Pttls_Assessment_2

Different ways of establishing ground rules within the learning environment. When staring any learning program, it is important to set ground rules at the beginning. The setting of ground rules establishes the acceptable boundaries for the group to work within. There are a number of ways these boundaries can be set, and having student involvement increases the success and creates a safe working environment in line with the “professional standards for teachers, tutors and trainers in the lifelong learning sector”. One example would be to encourage the students to set the rules by way of an exercise, asking the students what they expect from: • Each other • The Tutor • What is acceptable for the tutor to expect from the students The advantage of this method is that the students set their own agreed standards based on their expectations, have inclusion and therefore be more susceptible to adhering to the rules that are set. A similar method could be to put different rules into a scenario based environment, for example, bad language. Would this be acceptable in certain settings such as, classroom, with friends, with a partner or relative' This would then define what is acceptable in a particular setting, focusing on what is acceptable in a learning environment. Using a direct approach, whereby the tutor sets the rules could also be used. This is especially useful when time is a priority and the need for direct instruction reduces the time spent in discussion. For example, stating that mobile phones must be switched off or on silent, setting out what is expected from the students to maximise the time spent focusing on the subject being taught. This should be done in a professional and positive manner to avoid an authoritarian impression. It is important that these ground rules are agreed to allow the students to “take responsibility and ownership for their own learning”. “Your learners will learn best in an environment in which they are able to participate, voice their opinions, ask questions and be actively involved in determining how they will learn”. Gravells, A. (2007) Planning and Enabling Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector.