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To help students understand the difference between observations and inferences, go through a few examples with them. Link an observation directly to one of the five senses, then, give an example of an inference that could be made based on the observation.
Inference is the act of drawing conclusions based on observations and prior knowledge (Koslowski, 1996). Unlike observations, inferences are not direct facts that we perceive with our senses. Instead, they are mental leaps we make to predict, explain, or interpret the observed facts.
Example 1: Physics. Observation: A physics student notices that a ball released from a height falls downward towards the ground, accelerating as it goes. Inference: From the observation, the student infers that the ball is under the influence of an unseen force — gravity — which is pulling it towards the ground and causing it to accelerate.
Just about every type of essay, dissertation, or thesis you’ll be asked to write will involve observations and inferences. You’ll probably have heard them used interchangeably in speech; although they’re related, they have different meanings.
The first and foremost difference between observation and inference is that Observation is what one perceives or notices. On the other hand, inference is an explanation or assumption of what one has perceived or noticed.
to understand that an observation is something that can be easily seen whereas an inference is a guess or idea that needs to be supported by evidence. For example, students can make the observation that a gecko has four short, skinny legs.
Presentation, worksheet and lesson plan to help learners understand the difference between observation and inference as you build their understanding of the scientific process