its influence on student learning approaches and outcomes, yet gaps remain, particularly in qualitative insights, especially in Saudi Arabian contexts. This study aims to explore the students’ experiences and perceptions of the TLE in a new medical college.MethodsThis qualitative study consisted of a total of five focus group discussions (3consequtive sessions for male group and two for female group) conducted virtually using the Zoom videoconferencing application. All the discussion sessions took place during a lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic between December 2020 and February 2021. Each session lasted for 45–60 min. Each group was formed of 4–5 students from different academic levels in the Majmaah medical school, which was established 10 years ago and is located in a small city. After “verbatim transcription” of the sessions was made, a framework thematic analysis of the data was performed using the NVivo software.ResultsThe study results revealed that various elements, such as educational content, faculty roles, and personal factors, collectively influenced the students’ educational experiences. The students valued educational relevance and autonomous decision-making. The multifunctional role of faculty as mentors, evaluators, and resource providers was considered essential in enhancing academic experiences. Additionally, there was an evident need to improve the physical learning environment and facilities to adapt to emerging educational needs. These results align with existing literature, emphasizing the integration of theory and practice and the significant impact of faculty roles in academic experiences.ConclusionThe findings suggest that medical colleges should involve students more in decision-making related to their education and ensure the practical relevance of the educational content. Establishing open communication channels between students and faculty who act as mentors and evaluators is also essential. Furthermore, enhancing supportive infrastructures, such as mental health and financial services, and promoting extracurricular activities are crucial for fostering a more effective and nurturing learning environment.

Graph plotting of 1-D motion in introductory physics education using scripts generated by ChatGPT 3.5

Introductory physics courses often necessitate students to graphically represent one-dimensional (1-D) motion and derive various physical parameters. Physical quantities are often solved by calculating either slope or the area under the graph. Instructors and students who do not have access to paid software must plot graphs by hand. This paper explores three introductory physics examples related to 1-D motion, and employs ChatGPT 3.5 to generate scripts that will produce graphs from raw data. It can generate scripts, based on accurate user inputs, in free programming languages like Python and/or GNU Octave to enable efficient graph plotting. Examples will be provided on calculating the slope of a distance–time graph and determining the area under a velocity–time graph. Given raw data, ChatGPT 3.5 may exhibit occasional inaccuracies when solving for physical parameters. However, user can communicate in English to modify the output. The author does not endorse the use of ChatGPT for academic misconducts such as assisting students to cheat in problem solving. Instead, ChatGPT is presented as a tool to enhance data visualisation for both instructors and students, which can potentially improve learning environments in introductory physics. This paper lays the groundwork for future initiatives, beyond the plotting of 1-D motion graphs, aiming to integrate artificial intelligence to assist more complex motion studies in physics learning environments.

Teachers’ reflections on linguistic diversity in the linguistic and semiotic landscapes of Swedish-medium ECEC units in Finland

This article examines teachers’ reflections on their practices regarding linguistic diversity in linguistic and semiotic landscapes (LSLs) in Swedish-medium early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Finland. Data comprising 14 videos and written assignments were collected during in-service training for ECEC staff. Based on a qualitative thematic analysis, four practices related to the interplay between the language of instruction and children’s other languages were identified and related to different spatial frameworks in the physical learning environments. The findings reveal a distinct promotion of the language of instruction throughout the landscapes. Linguistic and semiotic resources were produced or emplaced by the teachers to enhance interaction in and learning of the language of instruction for all children. Other languages were displayed, especially in the entrance hall, with caregivers as the primary audience, welcoming the families to the unit and providing a means of disseminating information, but not as a learning resource for the whole group. While the study reveals that teachers are aware of the potential of using LSLs as a part of their pedagogical work, it also reveals a lack of systematic planning when it comes to developing the landscape to support language awareness for all children.

Examining Blended Learning Adoption Towards Improving Learning Performance in Institutions of Higher Education

AbstractInstitutions of higher education are implementing Blended Learning (BL) approaches to supplement traditional courses in enhancing students’ learning experiences. However, only fewer studies have examined BL acceptance based on the determinants that influence students’ perception towards BL integration in improving learning performance. Accordingly, this study employs the theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Information System (IS) success model to develop a model to examine the determinants that influence students’ perception towards BL integration and acceptance as a mode of study to improve learning performance. Survey questionnaire was designed, and data was gathered from 1169 students to empirically validate the designed model. Accordingly, Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyze the survey data. The results suggest that system quality, information quality, and service quality significantly impact students’ acceptance of BL. Moreover, results reveal that perceived usefulness of BL, perceived ease of use of BL, attitude towards using BL, intention to use BL, and actual use of BL were proven to be key determinants that should be considered in improving students’ acceptance of BL. Additionally, results indicate that students’ acceptance of BL significantly influences learning performance. Implications from this study provide insights on how institutions can improve students’ integration of BL initiatives in both physical and digital learning environments.

