The Level of Comfort the Students at QUTIC Have in Their Learning Environment - Personal Statement Example

Name xxxxxxxxxxx Address xxxxxxxxxxx Mr. Neil Marsh Senior Administrator QUTIC 60 Tribune Street South Brisbane Queensland 4101 Dear Mr. Neil Marsh Please see the report about the survey conducted on the learning environment at P Block facilities in QUTIC. The study looks at the way students at QUTIC view their learning environment in various aspects. Just as we agreed its outcome is supposed to help us know what steps we can take in order to improve the learning environment for the students. In the survey 20 questionnaires with 10 questions each were distributed to students at P Plock. In general it was evident from the study that most QUTIC students find the learning environment conducive for their studies. However there are those few who think otherwise and their views need not be ignored. This report also gives some recommendations that you will need to follow in order to better the learning environment. Study rooms will need to be increased and facilities like chire and disks made more comfortable. Orientation tours should be kept up among other things. I wish to thank you very much for your time as I finish. Please get back to me for clarification incase anything is not clear to you. You are free to do that on my number above. Yours sincerely, Development and technical support Enc: 1 Name : xxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxx Title : Report P Block facilities Course : xxxxxx Institution : xxxxxx @ 2010 “Improving the leaning environment at QUTIC” Submitted to: Mr. Neil Marsh Senior Administrator QUTIC Submitted by ………………………….. Development and Technical support QUTIC 10 April 2010 Abstract The report is meant to examine the level of comfort the students at QUTIC have in their learning environment and specifically the P Block. The learning environment is necessary for good academics. Therefore the institution is seeking to make its facilities and environment more conducive for learning. It analyses the findings of a survey that was done at QUTIC within the P block. Questionnaires were issued out to twenty students, with each questionnaire having 10 questions. The results were analyzed and presented in tables and bar graphs. Discussions plus conclusions about them have also been done. The report has some recommendations about what should be done to improve the college environment and the benefits to be realized. ii Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………………….…..……i Table of contents…………………………………………………………………....….ii List of Tables…………………………………………………………………….….....iii 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………….……1 1.1 Back ground………………………………………………………..……….1 1.2 Objectives……………………………………………………………..…….1 1.3 Scope…………………………………………………………………......…1 1.4 Method……………………………………………………………..………..2 2. Discussion and Conclusions………………………………………………..…...3 2.1 Importance of study rooms…………………………………………..……...3 2.2 Usefulness of orientation tours………………………………………….…..4 2.3 Classroom temperature………………………………………………..…….5 2.4 I L C learning environment……………………………………………...…..6 2.5 Chire and disk in the classroom…………………………………………..…7 3. Recommendations…………………………………………………………….…8 4. Benefits………………………………………………………..………….……...8 Reference list Appendix A Appendix B iii List of Figures Figure 1: Importance of study rooms………………………………………….………………3 Figure 2: Temperature in the classroom……………………………………….………………5 List of Tables Table 1: Usefulness of orientation tours………………………………………………………4 Table 2: I L C learning environment……………………………..……………………………6 Table 3: Chire and disk in the classroom………………………………………………….…...7 iv 1. Introduction 1.1 Back Ground For learning to take place smoothly, the environment should be conducive for it to happen. The classrooms, study rooms and all the facilities being used for learning should be the best; Gislason (2009, 18). In order to help raise the standard of the learning environment at QUTIC, the senior administrator Mr. Neil Marsh asked me to conduct a survey that could help gather the views of students on their satisfaction in the learning environment. The views were to be analyzed and this report compiled and presented to him. 1.2 Objectives This report analyzes the results of a survey that was carried out on twenty students at QUTIC. The study determines the use and satisfaction with some of the learning facilities at the institution with the intention of improving the facilities at P Block building. These facilities are study rooms, class rooms, lecture theatres, notice boards, assignment boxes and consultation rooms provided to students. The aspects being examined are furnishing, equipment, comparisons, cleanliness, ambience, spaces and frequency. 1.3 Scope This study is concerned with the suitability of learning environments. It looks at the comfort of learning facilities such as classrooms, lecture theatres and assignment boxes. In compiling this report both secondary and primary data sources were used. The survey served as a primary source while books, magazines and websites served as secondary sources. The report omits questions 1, 6, 7, 8 and 10 because their data was not useful in this study. This report is limited in the sense that the evidence presented may not be 100% correct due to problems such as small budget, limited time and sample size. More over, the number of questions was reduced to 10 and the number of respondents made to be 20 because of time and budgetary constraints. Never the less, I recommend this report for any useful changes that need to be done in order to perfect learning environments. 1 1.4 Method The survey was done by way of issuing questionnaires to 20 students at QUTIC near the P Block building. Each questionnaire had ten questions most of which were closed ended and a few open ended. The data was analyzed and this report was compiled. 2 2. Discussion and conclusions 2.1 Importance of study rooms as compared to home or library Figure1: Importance of study room 2.1.1 Discussion In figure 1 above we see the displayed results for the importance of study rooms. This was in comparison to the library or the home. 70% of respondents disagreed strongly with the fact that study rooms are not important while 20% agreed with this fact. 10% had no opinion on the question while no respondent disagreed strongly or just disagreed. 