Strategies for Effective Use of Questions as a Teaching Tool
Strategies for Effective Use of Questions as a Teaching Tool
The Socratic method of questioning is a popular teaching approach. This method uses a form of inquiry that promotes open discussion in which one viewpoint is compared to another. Instead of providing information to students directly, the lesson is taught through probing and thought-provoking questions in an effort to stimulate original thought from the students. In order to master the Socratic method, instructors must become skillful at developing 3 categories of questions: exploratory, spontaneous, and focused (Table 4).
Exploratory questioning is used to find out how much students know about the issue under discussion. This type of question may be implemented to introduce a new topic to the audience, review past discussions of a topic, or determine how much students have retained from the previous learning sessions. A broad range of related issues and topics can be evaluated through this method of questioning. To ensure that the conversation is guided in an intellectual manner, it is best to plan exploratory questions and topics in advance.
Spontaneous questioning is best used when students are naturally curious about the topic or when an ongoing discussion slows. Spontaneous questions are used to probe students' thoughts in an effort to get them to explore their beliefs and assumptions. This type of question prompts students to self-correct, rather than be corrected by the instructor, through reflection on the question being asked. Spontaneous questioning can also be used when an important issue is raised, when students are on the edge of a breakthrough in learning, or when discussion requires clarification.
Focused questioning narrows the content down to specific issues on which the teacher would like the audience to reflect. Focused discussion helps to stimulate students intellectually by forcing them to evaluate their thoughts and perspectives. Students are able to experience an ordered dialogue in which they discover and share ideas and insights with regard to the topic.
A noted benefit of the Socratic method is that students often uncover personal knowledge deficits about the subject matter. This can be a difficult realization for students striving for success in the classroom. This is not necessarily a negative consequence and is often an important step in the learning process. When students recognize their knowledge gaps, it can spur them to clarify ideas and seek to better understand the concepts.
Question circles is a strategy that leads students from superficial responses to deeper discussions of the subject matter. Originally conceptualized as a process to explore students' understanding of written texts, question circles can be easily adapted to discuss a wide range of learning materials (eg, case studies, videos) or experiences (eg, laboratory exercises, advanced practice experiences). Using this model, questions are posed in 3 different domains: subject matter, personal response, and external reality (Table 5 and Figure 1). The subject matter includes the factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge derived directly from the reading, learning materials, or experience. The personal response is the learner's reaction to, perceptions of, and direct experiences related to the subject matter. The external reality relates to the broad context in which the subject matter exists and its relationship with society at large as well as other disciplines. After the more superficial issues related to the subject matter, personal response, and external realities have been explored, the teacher then formulates questions related to multiple circles. Enriched questions are those that are derived from the juxtaposition of 2 domains and dense questions are intended to explore the inter-relationships among all 3 domains.
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
The Question Circles Method.
Most questioning approaches focus on the teacher asking the questions. However, student-generated questions also can lead to deep learning. Requiring students to create their own questions can elicit a greater understanding of the course material. Rather than continually questioning students regarding the material, Bowker achieved content understanding by making declarative statements intended to elicit questions from students. When there were no definitive answers to the questions asked, students were expected to reflect on all possible answers, known and hypothetical, to gain a deeper knowledge of the material. Using this questioning strategy, students demonstrated greater thought complexity and engagement.
Another strategy is the questioning as thinking (QAT) framework where students are encouraged to generate questions to aid in their exploration or understanding of a subject matter. QAT incorporates both questioning and think-aloud learning strategies to support metacognition. Students are expected to independently monitor their learning by asking themselves questions such as, "What are my goals for learning?" and "Does this material make sense to me?" The think-aloud technique encourages students to verbalize their inner thoughts, thinking processes, and decision-making strategies. As students become more proficient in this exercise, they internalize the dialogue. Educators can facilitate QAT by modeling the relationship between questioning and thinking aloud. Using content material, a teacher can prepare an example think-aloud to demonstrate how multiple answers can stem from a question. The teacher should model the types of metacognitive questions that students must ask themselves. Once the QAT strategy has been modeled by the teacher, students are asked to formulate their own questions, answers, and thought processes during classroom discussions.
