Teaching Tip: Ways to ask questions

By: Barbara Millis

April 17th, 2007

Topic: Ways to Ask Questions

Overview:

What does it mean to think? Some people would like to be able to “think better”—or more often want other people’s thinking to improve. But research shows that everyone is capable of thinking—the problem is to stop teachers from precluding it. The right kind of questions help.

Examples:

These nine questions meet the criteria of being both perceptually based and discoverable. With them, the teacher can lead any learner back to available evidence to find correct answers.

1. Description: What did you see? What happened? What is the difference between…?

2. Common Purpose: What is the purpose or function of…?

3. Procedures: How was this done? What will have to be done?

4. Possibilities: What else could …? How could we…?

5. Prediction: What will happen next?

6. Justification: How can you tell? What evidence led you to…?

7. Rationale for reality: Why? What is the reason?

8. Generalization: What is the same about … and …? What could you generalize from these events?

9. Definition: What does … mean?

Wait Time:

After posing one of these questions learners need at least five seconds to process and begin the formulation of an answer.

Source: A Brief Summary of the Best Practices in Teaching, compiled by Tom Drummond.

For more news about teaching, as well as more teaching tips, visit the Our Workplace Teaching & Learning Archives.

To discuss this teaching tip, please leave a reply below.

Faculty Focus, Teaching & Learning | Comments | Trackback