Is E-learning a Learning? University International Students' Views

Recently the use of internet in learning growing fast worldwide. Majority of scholars have different views about it’s implications in learning. The aim of study focuses on it’s benefits and challenges hindering e-learning through University international students’ views. The study used case study research design and qualitative approach. The data collected only through unstructured interview. 33 International students studying at Galgotias were interviewed for this research work. The study findings showed the benefits of e-learning to University International students; provide wide range of learning materials, virtual learning environment, students’ engagement and improve collaboration. While challenges hindering University students in utilization of e-learning including; healthy problem, unfair means in exams and plagiarism, impracticability of knowledge and optional learning method. Furthermore the study concluded that precautions need to be taken such as the curriculum must reflect e-learning methods, training students is very importance, find new software application to translate video in all languages, real practical studies must be done, and e-learning should be given according to physical and socio-economic learning environment of particular country.

Level of students' academic integration in the physical environment of the classroom

Purpose This study aimed to identify the level of students' academic integration in the physical environment of the classroom.Design/methodology/approach This study used an experimental approach. The study sample consisted of 60 students, who were divided into an experimental group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 30) in two classrooms (classes 9 and 13). To verify the equivalence of the two groups, an ANOVA test was performed to determine the level of academic integration, and identify any statistically significant differences between the two groups before separating them and controlling all the other variables, except for the classroom environment variable.Findings The results revealed no statistically significant differences in the mean of pre-application academic integration. Ten days later, the lecturer explained the topic within the academic course and redistributed the scale of academic integration. The results of the second application revealed differences in the average mean of academic integration in favour of the experimental group (class 13). To identify statistically significant differences, a t-test was used for independent samples. The results showed statistically significant differences in the level of academic integration of the experimental group attributed to the variable of physical environment in favour of class 13.Originality/valueThis study recommend to proposing future physical learning environments in classrooms by improving physical aspects. These new learning environments can enhance the cooperation between teachers and students, allow for easier conveyance of ideas and promote students' ability to solve problems more effectively. The use of Metaverse technology in education may create an appropriate virtual physical environment that solves the problem of the physical environment and raises the level of academic integration of students.

Understanding how pharmacy, occupational therapy and nursing-midwifery students utilise lectures as learning opportunities: A mixed methods study informing post-COVID-19 pandemic return to campus

Introduction: Many universities switched to distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As universities move to a post-COVID-19 normal, it is important for educators to be aware of what factors influence learners’ face-to-face lecture attendance. This study investigated what factors impacted nursing-midwifery, pharmacy and occupational therapy students’ pre-COVID-19 lecture attendance. Methods: Using a positivist mixed-methods approach, third-year nursing-midwifery (n = 350), pharmacy (n = 24) and occupational therapy (n = 42) students completed a survey with quantitative and open-ended questions that asked students about what factors influenced them to attend and not attend face-to-face lectures. T-tests and Spearman correlations were used to analyse the quantitative data. A qualitative inductive approach was used to code the open-ended questions response data into themes. Results: Occupational therapy and pharmacy students were more positive about the lectures in their programs than nursing-midwifery students. They also valued lecture quality and style more than nursing-midwifery students, who valued a convenient schedule. All three student cohorts valued engaging and enthusiastic lecturers and reported similar reasons for lecture attendance regarding the physical learning environment, other life- and work-related time commitments and the commuting distance to campus. Conclusions: While there was agreement on many factors affecting lecture attendance across the three student cohorts, occupational therapy and pharmacy students placed more value on lecture style and presentation, whilst nursing-midwifery students placed more importance on when lectures were scheduled. These results have and will inform factors to consider regarding on campus lecture attendance post-COVID.

Experimenting with computational thinking for knowledge transfer in engineering robotics

AbstractBackgroundDespite its obvious relevance to computer science, computational thinking (CT) is transdisciplinary with the potential of impacting one's analytical ability. Although countless efforts have been invested across K‐12 education, there is a paucity of research at the postsecondary level about the extent to which CT can contribute to sustainable learning outcomes.ObjectivesThe current study examines how a series of Arduino‐based robotics learning activities capture the fuller essence of concepts related to CT.MethodsCollege students (n = 50) completed a series of six robotics learning activities. Think‐alouds, student reflections and performance scores were used to assess students' CT through a robotics challenge in virtual and physical learning environments.Results and ConclusionsStudents verbalized CT concepts related to algorithmic thinking much more than abstraction, problem decomposition and testing and debugging. Students exposed to active learning performed better in a virtual robotics challenge compared to their peers in a traditional‐oriented classroom. Students' scores on the physical robotics challenge increased as a function of the number of references they made to CT concepts during the think‐alouds. It is possible to design pedagogical experiences that tap into various dimensions of CT at incremental levels of complexity through a series of Arduino‐based robotics activities. With the integration of an online simulation, students can visualize and transfer their CT skills between a virtual and physical learning environment, thus leading to more sustainable learning outcomes.

