Yet formal education, which is driven by test taking, is increasingly failing to require students to ask the kind of questions that build critical thinking skills. Our society depends on them being able to make critical decisions, about their own medical treatment, say, or what we must do about global energy needs and demands.
Dan Rothstein, cofounder of the Right Question Institute, a Cambridge-based nonprofit that promotes good question-asking as a life skill, agrees. He believes that learning how to ask questions should be considered as critical as learning how to read, write, and do basic math.
Rothestein and his colleagues are trying to tell us something very important: In the 21st century, we can no longer afford to ignore the strategies that promote critical thinking and problem solving skills. These require the learner to provide information, give an opinion, explain or clarify. These are ideal for developing skills such as inferring, predicting, verifying and summarising, as well as eliciting more language.
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Open-ended questions that probe and elicit expanded thinking and processing of information are useful for involving students in deeper learning. Divergent questions have multiple possible answers and encourage students to be creative or express insight. If working in groups, students have the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives. These have more narrowly defined correct answers which can be recalled from memory and require little reflection or originality.
Closed questions are common in conventional tests. Convergent questions have one acceptable right answer; students are required to regurgitate a certain response based on conventional wisdom. These have no right or wrong answer. These types of questions are most effective in initiating discussion. Researchers form North Carolina State University found that the following uses of question-asking were the most efficient during guided problem solving in an introductory programming course:. The purposes of questions vary at different stages during a lesson. According to the Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence , effective questions are meaningful and understandable to students.
Depending on the level of comprehension of a topic, students may be able to handle questions of various levels of difficultly. Effective questions challenge students but are not too difficult. Students benefit from answering easier questions before difficult ones. Plants, animals annd humans thrive when there are detrimental ions within the air, and adversly, positive ions are harmful too life.
If you are a human, do not fill in this field. Types of Questions Display Questions. They often focus on the form or meaning of language structures and items, and the teacher already knows the answer. When do we use …..? What comes after …..? Referential Questions These require the learner to provide information, give an opinion, explain or clarify.
What do you think about …..? If you had ….. What kind of …..? How do you …..? Low Risk Questions These have no right or wrong answer. Purposes of Questions Questions can: Help diagnose student understanding of material Engage students to keep their attention and to reinforce their participation. Be used to stimulate discussion and creative and critical thinking. Determine how students are thinking. Help students retain material by putting into words otherwise unarticulated thoughts.
Researchers form North Carolina State University found that the following uses of question-asking were the most efficient during guided problem solving in an introductory programming course: Effective Questioning According to the Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence , effective questions are meaningful and understandable to students.
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Some examples of ineffective questions: Students are unsure of what is being asked and may refrain from attempting to answer. Students may guess at what you want them to say rather than tell you what they think. Determine the key concept you want students to learn. Put the question through the following filters: Does this question draw out and work with pre-existing understandings that students bring with them? Does this question raise the visibility of the key concepts the students are learning?
Will this question stimulate peer discussion? Is it clear what the question is about? When planning for a course, develop question strategies. Examples include an explanation strategy that asks students to explain the cause of an event or why a given situation or condition has arisen.
Another strategy is an analytical question that asks students to compare and contrast situations, cases, ideas, people, or objects. Determine the objectives or learning outcomes for the course. What do you want students to know or be able to do as a result of participating in your course? And it goes without saying: Return serve by answering these yourself. This is open-ended enough to trigger an intriguing story--a journey to a foreign country, living out of a van while touring in a rock band, getting funded for the startup of your dreams, a special God-given talent used for improving lives, etc.
This question puts the conversation on a positive note right off the bat, giving the other person a chance to reflect on something he or she is excited about. This is another great question that invites the speaker to share on a deeper level, which builds momentum and rapport quicker.
Obviously, a few casual questions before this one helps set the mood for hearing about a profound moment or transition in that person's life. A book that has made an impact can lead to a more personal and inviting conversation because of the book's life-changing effect.
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Asking this question will deepen your connection as you understand how the book altered the person's life in some way. It also leads to asking interesting follow-up questions. Asking this is a great way to introspectively draw out a unique story from someone. We all dreamed about being something growing up--a doctor, a police officer, an astronaut, a super hero, and so on.
Connect the dots to the present by asking if he or she still has those same aspirations as an adult including being a super hero!
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For me, it's too obvious: Who really killed JFK? Perhaps for the person you just asked, it's "Is there a God? This is one of those questions I call "peeling the conversational onion. It'll tell you what defines them, what motivates them, what they're passionate about, and whether their work is their calling or purpose. It may also trigger a different, more thought-provoking response: Some people aren't happy in their jobs. By asking, you may be in the position to assist or mentor a person through a career or job transition. Did you notice a refreshing pattern in these questions? Perhaps you're not used to it, but you take the initiative and make the conversation about the other person.
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People love to talk about themselves--if they have something worth talking about that adds value to the conversation. Once they know you're not a wacko, by asking first, they'll appreciate your showing interest. This selfless act of putting the spotlight on someone else makes you the more interesting person in the room. Make a habit of being to the point and not dragging on and on.