2.1.2 Conclusion Based on the above findings it may be concluded that majority of the students at QUTIC prefer using study rooms instead of places like the library or their homes. This may be because of the inconveniences they may find at home or in the library. Coburn(2007,108) observes that places such as study rooms are specifically designed for the purpose of study as opposed to other places. 3 2.2 The usefulness of orientation tours about the facilities in P block Degree of usefulness percentage Very useful 60% Useful 25% Adequate 0% Weak 15% Very weak 0% Table 1: Usefulness of orientation tours about facilities 2.2.1 Discussion In figure 2 above we see the results of the importance of orientation tours to the facilities in P Block. Of the all the students surveyed, 60% of them said that those tours are very useful. 25% of them said the tours are useful while 15% thought that theses tours are weak. There was no responded who said that they are either adequate or very weak. Catherine E. Watt, (2009, 97). 2.2.2 Conclusion It seems from the study that a large number of students at QUTIC prefer orientation tours to be conducted since they say they are very useful. Orientation and getting used to the study environment early enough breeds confidence that is good for learning; Pesanelli (1993, 32). 4 2.3 Classroom Temperature Figure 2: Temperatures in the classroom 2.3.1 Discussion Table 1 shows how the students surveyed rated the temperatures in their classrooms. Of all the participants, the majority of respondents (55%) said that it is mild. 30% said it is hot while only 15% think it is very hot. There was no participant who said the classroom is cold. 2.3.2 Conclusion Based on these finding it seems that majority of students at QUTIC find the temperatures in their classrooms to be mild. This may be a good thing since the condition of learning facilities contributes to good health and academic performance; JIC (2007, 52). 5 2.4 I LC Learning environment as a studying place for international students. Level of quietness Percentage Very quiet 0% Quiet 50% Noisy 35% Very noisy 15% Table 2: I L C learning environment 2.4.1 Discussion Figure 3 shows the ratings for the level of noise in the classroom. According to 50% of the respondents, the classroom is quiet. Another 35% of the participants observe that the classroom is noisy. 15 % say that the classroom is very noisy while nobody said the class is very quiet. 2.4.2 Conclusion Based on the above data it looks like most of the students at QUTIC find the learning environment quiet enough for international students. High level studies need the best places so far that have the least interference; Watt (2009, 8). 6 2.5 Chire and disk in the classroom Chire and Disk Percentage Comfortable 55% Very comfortable 0% Comfortable enough 20% Not comfortable 25% Table 3: Chire and disk in the classroom 2.5.1 Discussion Table 2 above displays results of the comfort ability of facilities in the classroom. 55% of respondents said that chire and disk are comfortable while absolutely no respondents thought they are very comfortable. 20% said they are comfortable enough and 25% said that those facilities are not comfortable at all. 2.5.2 Conclusion Considering the results above, we may conclude that many of the students find chire and disk in their classrooms to be comfortable. 7 Recommendations Basing on this study, I would like to recommend the following so that by implementing them the institution can be better than it is now. 3.1 The senior administrator should make sure that the study rooms are up to date. More study rooms should be constructed to cater for the needs of the students; Jamieson (2008, 124) notes that space management is vital to a good study environment. 3.2 Orientation tours should be kept up and done promptly by those doing admissions when new students are involved. If possible they should be done two times or more for the same students until they have mastered the college environment; Carmichael (2009, 57). 3.3 The QUTIC senior administrator should make sure that temperatures in the classrooms are taken a bit lower in order to carter for the students who find them hot. 3.4 The college administrator should do something a bout the level of noise in the classrooms. Students should be helped to understand the need of studying silently. 3.5 The college administration should make sure that facilities such as chire and disk are made more comfortable and long lasting; Gurdish and Halim (2007, 6). 3. Benefits Recommendations will benefit both the students in the short term and the entire institution in the long term. New students will find a better environment for learning. The reputation of the institution will grow and this will attract more international students. 8 References. Catherine E. Watt, (2009).Why Are Data on Facilities Important? International Journal for Academic Development. Vol. 8, No. 1/2, May/November 2003, pp. 119–133ISSN 1360–144X (print)/ISSN 1470–1324 (online)/03/010119–15 © 2003 Taylor & Francis Ltd DOI 10.1080/1360144042000277991 Peter Jamieson (2008).Designing More Effective On-campus. Teaching and Learning Spaces: A Role for Academic Developers. University of Queensland, Australia The Pedagogy of the Heart and the Mind—Cultivating Curiosity and a Love of Learning, Part 1 by Patricia Carmichael; School Library Media Activities Monthly/Volume XXV, Number 5/January 2009 Retrieved on Sunday May 2010. Retrieved on Sunday May 2010. Gurdish K. Aill(2007): The I in independent Learning , The rise of self Managing learners Graduate School of Education: The University of Western Australia and National University of Singapore. Kari C. Cobur(2007): Taking a Fresh Look at Facilities Data: Lessons Learned: New directions for institutional research, no. 135, Fall 2007 © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Published online in Wiley Inter Science (www.interscience.wiley.com) • DOI: 10.1002/ir.225. Pesanelli David; (1993) The Futurist; September-October ; The plug-in school: A learning environment for the 21st century, Academic Research Library. Neil Gislason; (2009), Mapping School Design: A Qualitative Study of the Relations Among Facilities Design, Curriculum Delivery, and School Climate. The journal of Environmental Education, Vol 40, No. 4. Heldref publications. Read More