Comments on: The Classroom Environment

By: Design of Planned CT Autism School Questioned (Not by the Students)

Design of Planned CT Autism School Questioned (Not by the Students) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:59:12 +0000

[...] what’s missing from the discussion is what sort of design and classroom environment would be best for autistic students, but since when has that ever been the priority……. [...]

By: Just the Middle School Blues?

Just the Middle School Blues? — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:43:56 +0000

[...] new world, after the coziness of Charlie’s classroom last year. As I’ve noted, the physical layout of Charlie’s room includes a low ceiling and no natural light. There’s over a thousand [...]

By: David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)

David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:22:15 +0000

Environmental psychology is less to do with behaviourism than Daniela would seem to wish. For example, in behaviourist thinking, the target person’s behaviour is the basic unit of analysis (at least seemingly without reference to the person him/herself), whereas environmental psychology sees – at least nowadays – the person-in-environment system itself as the basic unit of analysis. It tends to use a ‘holistic, developmental, systems-oriented approach’ (according to Bechtel & Churchman (Eds), (2002) The Handbook Of Environmental Psychology; Wiley, NY)… and this involves analysis at a number of levels just for understanding the person (and the same number of levels of analysis are used for the environment; and here’s the key: there is a socio-cultural level of analysis that just isn’t there in behavioural psychology, along with the notion that the person is an active organism seeking to construe his/her environment (which will involve the construction of an interpretation, rather than a copy of the so-called external world). More attention is paid to the affective contributors to behaviour than in a behavioural paradigm, and this particular aspect of EnvPsych is used in contributing to the design of buildings and interiors (such as schools and work-places). Behaviourist psychology would seek to modify the environment in terms of events-as-reinforcers (as a sort of Skinnerian Teaching Machine that the person operates within, rather than just operates), whereas EnvPsych seeks to understand what aspects of the environment might enterfere with effective learning (as in the example given above, on classroom walls being adorned with posters… good for one kind of learner but not good for another). Such things are often omitted from behavioural analysis, as are affective and cognitive issues.

This is not to say that behavioural psychology is entirely wrong: it isn’t. But it is incomplete.

By: Daniela

Daniela — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:05:41 +0000

I am curious to know how much of learning theory, behavior analysis, behaviorism, there is in this environmental psychology…the first sentence of the attachment could have been for behavioral psychology. But my comment was on your questions about how much to change the environment to seek the world to adapt to the learner or how much to teach him to adapt to the world. From a psychological perspective, that of a behavioral psychologist, you are on the right track to get everybody to competently adapt the environment in such a way that he can learn to live in less adapted or adaptable environments. Behavioral psychology has excellent technology for such a task.

With respect and admiration.

By: David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)

David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:10:21 +0000

Phil, good question you raise.

I feel that a Vygotskian approach is called for: scaffolding (as the neo-Vygotskians like Bruner call it). Initially, society adapts to where the person is, and supports development and – as the person develops – society withdraws but maintains support to such a level that the person is not expected to work outwith his/her Zone of Proximal Development; by keeping the person working inside that ZPD, development is effectively guaranteed (according to what Vygotsky wrote, and it seems according to what the research has been finding out). If the person is expected to work outwith that ZPD, then whatever is happening is not support.

By: Phil Schwarz

Phil Schwarz — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:58:57 +0000

As to the question of how much onus should be upon the individual to adapt to the surrounding society and environment, and how much vice versa: I think we have to equip ourselves to work both sides of that street.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:49:05 +0000

>> Whether learning at a little blue plastic Little Tykes table in his bedroom in our rented St. Paul duplex or in a public school classroom in New Jersey, it’s the people who’ve made the difference in Charlie’s learning.

Here’s the tough part though. It isn’t just those thing but huge sensory/perception differences. A “busy” classroom with interesting decorations, lots of charts on the wall, stuff hither and there. Great for engaging for many young minds.

But to us ADHD folk? Educational deathtrap that the best of teachers will end up fighting against every day to get a slice of our attention. By far the very best counselor I’ve ever had, who specialized in attention people of all ages, had an office that was stunningly stark. Two chairs and a desk. Nothing on the desk save for one paper pad for me to use and one for her, only bare bare minimum in the drawers (2 pens and a pencil, a receipt book). Purposely so. Not only for herself (ADHD to the core) but because she understood how destructively distracting most office trappings are to her clients.

By: David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)

David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:36:37 +0000

@Niksmom…

precisely! not just ‘aware of’, but ’sensitive to’! this goes also for culture, it seems (doing what you’d probably call a Ed. S. in educational ethno-psychology).

By: Niksmom

Niksmom — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:39:28 +0000

I think environmental psychology can help *all* learners. And, you are right, the teaching has to be the most important element. But if the teachers are aware of —no, sensitive to —the ways in which the environment can affect learning and really use it as another tool in their arsenal… that could change the way our children learn in so many ways.

By: David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction)

David N. Andrews M. Ed. (Distinction) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:51:25 +0000

nice to see environmental psychology coming into the autism issue. there’s a lot that it can help us with, i think.