Is Learning Observable?

My immediate reaction to the question “Is learning observable?“ is “Of course it is!” How else would a teacher be able to evaluate and give feedback to a student if some sort of learning process was not witnessed? As many of the blogs posted prior to mine already pointed out, learning is assessed formatively and summatively. Some sort of knowledge acquisition is taking place and it is up to teachers to use appropriate methods to assess given the diverse learning styles of their students. In the discussions last class, there were great ideas on how to assess each of the different learning styles, including things like asking “I statements,” having students set personal goals and writing personal reflections, etc.

But upon my own further reflection, I started thinking about students who have puzzled me, making me question my own biases in thinking. I discovered that I have not always been able to observe learning taking place. This was especially evident with students with cognitive or communicative disabilities. How am I to know if learning is taking place if nothing is observable or able to be communicated? Then, in reading Helen’s blog she wrote, “The teacher must be attuned to suggestions and answers that may show a different perspective; opinions that may not always be initially observable.” This statement made me further question how it is that all learning can be observable if we as teachers do not know all the ways in which learning is shown or demonstrated? If I cannot effectively communicate with someone, how do I know that they are indeed learning?

With my own children there have been many times when I have tried to teach them something and it has not always been immediately observed as being “learned” at the time, which can be extremely frustrating. Sometimes the learning was not overtly observed until years later when they recalled on the information and a situation arose that they were able to utilize the information. So, learning also tends to have a continuum of time associated with it. Learning does not need to be immediately observable in order for it to have taken place. In fact, just because a teacher does not feel a rewarding teaching experience has taken place does not mean that learning has not occurred.

Not only that, but what is “learning” exactly? Is it simply an acquisition of knowledge? How is it characterized? Is there some change in thinking, behaviour or both? Over time, our knowledge of learning has progressed through different theories including behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and social constructivism. The theories are merely models. Therefore, if learning is a theory then does this presuppose observing learning is also theoretical?

The idea of learning being observable is now not as black and white as I originally thought it was. There are definite areas of grey, and it seems to have generated more questions than answers for me. I do believe, however, that learning is a personal journey and that when observing learning one must also look at the learning that cannot be seen.