Evaluating approaches to developing forecasters in the classroom
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A core class in the meteorological education series is Synoptic Meteorology which consists of two courses over the course of a year. Traditionally, this upper-level class focuses on developing skills related to synoptic meteorology content and teaching students how to forecast using a variety of different educational approaches. The series culminates to two assignments that require students to synthesize and deliver weather information using the forecast skills they developed over the two courses. Two years of both Synoptic Meteorology classes were followed to evaluate student forecast growth using surveys, grades, and observations for different elements of the class. The second-year group of students were offered an internship experience to further develop these skills. Students were also required to participate in the forecast game and forecast results were also used in the analysis. There was no statistical difference in students grades overall and forecast discussions between the two groups. There was a difference between in written Area Forecast Discussions and in some elements of the forecast game, especially for precipitation forecasts. Students who participated in the internship also felt more confident, prepared, and grew their skills greater than the group that did not participate. Interviews from the internship highlight the positive impacts that the dedicated time to forecast and apply knowledge had on their development. The results show a way to develop forecasters using the various tools at an instructors disposal with dedicated time and effort.
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