In the following survey example, the year 4 student's responses reveal several important pieces of information about the boy's learning, previously unknown to the teacher.
- He is excited about making the discovery that one-half can be equivalent to other fractions besides two-quarters.
- He is motivated to make more discoveries and not be simply told.
- The pizza game engaged him and provided the opportunity for his discovery.
- He does not understand the number line representation for fractions.
Each of these insights into the boy's personal learning space offers opportunity for the teacher to take actions to maximise further learning. Although some of these insights would have been gained through a standard knowledge test on the week's work on fractions, a test would not reveal what motivates and engages this student.
