Is Learning Always Observable ?

I believe learning is observable but it does not mean that one can see the result of teaching in a specific time. Learning is a complex process based on the amount, quality, and pace of learning; moreover, everybody achieves it in a different way as a result of her personality, background and some other factors. Sometimes we observe learning but it does not mean that the learning process is achieved completely or it is the satisfactory learning or some time we do not observe learning but it does not mean that the process does not started it yet.

Personality is one of the factors that make the learning process different and affects the signs that a teacher can see her teaching is materialized in her students. As it was discussed, introverted and extroverted personalities have different ways of showing their learning. For example, in my daughter’s class - grade 7- her teacher asked all students to read a fiction story by their own choice and present it to the class either as presentation or a poster. My daughter loves to read but since she has introvert personality she doesn’t like to go in front of the class and talk. On the other hand, making a poster was a comfortable way for her to show her knowledge. In this project, she ended up making three posters for three different stories instead of one. After reading Mamchur book and our last week discussion, now I see how her teacher choose an intelligent way to observe a learning process in her students.

The other important factor in the process of learning is the speed of learning that differs from one student to the other. A teacher can use various methods to observe if the students learned the subject. For example, she can put students in smaller groups to discuss the subject, or use in one-to-one discussion; she can give students some time until they come up with the answer; and she can encourage students to engage in class discussion. The level of students’ interest, excitement, and participation are some signs of learning.