Questions and Questioning Tecnique

Questions and Questioning Techniques Knowing how to ask the right questions and provide good answers is the foundation of all learning. Given the limited amount of time students will spend in your section, you cannot possibly teach them everything about your field. However, as a teacher, you can and should give students the tools they will need to pursue their own interests in their chosen fields. One of the ways to do this is to teach them questioning skills. Teachers model these skills in class with the questions they ask. Moreover, asking good questions will help generate interesting discussions. Below you will find a partial list of some useful questions for generating discussions, as well as some that should be avoided. You will also find links to other sites which provide a broader overview of questioning techniques.

Type Descriptive Analysis Evaluation Compare/Contrast Causal relationships

Example Questions beginning with such words or expression sas “tell,” “discuss,” “describe,” “illustrate,” “show.” For example, Describe Henri IV’s role in the Wars of Religion. Questions beginning with such words or expressions as “why,” “how would you explain the fact that, “ “prove,” “what is the importance of,” “how do you account for, “ “what is the meaning of.” For example, What is the importance of the telegraph in the Revolution of 1848? Questions beginning with such words or expressions as “evaluate the statement that,” “what is meant by,” explain how.” For example, Explain the statement: ‘Our cities need the middle class in order to survive.’ Questions beginning with such words or expressions as “compare,” “contrast,” “What is the difference,” “What is the similarity.” For example, Compare Taruskin’s reading of this score to Abbate’s. Questions beginning with such words or expressions as, “what are the causes of,” “what connection is there,” “what are the results of.”

Result These questions encourage students to establish their own narrative and prioritize information. These questions provide basic facts and call for sustained answers involving critical thinking. These questions are structured like analysis questions but are based on quotations or statements. These questions call attention to common elements or major differences between ideas or arguments. These questions may be used to show causal relationships or to determine whether such relationships exist.

For example, What connection is there between migration from the South and the shortage of low-rent apartments?

Although there is, strictly speaking, no such thing as a “bad” question, and the kinds of questions you ask will depend on several variables, you should try in general to avoid the following lines of questioning since they usually fail to generate good discussions.

Type Yes/No Factual Multiple Elliptical Indefinite Whiplash Leading Tugging Guessing

Example Did Romeo kill Juliet? Who killed Caesar? Who are the protagonists in Hamlet and how do they die? Ulysses, what a novel, huh? How are the Odyssey and Ulysses different? Difference is the term Derrida uses to describe what? Don’t you think Delacroix was an orientalist? Can you give me one more adjective to describe Emma Bovary? Why do you think Schubert failed to complete his Unfinished Symphony?

Result Does not produce discussion, and encourages guessing. Encourages short responses and involves no critical thinking. Confusing, since students will not know which question wants answered. Confusing and unclear. Students will have no idea what the teacher is getting at. Vague, overstated and impossible to answer concisely. Students are prepared to receive information when they are suddenly asked to answer a question. Conveys the expected answer and prevents students from reaching their own conclusions. Students are asked to furnish additional but not really meaningful information. Answer is only a matter of guesswork?

For more on questioning techniques see: http://ctl.stanford.edu/Handouts/web/asking_questions.html More on good and bad questions to ask to generate a good discussion.

http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/guides/bloom.html A guide adapted from Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of questions commonly asked in educational settings and their valences. http://teach.northwestern.edu/serv_online.html Additional kinds of questions provided by the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence along with tips on timing.