Skills require the ability to observe so that one can accurately control actions and achieve desired results. For example, someone studying massage should observe the different types of strokes, pressure and speed, as well as the effect of the strokes on different muscle groups. This is particularly important for skills with beauty or taste components. Observation allows one to recognize, predict, and modify sequences that have predictable effects. People who can observe can control the quality of their work, and innovate while still following the desired sequence.
Observation aids in problem-solving and decision making. As students observe their work or others, they start to predict problems, look for solutions, try different methods, etc. These decisions aid in decision making and allow students to develop strategies that can be used in different contexts. Observation is key to developing the intuition to make good choices, quickly, and know what the outcome of a particular action will be before it is attempted. This reduces the time it takes to perform tasks while maintaining quality.
Mentorship can enhance the observational learning process. A learner may watch a professional complete a technique and observe their decision-making. A mentor may point out what to look for while watching. Learners will come to understand how to use observation to adjust the technique, for example, and develop their technique through practice. The integration of the observational process with the explanatory process is what makes the technique a technique and the product a craft.
The strength of observation is that it makes information into practical skill. It promotes attentiveness, exactness, and flexibility. It reinforces constant education and improvement. Through attention and reflection, students gain the wisdom to turn technique into skill, to make each action deliberate, each outcome considered, and each move forward, a part of the big picture. Observation is not just a part of the process. It is the framework for mastery.