Preparing students for the future: multidisciplinary perspectives on pedagogical activities and their spatial embeddedness

ABSTRACTTo implement educational transformations that prepare young people for the future society, it is valuable to deepen scientific understanding of socio-cultural, psychic, and physical aspects of learning environments. Towards that end, in this case study we examined educators’ and construction specialists’ perceptions of pedagogical activities and how design of physical learning environments intends to reciprocally support those activities in the context of constructing a new school building during the national renewal of general upper secondary schools in Finland. The study relied on multidisciplinary interviews (n = 22), observations and outcomes of participatory workshops, teachers’ free-form notes on benchmarking visits to recently occupied learning environments, and the operational requirements and goals that architects had prepared for the new building. Our analysis resulted in a framework comprising spatio-pedagogically interrelated themes of collaboration and community building, teaching and learning transversal competencies, supporting students’ wellbeing and inclusion, and digital instruments and technologies in support of teaching and learning. The results appear to indicate that pedagogical activities and their spatial embeddedness would have interrelations when constructing new learning environments that aim at collaborative knowledge creation, creative problem-solving, and teaching practices that build on the learners’ knowledge and active roles in learning.

Çevrim İçi Öğrenme Ortamlarında Grup Üst Biliş Araştırmalarının Sistematik İncelemesi

Group metacognition entails a collective comprehension of the cognitive processes and collaborative problem-solving mechanisms inherent within a group. In a systematic review of 54 studies, this investigation discerned the manifold advantages stemming from the cultivation of group metacognition. Notably, the import of group metacognition extends particularly saliently to academically underperforming students, facilitating the refinement of social acumen, emotional regulation, and scholarly achievements. Moreover, the research scrutinized the operational dynamics of group metacognition within both virtual and physical learning environments, yielding distinct strategies tailored to each context. Additionally, this study unveiled a symbiotic relationship between effective collaboration and the enhancement of group metacognitive processes. The inquiry also engaged in a meticulous examination of determinants influencing group metacognition, including group dimensions, composition, task complexity, and temporal constraints. This exploration underscores the imperatives of customized interventions that duly account for these influential variables to ensure efficacy. Furthermore, the study expounded upon the evolutionary trajectory of research in the domain of group metacognition, detailing methodological approaches and pivotal insights accrued over time. Essentially, the research aims to clarify how group metacognition works and how it helps groups work together better and improve learning, going beyond specific situations.

Virtual Galleries as Learning Scaffolds for Promoting Problem-Based Learning

Extensive research into the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) in primary and secondary education has been carried out over the past few years. PBL is an appealing, promising, but also challenging educational approach for both students and teachers. To overcome challenges, one of the most popular proposed strategies is to build learning scaffolds that gradually help students to effectively resolve the emerging sub-problems and tasks. Moreover, the massive impact of technology on students’ lives, and the transition from in-person to distance teaching (especially during the COVID-19 pandemic) highlights the necessity of using virtual worlds and digital tools to facilitate and amplify collaboration and communication, both synchronously and asynchronously. This paper introduces the virtual galleries method as a scaffold for applying PBL approaches in both physical and distance learning environments, within the field of STEM education. Virtual galleries are perceived as a practice that motivates learners to collaborate, express their ideas on solving a problem, and present them as interactive and immersive experiences, while allowing others (peer-learners and educators) to evaluate the produced solutions. In this context, it is argued that virtual galleries can facilitate PBL by serving as a conceptual framework for scaffolding the learning process, thus enabling the acquisition of new PBL-driven skills.

Issues that impact on effective family literacy provision in England

This paper raises and discusses a series of key issues that arose during a 20-month evaluation project concerning the impact of family literacy programmes on the skills of parents and their children. Using a range of mixed methods, the research was based on 74 family literacy programmes in England and involved 583 parents and their children. The majority of previous evaluations of family learning have been quantitative and concentrated on children’s literacy outcomes; they have tended to ignore issues from qualitative research (which can both enable and constrain effective provision), many of which are of great interest to policy-makers. The specific issues raised in this paper coalesce around themes of recruitment; accreditation; the educational profile of parents (including the scarcity of men); the physical teaching and learning environment; the competing agendas between local authorities and schools; and planning opportunities between adult family literacy tutors and early years teachers.

Intelligent VR technology empowers the construction of intelligent learning environment for preschool education of kindergartens with emblematic characteristics

Abstract Due to the current kindergarten preschool education being increasingly emphasized, this paper combines intelligent technology to explore, firstly, analyzes the current intelligent learning environment model and designs the intelligent learning environment based on human-computer interaction. Secondly, the emblem elements are integrated into the physical learning environment, combined with intelligent VR technology, gesture interaction recognition based on feature vectors and pose interaction recognition based on vector machines to realize the construction of the smart learning environment. Finally, the interaction performance in the smart learning environment is analyzed based on simulation experiments, and the changes in learning effects are explored. The application yields that young children’s independent ability and social interaction ability increased by 0.5 and 0.48, respectively, and the mathematical thinking ability, artistic creation ability and Hui culture cognitive ability increased by 0.35, 0.39 and 0.32, respectively.