Learning Spaces
Trish Baran • July 25, 2016
What is in a space, a room or a yard, and how it is arranged can affect the behaviour of people; it can make it easier to act in certain kinds of ways, harder to act in others … Kritchevsky and Prescott When designing learning spaces that encourage effective learning there are some key components to be considered: comfort, configuration, resources, storage, lighting and colour. Learning spaces should be comfortable and able to be configured in different ways. Having different types of
What is in a space, a room or a yard, and how it is arranged can affect the behaviour of people; it can make it easier to act in certain kinds of ways, harder to act in others … Kritchevsky and Prescott
When designing learning spaces that encourage effective learning there are some key components to be considered: comfort, configuration, resources, storage, lighting and colour.
Learning spaces should be comfortable and able to be configured in different ways. Having different types of furniture allows for differing seating patterns and configurations. Creating adaptable learning spaces allows students to work in different areas, depending on the type of project or work to be completed. For example comfy soft chairs for reading, desks that can be doubled up for collaborative activities.
Lighting and colour also play a part in any learning situation. Having changing lighting allows for mental breaks and can alter a space depending on the activity. For example, softer lighting for reading and brighter lighting that encourages alertness. The use of colour to create a learning environment should be both aesthetically pleasing and useful for achieving learning outcomes. For example, green is often associated with creativity, whilst black and white dulls creativity. Red, orange and yellows grab attention, however after prolonged exposure can actually drain creativity.
Creating storage places for resources creates organisation and is one of the key components of successful learning environments. A de-cluttered environment is free from distractions and allows focus on learning. In this way students can easily access resources needed for various learning activities.
At Intuition educational support we have taken careful consideration in all of these aspects to create a learning space that fully encourages effective learning. Our students love our learning centre and enjoy their sessions so much they find it hard to leave. We invite you to come visit our learning centre and see what makes Intuition educational support different.
By adopting some of the strategies of clever students, one can also improve reading comprehension marks.
Choosing the right tutor for your child can be challenging due to the industry's lack of regulation. This blog post provides essential tips for parents, emphasizing the importance of selecting tutors from reputable tutoring centres. It highlights key factors to consider, such as a tutor's qualifications, accreditation from the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA), and industry experience. The post also addresses budget concerns and offers practical advice for ensuring your child receives effective tutoring support.
Preparing for high school and scholarship tests can feel like navigating a maze of stress and expectations, especially for students stepping into the high-stakes arena for the first time. I vividly recall the pressure of those moments from my journey as a student, sandwiched between my parents' lofty ambitions and my aspirations. The to-do list seemed endless: study diligently, seize every opportunity, broaden your reading horizons.
It is always interesting to meet a new class of creative writing students every year and ask them how many write between classes. Usually, a couple of students raise their hands. This response always astonishes me, for I cannot think of a single student who plays the piano and does not practice between classes.
GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Entrance or officially known as the Western Australian Selective Schools Entrance Test (WASET). Testing for Gifted and Talented Programs occurs in March each year. All applicants for Gifted and Talented Programs need to sit the Academic Selective Entrance Test and may also need to complete combined workshops; auditions; and interviews, depending on the programs they are applying for. Students sit a four part exam consisting of Reading Comprehension, Writing, Quantitative and Abstract Reasoning which can be the pathway for your child gaining a place in selective high school programmes. Obtaining a place in a selective school will give your child many opportunities for their future academic success. Your child will study with other like-minded students and be engaged in a specially designed curriculum. Additionally, they will enjoy a rich learning environment that is challenging and stimulating. Children can gain entry into either academic programmes, arts programmes or language programs. At Intuition Educational Support our team of expert tutors have designed programs that engage students and give them the tools necessary for achieving optimal results for the test. These tests differ greatly from regular school work. Questions that appear in the tests are more advanced than what students are currently learning at school and require clear professional guidance to prepare otherwise they may be at a disadvantage. Learning concepts and being familiar with the different types of questions that are likely to come up, as well as practising good test taking techniques will put your child in a much better position to gain entrance into their preferred school. By exposing students to the types of questions asked, as well as their structure we give our students the best possible chance of achieving high scores needed to gain a place in any of the selective schools. We offer programs leading up to the test that will focus on a specific part of the test as well as running weekly small group programs that also have a selective school entrance focus. We strongly recommend starting now, so that students are ready for the exam. More than 50% of students who attended our programs received high marks and were offered places in Selective Schools across Perth. In the January holidays we run several GATE Test preparation workshops which cover all four areas of the test as well as give students strategies on this type of test taking. We are also offering weekly small group preparation classes beginning in January. CONTACT US today to take advantage of our great programs.
