What is observation?

Observation is a skill developed through understanding what is actually and specifically required to complete a task. To observe something, we need to go further than just looking at it. When we look at something and our job is to observe, it gives us a greater purpose. Observing leads us to examine, investigate, or specify how or what is happening. Observation is a qualitative skill that enhances our focus on a specific quality or characteristic. It is also a data collection method used in different fields of study, such as statistics, social studies, psychology, political science, business modules, and so on. The given video is a perfect example of observation. The observation skill relates to taking precautions while safely crossing streets. The first is to look at the right and left sides, and the task is not just to look but to make someone aware of the coming vehicles from any side. When a person is aware that no vehicle is approaching, he or she may proceed down the road. Again, the use of hedgehogs in the video has been linked to specific observation skills. It gives us the idea that this video is made for educating children.

The role of the observer may vary from field to field. However, the general roles of an observer are collecting data, understanding, examining, studying, making decisions and so on. The whole process goes through a careful vision. A good observer is always good at finding out things easily through his or her vision. To narrow down an observation, an observer must be pinpoint specific on what he is looking for and what he is going to do. For instance, in the given video, the hedgehogs are the observers. They are trying to cross the road. So, their first observation is on the street whether any vehicle is coming from the left or the right. When they discover no vehicles, their second task is to cross the road safely. Overall, in this video, there are four tasks done by the observer: to stop, look, listen, and live.

In the literary industry, observation plays a vital role. What an observer does may vary on the role of an observer. For instance, as an author, one must focus on what his readers seek from him, how is he going to write his story and how he will make his reader able to understand what he wants to express. As a reader, one must focus on the theme, writing style, background information, character information, and short details to understand an author’s motive. As an analyser or a critic, one must focus on the perspective of the writing, the context of the writing, and do a close reading of the text and subtle details to analyse the writing.

Observation is an important skill to lead a human life. Observation can be defined as one of the survival skills for human beings. I think there are several types of observation according to circumstances such as self-observation, laboratory observation, natural observation, interactive observation, non-interactive observation, direct observation, and indirect observation.

Further Observation based on Bogdan Participant Observation:

By observing the video and the text, I understand that observation is focused mainly on two types of observation, and these are a participant and non-participant observation. Participant observation is mainly a research-based observation where a researcher observes participants’ behaviour. According to Bogdan participant observation, “Participant observation refers to a research approach in which the major activity is characterized by a prolonged period of contact with subjects in the place in which they normally spend their time. During the encounters, data, in the form of field notes, are unobtrusively and systematically collected” (Bogdan 303).

In participant observation, research must be conducted from a public interest rather than personal interest, research is recorded so that it can be further analysed. Participants’ behaviour and interactions are normally recorded. The purpose of the participant observation is to understand complex social settings and relationships so that they can introduce new theories. The researcher would try to understand the world according to the participant’s view of the world (303). Again, the participants in the research are aware of the data a researcher is going to use. The reason behind this is to let participant understand and answer the questions properly. The goal of participant observation research is to understand as fully as possible the situation being studied without disturbing that situation (304). Although the observer focuses his greatest effort to data analysis following the fieldwork stage of research, analysis is a continuing and constant activity. Particular ideas, concepts, and models are developed in the field and tested, refined, or discarded as the study advances (307).

There are different observations done in the Bogdan Participant observation such as,

1. Observation to defend or attack the works of others.
2. Observation of students of the special education institutions to understand their world.
3. Observation of the guardians of the students in an informal way.
4.  Observation on the special education programme. In that case, the observer is trained and practised.
5. The research role method where the researcher is a mixture of an objective recording machine and an empathetic human being.

Work Cited:

Bogdan, Robert. ‘Participant Observation’. Peabody Journal of Education, vol. 50, no. 4, 1973, pp. 302–08.

 Observation project: First thoughts

My job as an observer during a face-to-face reading entail utilizing my senses to discuss the circumstance. In addition to any tangible things in the setting, I would pay great attention to understanding the individual’s body language, facial expressions, and voice tone. Being there in person enables me to notice things that would not be heard or apparent online, such as changes in posture, fidgeting, or alterations in the atmosphere. I may also be able to receive information that is not immediately audible or visual by using my intuition and other extrasensory experiences.

I would play a similar observer role as an observer during an online reading, but I would like to place a greater emphasis on visual and audio signals. I would listen carefully to the speaker’s tone of voice, word choice, and any non-verbal indications that are captured on video. Any contextual clues offered by the surrounds or backdrop that are captured on camera would likewise be considered. There may be fresh information accessible to me in the form of the person’s online presence, even though certain characteristics of physicality may be lost in online reading. So, overall, I will try to take as much as data I can collect whether it is an online observation method or a face-to-face method. Undoubtedly, there would be more opportunities in observing and collecting data in face-to-face data collection. Yet I would not keep any space for leaving any opportunity for losing data in online observation.

This is the possible list of points that I can analyse.

1. Participants’ overall mood and behaviour during the interview.
2. Any change in participants’ behaviour such as feeling anxious or relaxed.
3. Participants’ level of engagement, ensuring how authentic information they are providing.
4. Applying any specific technique or method to get the exact information.
5. Understanding Participants  interest and disinterest while collecting data.

Observing Cata Holm

• Normally she talks to woman. Now she is talking infront of man as well. She seems to be introvert.
• She just tried to be herself.
• Her eye contact and a jolly face is constant.
• She encourages to be authentic.
• She is anxious but still keep going on.
• She accepts the fact that she is embarrassed. She learned to accept herself.
• She is trying to make it interesting to keep the attention of the listeners.
• She is trying to get the attention of women as the book mainly focused on the experience of being a mother.
• She expresses what she has been through during her pregnancy so that she can make the reader experience her feelings.
• Her confidence grew high with the passage of time.

Repetitive observation of the video:

After watching the video again, I became more aware of Catia Holm’s posture and hand gestures, among other aspects of her body language. I also picked up on softer indications like her voice tone and how she reacts to certain audience members.

Taking stock: From what I’ve noticed, Catia Holm is a charming and engaging speaker who knows how to engage with her audience. She expresses herself with humour and movements and appears to actually enjoy talking to them. I might use my observation to motivate myself on how to express myself publicly and how to overcome my fear of public speaking.

Again: How do you observe?

Analysing data: The given flowchart my way of data collection for research project.

Project Holm: Outline

Outline of the Project :

I want to do my internship in a literary heritage site. I want to work as a literary tour guide. This internship project will focus mostly on literary heritage to show how important cultural significance is. This can help the heritage industry by bringing in people from different backgrounds who are interested in other cultures. This project can also inspire people in my home country of Bangladesh to use similar models of cultural coverage to make the heritage industry there more diverse and open to everyone. Here, I’ll try to sum up what I hope to accomplish with this project:

1. Define the project’s goals and parameters.
2. State the purpose and research question.
3. Do some research into the history of literature.
4. Conduct a comprehensive literature review of the literary heritage sector.
5. Recognize the current tendencies and global impacts of cultural heritage.
6. Suggestions for enhancing cultural coverage of literature’s historical significance .