Strategies for Formulating Questions
Socratic Method Questioning
The Socratic method of questioning is a popular teaching approach. This method uses a form of inquiry that promotes open discussion in which one viewpoint is compared to another. Instead of providing information to students directly, the lesson is taught through probing and thought-provoking questions in an effort to stimulate original thought from the students. In order to master the Socratic method, instructors must become skillful at developing 3 categories of questions: exploratory, spontaneous, and focused (Table 4).
Exploratory questioning is used to find out how much students know about the issue under discussion. This type of question may be implemented to introduce a new topic to the audience, review past discussions of a topic, or determine how much students have retained from the previous learning sessions. A broad range of related issues and topics can be evaluated through this method of questioning. To ensure that the conversation is guided in an intellectual manner, it is best to plan exploratory questions and topics in advance.
Spontaneous questioning is best used when students are naturally curious about the topic or when an ongoing discussion slows. Spontaneous questions are used to probe students' thoughts in an effort to get them to explore their beliefs and assumptions. This type of question prompts students to self-correct, rather than be corrected by the instructor, through reflection on the question being asked. Spontaneous questioning can also be used when an important issue is raised, when students are on the edge of a breakthrough in learning, or when discussion requires clarification.
Focused questioning narrows the content down to specific issues on which the teacher would like the audience to reflect. Focused discussion helps to stimulate students intellectually by forcing them to evaluate their thoughts and perspectives. Students are able to experience an ordered dialogue in which they discover and share ideas and insights with regard to the topic.
A noted benefit of the Socratic method is that students often uncover personal knowledge deficits about the subject matter. This can be a difficult realization for students striving for success in the classroom. This is not necessarily a negative consequence and is often an important step in the learning process. When students recognize their knowledge gaps, it can spur them to clarify ideas and seek to better understand the concepts.
Question Circles
Question circles is a strategy that leads students from superficial responses to deeper discussions of the subject matter. Originally conceptualized as a process to explore students' understanding of written texts, question circles can be easily adapted to discuss a wide range of learning materials (eg, case studies, videos) or experiences (eg, laboratory exercises, advanced practice experiences). Using this model, questions are posed in 3 different domains: subject matter, personal response, and external reality (Table 5 and Figure 1). The subject matter includes the factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge derived directly from the reading, learning materials, or experience. The personal response is the learner's reaction to, perceptions of, and direct experiences related to the subject matter. The external reality relates to the broad context in which the subject matter exists and its relationship with society at large as well as other disciplines. After the more superficial issues related to the subject matter, personal response, and external realities have been explored, the teacher then formulates questions related to multiple circles. Enriched questions are those that are derived from the juxtaposition of 2 domains and dense questions are intended to explore the inter-relationships among all 3 domains.
(Enlarge Image)
Figure 1.
The Question Circles Method.
Student-generated Questions
Most questioning approaches focus on the teacher asking the questions. However, student-generated questions also can lead to deep learning. Requiring students to create their own questions can elicit a greater understanding of the course material. Rather than continually questioning students regarding the material, Bowker achieved content understanding by making declarative statements intended to elicit questions from students. When there were no definitive answers to the questions asked, students were expected to reflect on all possible answers, known and hypothetical, to gain a deeper knowledge of the material. Using this questioning strategy, students demonstrated greater thought complexity and engagement.
Another strategy is the questioning as thinking (QAT) framework where students are encouraged to generate questions to aid in their exploration or understanding of a subject matter. QAT incorporates both questioning and think-aloud learning strategies to support metacognition. Students are expected to independently monitor their learning by asking themselves questions such as, "What are my goals for learning?" and "Does this material make sense to me?" The think-aloud technique encourages students to verbalize their inner thoughts, thinking processes, and decision-making strategies. As students become more proficient in this exercise, they internalize the dialogue. Educators can facilitate QAT by modeling the relationship between questioning and thinking aloud. Using content material, a teacher can prepare an example think-aloud to demonstrate how multiple answers can stem from a question. The teacher should model the types of metacognitive questions that students must ask themselves. Once the QAT strategy has been modeled by the teacher, students are asked to formulate their own questions, answers, and thought processes during classroom discussions.
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