UBC’s World Cafe

What is an ideal learning environment?

facilitators

Jan Johnson: Manager, Facilitation and Process Design

Cindy Underhill: Learning Resource Design Strategist

Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)

what we’re aiming for...

A documented collection of your ideas about the ideal learning

environment:

What is it?

What do we need in order to support it?

how we’ll get there..

Discussion

Sticky notes for ideas

Grouping ideas according to themes/patterns

Collective observations

definitions for clarity...

Learning environments refer to the context in which we learn and teach. This includes place, people, resources.

Typically include four components:

An enabling context (physical or online space to bring people together)

Resources (library, internet, people)

A set of tools (tools to help learners process information, manipulate data, and discuss)

Scaffolds (problem solving supports)

Hannafin, Land, & Oliver, 1999. from: http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/id/models/environs.html

definitions for clarity

Learning experiences are those events and activities from which: We learn, and We can identify (to a certain extent) what we have

learned.

They are personal and often shared.

Teaching experiences are those events and activities: Which involve teaching to a group or individual, and Where we can identify (to a certain extent) what was

taught.

They are personal and sometimes shared.

start where you are...

as a teacher

discussion

Discuss (First Group):

Describe a really good teaching experience you’ve had recently.  What made it good?  Why?

Note:

Responses on stickies (one idea per) and add to wall.

Move:

One person stay at the table to host the new group.

Others please move to a new table.

Host begins conversation by sharing what previous group discussed, using flipchart notes as illustrations.

discussion

Discuss (Second Group):

What are the necessary ingredients to support great teaching experiences?

Note:

Responses on stickies (one idea per) and add to wall.

sharing ideas

Place all stickies on paper wall

Working together, cluster related ideas

Develop a name/title/theme for each cluster

observations

What patterns do you notice?

Are you surprised by anything you see?

Is there anything missing?

Something you would like to move or highlight?

Compare your stickies with those from previous World Cafes. What do you notice?

thank you!

Outcomes to be assembled for UBC-V’s Learning Conference :

October 28th, 2010

More information about the Learning Conference or Celebrate Learning Week:

http://celebratelearning.ubc.ca/