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Chapter 8 synthesizes the research findings from the processes of sensory cognition into the design and configuration of the learning environment. The focus of cognition changes perspective and focus from the attributes of an external stimulus to the internal processes of integration with prior learning and internalization into a new cognition of the individual, which is labeled as the individual's learning ecology. These processes provide a plausible model for the design of the learning environment dimension, which internalizes the learning into transformational and ultimately lifelong learning. The processes of sensory cognition provide a viable and practical model to engineer learning cognition in the same way the brain does with sensory cognition. Like sensory cognition, learning cognition is the result of the structure of the learning environment.

The process of differentiating each of the dimensions of learning is demonstrated by the application of three possible conceptual frameworks for each dimension, which are based on the theories of learning, instruction, and environment. Multiple existing theories apply to each dimension of the curriculum, including one framework that is a synthesis of several related theories. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how theories may be adapted into design templates and used to configure the components of the curriculum. The outcome of this process is to create coherent curricula through the practical application of theories of learning as design templates.

A blueprint template is presented to visualize the internal alignment, interconnectedness, and overall coherence of each curriculum. This template visually depicts the functional interactions between the curricular components as dynamic relationships. This tool reveals the design relationships within the curriculum for purposes of design and evaluation. For curriculum design purposes, this form is used to establish and maintain the alignment among the dimensions of a curriculum (horizontally in the template) as well as the interconnectedness of the components. Engagement with the learning process begins by translating the content of each learning objective into instructional objectives, which aligns the instructional components with each learning objective. The instructional objectives are configured to align the content and structure contained in the outcomes and objectives with the instructional components. In this curriculum design system, the instructional taxonomies of Bloom, Engelhart, Furst, Hill, and Krathwohl (1956) are adapted as design templates to demonstrate three strategies to configure the structure of the learning engagement dimension into three distinct purposes of developing cognition, skills, or values within each dimension (vertically in the template).

The learning experience in this curriculum demonstration differentiates three distinct instructional functions: the learning of thinking skills, the learning of performance skills, and the learning of values-based performance. A template adapted from credible theories of instruction configures the specified learning.

Three models also differentiate the learning environment dimension of a curriculum. The learning environment is structured to deliver learning through individual, cooperative, or collaborative processes. Although the environmental considerations mostly impact the activities through which learners interact with the content of the curriculum (reinforcement activities, assignments, assessments), the environmental factors influence all components of the curriculum and can be differentiated to promote and enhance learning. From the learner perspective, the learning environment is created by the dynamic interaction of all components of the curriculum to facilitate an unobstructed path to learning.

Physical environments, especially the sound environments of ILSs on a university campus, have become increasingly important in satisfying the diverse needs of students. Poor sound environments are widely acknowledged to lead to inefficient and underutilised spaces and to negatively influence students' learning outcomes. This study proposes two hypotheses to explore whether students' sound environment perceptions are related to their individual characteristics and whether students' preferences for the type of ILS are related to their sound environment sensitivities.

An investigation through a questionnaire survey has been conducted on both students' individual characteristics affecting their sound environment perceptions in informal learning spaces (ILSs) of a university campus and their sensitivities to the sound environments in ILSs affecting their preferences for the type of ILSs.

The research findings indicate that students' sound environment perceptions are associated with some of their individual characteristics. In addition, the results show that students' sound environment sensitivities affect their preferences for the type of ILS they occupy.

This study could help architects and managers of university learning spaces to provide better sound environments for students, thereby improving their learning outcomes. The article contributes valuable insights into the correlation between students' individual characteristics, sound environment perceptions and preferences for ILSs. The research findings add to the existing knowledge in this field and offer practical implications for enhancing design and management of university learning environments.

Construction companies are increasingly adopting sensing technologies like laser scanners, making it necessary to upskill the future workforce in this area. However, limited jobsite access hinders experiential learning of laser scanning, necessitating the need for an alternative learning environment. Previously, the authors explored mixed reality (MR) as an alternative learning environment for laser scanning, but to promote seamless learning, such learning environments must be proactive and intelligent. Toward this, the potentials of classification models for detecting user difficulties and learning stages in the MR environment were investigated in this study.

The study adopted machine learning classifiers on eye-tracking data and think-aloud data for detecting learning stages and interaction difficulties during the usability study of laser scanning in the MR environment.

The classification models demonstrated high performance, with neural network classifier showing superior performance (accuracy of 99.9%) during the detection of learning stages and an ensemble showing the highest accuracy of 84.6% for detecting interaction difficulty during laser scanning.

The findings of this study revealed that eye movement data possess significant information about learning stages and interaction difficulties and provide evidence of the potentials of smart MR environments for improved learning experiences in construction education. The research implication further lies in the potential of an intelligent learning environment for providing personalized learning experiences that often culminate in improved learning outcomes. This study further highlights the potential of such an intelligent learning environment in promoting inclusive learning, whereby students with different cognitive capabilities can experience learning tailored to their specific needs irrespective of their individual differences.

The classification models will help detect learners requiring additional support to acquire the necessary technical skills for deploying laser scanners in the construction industry and inform the specific training needs of users to enhance seamless interaction with the learning environment.

This study intends to examine whether the reasons learners like or dislike a learning environment can help explain the differences in the characteristics of the learner and whether learner characteristics can influence a learner's preference for a learning environment.

This study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed methods research design. The study first conducted focus groups with university students to uncover their learner characteristics by examining the reasons they liked or disliked a learning environment. This was followed by a questionnaire survey to explore how these learner characteristics influenced learner inclination for a learning environment. The survey data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (partial least squares structural equation modelling).

