National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Space Weather Action Center
Methods and Techniques: Prediction Reflection
A Journal Entry to Understand how to Make Accurate Predictions
Research indicates that students can learn more effectively if you ask them to reflect upon their predictions. A Prediction Reflection can be used after any exploration in which the students make predictions. Introduce the Prediction Reflection to students before they start the prediction, and tell them a Prediction Reflection will provide an awareness of their reasons for making each prediction. This will help them to improve their predictions as they analyse the data using the flip charts within Space Weather Action Center.
There is no correct or incorrect answer to these predictions. However, it can be very helpful in understanding the concepts; if you understand why your prediction matched or did not match the outcome you will improve your skills for accurate predictions. You should write about one prediction that did not match the outcome and one prediction that did match the outcome. (However, if every prediction matched every outcome or every prediction failed to predict every outcome, choose two that are interesting to you.)
Guidelines are simple:
Explain what made you believe that your prediction was true. Have you had similar experiences, has someone explained this concept to you, did you connect this activity with one you have experienced, did it just seem natural (why?), did you just guess?
What did each of these predictions tell you about how you think about this concept? Describe what you learned (if you feel you did not learn anything , it is alright to say that... try to explain why).
This is not a "journal" in the sense that you would record the events of the day. These reflections are a chance to privately explore some of the questions you considered and your reactions to the ideas and experiences you encountered. It is a chance to think about how you think and learn. Don't worry about "being right", remember there are no wrong answers. Use your reflection to make the next prediction building on your skills to make accurate predictions.