Does having students make predictions help them learn?

Dear Aggie,
I have heard that it can be valuable to ask students questions about the material before I have taught it. But won’t they just be guessing? I guess I don’t understand the value of this approach.

—Questioning Pre-Questions

 

Dear Questioning,
Thank you for your note! There is strong evidence that asking students to make predictions (not wild guesses) about your course material can promote deeper learning. Let me share a little background, and then some practical ways to use this approach in your class.

Why Predictions Work

When you ask students to predict, you spark curiosity, and curiosity activates the parts of the brain responsible for memory. If students are not confident in their prediction, they may become aware of a knowledge gap, and may become more motivated to close that gap (and curious about how to do so). Additionally, if students make a prediction and are wrong, there can be an element of surprise, which increases their attention and leads to better learning of the correct information.

Strategies for the Classroom

As you predicted (pun intended!), asking students fact-based questions about material they haven’t learned yet is rarely productive. The key is to keep the questions conceptual, so students can draw on prior knowledge. And make sure to ask before giving direct instruction.

Here are some ways to try out predictions:

• Pre-quiz: At the start of class, pose a few short, conceptual questions that both pique curiosity and give a preview of the kinds of questions students may see later.
• Pause for predictions: When describing an experiment or survey, stop and ask students to predict the result and to explain their reasoning.
• Content-based prompts: Invite students to predict outcomes, processes, or behaviors related to your material, and again encourage them to share the rationale for their predictions.

After predictions are made, always give immediate feedback. Reveal the correct answer, then give students a moment to reflect on what they learned and how their thinking shifted.

A Note on Classroom Climate

Because anxiety dampens curiosity, keep these activities low stakes. Let students be surprised (not penalized) when their predictions miss the mark. The surprise itself boosts learning.

Closing Thoughts

I hope this gives you a taste of the power of predictions. They’re simple, engaging, and can deepen learning. If you’d like to dive deeper, keep an eye out for an upcoming Teaching Academy workshop on this very topic (October 6, 3:00-4:15, or October 7, 10:30-11:45).

~Aggie