Evolving Views of Learning Environments
Brad Griffith
July 18, 2016

Where doesn't learning occur?  I find myself asking this question more and more the further I get into this course.  One of the unique parts of my job is that I try to help those around campus understand that learning doesn't happen just inside the classroom.  There are some that, when asked what blended learning means, still refer to it as a hybrid course.  To me, this term and the concept of a learning environment means so much more than a course type. 

In looking at formal learning, it's easy to understand how course types are automatically the first point of discussion.  Questions always arise.  When do students meet? Can this course be done online?  Why does this class have to be face to face?  My favorite way to combat this when working with faculty members is by asking "where do your students learn" repeatedly until they run out of responses. 

Once there are no further answers, the true locations of learning seem to appear:  study halls, in students' cars before they come to class to take a test, on the job when formal studies are the last thing on their mind, or on weekends when students are out in public and find a spark somewhere that connects what they have learned to their daily life.  It's the informal component of life where some of the most valuable learning can take place.

Take, for example, this image of the Crystal Bridge at the Myriad Gardens in Oklahoma City.  I have seen this place from the outside for more than 20 years, but never went inside until a few weeks ago when I was spending an afternoon with my family.  This garden sits in the middle of the Myriad Gardens in Downtown Oklahoma City and has tropical and desert flora throughout.  Guests can either take a guided tour, audio tour, or self-guided reading tour.  There is a flowing trail through this garden that leads you from the most humid atmosphere into the canopy and transitions back through the desert-style terrain. Nearly all of the plants are within reach so that children can touch and smell them.  They also have a large parrot that is native to the climate. 

I was able to show my nephew so many varieties of plants that cannot be found in Oklahoma, all of which he had no previous exposure.  The questions he raised, some of which I couldn't answer, caused me to look further into the space I had in front of me.  I was only excited to visually see what was in the conservatory, but left with much more than that. I appreciated that this place catered to multiple learning preferences and had opportunities both for synchronous and asynchronous learning.