The findings showed that two types of learner characteristics, i.e. online learner characteristics and classroom learner characteristics, significantly affected learner inclination for a learning environment. Analyses also indicated that learner demographics had no major moderating effect between learner characteristics and learner inclination for a learning environment.

The findings can be useful for education institutions, learning designers and academics to design engaging learning activities to better support different learning needs.

This study makes a novel attempt to distinguish learner characteristics based on the reasons learners like or dislike a learning environment and establishes that individual learners' characteristics play a role in influencing their preference for a specific learning environment.

The aims of this study is to use authentic learning principles outlined by Herrington and Kervin (2007) as an innovative approach towards the development of a blended learning environment in a Malaysian classroom at the tertiary level and students’ perception towards this learning environment was studied.

This study was conducted using a mixed-method approach and consisted of two parts. Part A: the learning environment was designed to be student-centred, supported by multimedia and web technologies, consisting of online learning modules, blogs and social media, as well as being driven by a class project. Part B: qualitative and quantitative data were collected to solicit student feedback on the learning environment.

Results of the study indicated that students responded positively towards the authentic blended learning environment, as it was found to be relevant to their learning. In an authentic blended learning environment, students became more engaged with the content and actively involved in their learning process. These results show strong and encouraging support for the use of authentic learning principles in the development of blended learning environments.

Universities in Malaysia are only beginning to move towards a more blended approach in designing learning environments. This paper provides some insights to one possible way of designing a blended learning environment in a Malaysian tertiary setting.

The aim of this paper is to explore how a teaching restaurant could be developed as an internal research (R), development (D) and innovation (I) environment based on the ideas of the students and the teachers.

Theoretical framework is composed of constructivist pedagogy. The four types of internal environments, namely learning, development, research, and innovation are described. A case organization's pedagogical model of Learning by Developing is illustrated. Empirical data were collected by utilizing a sentence completion method from the students and the teachers at the case teaching restaurant.

The empirical results illustrated that a teaching restaurant could be developed from the viewpoints of all four environments. However, the students and the teachers do not necessarily perceive a great difference between the aforementioned environments. Furthermore, the students identify more innovative research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) opportunities when compared to the teachers. The socio-cultural constructivist pedagogy was emphasized in the form of team work.

When developing a teaching restaurant, both the students’ and teachers’ ideas could be collected. Also both cognitive and socio-cultural constructivist pedagogy proved applicable.

A teaching restaurant offers possibilities for constructive learning, R&D&I which can be applied to skills, processes, and services for both individual students and students as team members.

This study aims to unravel the dynamic nature of the process of self-regulated learning (SRL) of medical specialists as it actually unfolds over time in the authentic clinical environment.

A longitudinal multiple case-study design was used, combining multiple data-collection techniques. Long-term observations offered evidence on overt SRL strategies. Physicians’ observed behaviours were used as cues for in loco stimulated recall interviews, asking about covert SRL strategies and their thoughts regarding a situation at hand. Field notes and audiotaped stimulated recall interviews were transcribed verbatim and integrated in a longitudinal database to map SRL as it actually unfolds moment-by-moment. The transcripts were analysed from an inter- and intra-individual perspective using Nvivo 12.

Results show a variety of strategies that initiate, advance and evaluate the process of SRL. Different SRL strategies not included in contemporary frameworks on SRL are found and classified as a new category which the authors labelled “learning readiness”. Exemplary for an SRL strategy in this category is awareness of learning needs. Results show that SRL in the clinical environment is found as an interrelated, dynamic process unfolding in time with feedback loops between different SRL strategies. Performance is found to play a leading role in driving SRL.

This study contributes empirically to the conceptual understanding of SRL in the clinical environment. The use of a situated, longitudinal methodology, which goes beyond the common path of retrospective self-report questionnaires, adds to the disentanglement of the process of SRL as it actually unfolds in the work environment.

The purpose of this paper is to explore student perceptions of the internationalised learning environment across a particular university's home and offshore campuses. It addresses three research questions namely: what constitutes the internationalised learning environment for students? Can a university offer an internationalised learning environment that is equitable for students across its home and offshore campuses? And what differences exist in the internationalised learning environment for students in a university's home and offshore campuses?

In total, 484 completed responses were collected from the university's six campuses in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Findings suggested significant differences in the way students perceived of teaching reputation, context-specific curriculum, resources, student-support staff interaction and their attitude towards their university.

These insights could help a university's teaching staff and administrators to focus on specific attributes in marketing the internationalised learning environments of each of its campuses. This could give the university better opportunity for improving the learning process and its outcomes for students.

This paper sets out to define the parameters of the internationalised learning environment and conducts an audit of this environment from the student perspective. Findings suggested significant differences in the way students perceived of teaching reputation, context-specific curriculum, resources, student-support staff interaction and their attitude towards their university. In the market of fierce competition for international students, it is crucial that these positive attributes be part of the marketing messages in any promotion campaigns for universities.

This study aims to explore first-year engineering students’ perceptions of the engineering librarian as an instructor in multimodal environments related to Information Literacy (IL) topics, teaching strategy, content evaluation, organising, planning and support.

A quantitative approach was used through a survey instrument based on an online questionnaire. Questions were adopted and modified from a lecturer evaluation survey. A simple random sampling technique was used to collect data from first-year cohorts of engineering students in 2020 and 2022.

Respondents perception of the engineering librarian as an instructor in multimodal learning environment was good. Findings revealed students’ learning experiences were aligned with IL instruction even though the environment changed from blended to online. However, an emerging theme that continuously appeared was a lack of access to technology.

These findings may help in developing and strengthening the teaching identity of academic librarians as instructors in multimodal learning environments.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is novel in that it evaluates the teaching abilities of an academic librarian in multimodal environments through the lens of students.