On How Learning Happens - 5
The Complex Visible and Invisible Layers
Learning Process has Multiple Layers:
One of my favorite truisms about learning is that: while teaching is a visible process, learning is an invisible process.
As a result, a lot of classroom observers or admins or casuals fail to recognize what is actually happening in the classroom.
They usually fall into the trap of “visible” layers of teaching activities while they miss the crucial “invisible” layers of learning process.
Here’s an idea from Graham Nuthall’s 2004 paper on the theme of knowing-doing gap1.
Let’s break it down.
Part A: The Visible and Semi-visible Layers: Doing
Layer 1: The Visible layer
This layer is all about the activities, communication, routines happening in the class. The presentation. The classroom set up. The walls with posters.
It is also the layer where an observer can see what the teacher is doing, and what the students are doing.
This is highly influenced by the current trend in education/pedagogy. It also depends on the teacher’s experience + capability, and the teacher’s personal preferences + personality.
So an observer can be easily deceived a flamboyant teacher is taking the class versus a so called passive teacher. Same with the students’ perception and judgment.
Similarly, an observer can be easily persuaded to label if the students are “active” or “passive”.
Layer 2: The Semi-Visible Layer
Beneath the Visible layer, we have elements like the learning culture, the peer-relationship, and the way students interact with each other.
Nuthall writes, “The way students behave and consequently experience classroom activities is not simply a function of teacher-managed activities, but also a function of the students’ ongoing relationships with other students and of their own beliefs and previous experiences.”
An observer can infer if the students are collaborative or not. When students interact with each other, the observer can analyze the types of feedback or opinion students are sharing to each other and assume the type of relationship in the classroom.
For instance, a student throws a crass opinion towards another students, and the whole class laughs.
Was that appropriate? Was that just a common behavior of the students? Is everyone okay with such opinions and laughs? One may not know exactly right away. May be they have a deep friendship level and they throw around such crass opinions at each other regularly, and still get along perfectly.
Part B: The Semi-invisible and Invisible layers: Thinking
Layer 3: The Semi-Invisible Layer
This is where things get interesting (or complex) from “how learning actually happens” perspective. This layer represents the underlying “instructional framework” the teacher is following (or not following) so that the individual students are learning. This is where the learning sequences become apparent.
An expert observer (or an expert teacher) might be able to peel through and understand what’s happening, what each students are doing, and even thinking. And, what the teacher is actually doing to make those happen.
“Ah, the teacher started with a provoking question and asked the students to work in a group. Some groups jumped into the task right away. Some groups look clueless. That was the visible part. Then the teacher asked each student to reflect on the outcome of their group activity. Were they able to come to a solution? Were they able to discuss or debate? Were they able to defend their opinion or approach? Now, this is where the teacher is trying to check the understanding or misunderstanding forming in the students’ mind.”
Or, it could go something like this.
“The teacher started with an activity. Everyone were engaged apparently. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed it too. And then? So what’s the learning sequence here? Why did the teacher conduct the activity at all?”
Layer 4: The Invisible Layer
The most illusive layer, as you might have guessed. Because you can’t talk about stuffs that you can’t see or understand. And, unfortunately, most novice teachers, non-teachers, students, admins, observers, parents have zero concept of the most important part of the learning process.
This layer is the part of student’s prior knowledge, their ability to interpret, make sense of the things happening in the class and inside their brain. This is also about motivation and metacognition.
They can interpret classroom activities - the visible layers - in relation to their own goals, interests, motivation, and prior knowledge. They filter the information that is relevant to them. And eventually make understandings of the concept.
They are also constantly (although unconsciously) making a lot of learning decisions - to engage or not to engage, to make sense of the information and experience, and managing their attention, thinking, and participation in the classroom activities.
Their learning decision eventually changes their knowledge, skills, and motivation.
The Implication:
In some ways, it’s easier for anyone to observe the first two layers (Layer 1 and Layer 2) and come to a conclusion. Both right and wrong.
“त्यो टिचरले पढाउने तरिका त कस्तो बोरिङ्ग रहेछ। सब विद्यार्थी चुप चाप बस्ने रहेछन् क्लासमा”
That teacher has such a boring style. Every student remained silent in the class.“त्यो टिचरले पढाउने तरिका त कस्तो दामी रहेछ। सब विद्यार्थी चुप चाप बस्ने रहेछन् क्लासमा”
That teacher has such an awesome style. Every student remained silent in the class.
Therefore, when an observer (or students) can only see through the Visible and Semi-visible layers, their understanding of how learning is happening can be incomplete and incorrect. One can only “see” what’s happening, but rarely comprehend what’s happening beyond what’s visible.
A lot of time, admins, parents, and even policy makers fall into this trap called Learning by Doing or Activity based Learning. Because that’s visible. Thus, they might want their teachers to spend a lot of time on the first two visible layers while completely ignoring the next two invisible layers.
The question is: are they aware of this trap before making any learning/pedagogy-related rules, guidelines, or policies?
But if the teachers, admins, and observers are aware of these layers, they can (hopefully) understand how teaching is related to learning.
They are:
a. how individual student’s motivation, behavior and experience are shaped by the way the teacher designs the learning process, manages the activities, and assesses classroom learning
b. how the four layers influence the complex relationship between teaching and learning
c. how individual students manage their engagement/attention, make sense of the information and generate understanding from their classroom experiences.
To connect all four layers again:
Learning is a complex process. And, teaching is too because as a teacher you will have to design the learning process that connects all four layers - in a logically and pedagogically sound way.
The only way a teacher can develop this capability and “intuition” for the invisible stuff is by, first, “knowing’ and “doing” how learning happens, and second, by bridging the gap between teaching and learning, doing and thinking.
If you are not able to connect the visible layers with the invisible layers, hey don’t worry, I’m here to help :)
Nuthall, G. (2004). Relating Classroom Teaching to Student Learning: A Critical Analysis of Why Research Has Failed to Bridge the Theory-Practice Gap. Harvard Educational Review, 74(3), 273–306.