Questioning Strategies EDG 4410 Teaching Strategies and Classroom Management University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Dr. Verkler Fall 2014

Here are some interesting statistics! A high school teacher averages 395 questions/day. An elementary school teacher asks about 348 questions/day.

Questioning Skills Classroom questioning is the cornerstone of any effective teaching strategy. Questioning is a critical skill that can be learned and used in any discipline or grade level, or with any teacher personality. Questioning promotes student involvement, enhances learning, and motivates students. When students are actively engaged, they tend to misbehave less and learn more.

Why ask questions? To evaluate student readiness To assess completion of assignments To develop critical thinking skills To encourage insights To encourage independent learning To determine students’ prior knowledge To evaluate students’ attainment of goals

Importance of Questioning How you phrase your questions will determine the type of student response that you will receive. For example, asking your students to state the colors that they see in the classroom will yield a much different response than asking them to compare and contrast the schedules of all students in the class. The first question is a low-level question; the latter question is an intermediate-level question. If you want your students to engage in more than low-level thinking, you need to ask questions that require more than simple memorization and recall.

Importance of Questioning It is thus very important that you take time phrasing the questions you will ask. When developing a plan with a lot of discussion and/or questions (as in Microteach II), include your key questions in your lesson plan.

Question Levels Effective teachers adjust the questions to fit the needs of the students. Different types of questions are effective at different times, depending on the characteristics of the learner and the topic being taught. Ask questions that allow you to reach your instructional goal most efficiently. For example, if the goal is for students to be able to differentiate between things, you need to give them activities that require them to different between those things.

Question Levels Effective teachers direct their instruction toward a clear and specific goal. Sadly, 70-90% of questions asked of students are low-level questions.

Low-Level Questions Require the student to memorize and recall information. Level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Knowledge Example: What is the capital of Florida?

Intermediate-Level Questions Require the student to process information. Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Comprehension, Application, and Analysis Example: State in your own words the moral of the story.

Other Examples of Intermediate-Level Questions Requesting the student to state an idea or definition in his/her own words. Requiring the student to determine the solution to a problem.

Other Examples of Intermediate-Level Questions Asking the student to observe and describe an object or event. Requiring the student to compare and contrast two or more objects, statements, illustrations, or demonstrations.

High-Level Questions Require a lot of cognitive processing from the student. Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Synthesis and Evaluation Example: Imagine you were a Pilgrim. Describe what your typical day might be like.

Levels of Questions Review Low-level: Collecting and recalling information Verbs: Define, List, State, Count, Identify, Name Intermediate-level: Processing information Verbs: Paraphrase, Describe, Solve, Compare High-level: Creatively using or evaluating information in new situations Verbs: Imagine, Predict, Hypothesize, Judge

Let’s practice! For each “question” listed on the next few pages, try to identify it as a low-level, intermediate-level, or high-level question. In addition, for review, try to guess the level of Bloom’s Taxonomy at which the students will have to function in order to answer each question. The answers are given on each subsequent slide.

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy…. What is the answer to (4 + 3)(8 – 2)? Differentiate between meiosis and mitosis. Defend the use of natural gas for energy. Substantiate your stance.

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Answers What is the answer to (4 + 3)(8 – 2)? Intermediate-level; Application Differentiate between meiosis and mitosis. Intermediate-level; Analysis Defend the use of natural gas for energy. Substantiate your stance. High-level; Evaluation

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy…. What are the elements of art? Imagine that the Ebola crisis becomes a world crisis in 10 years. How might this crisis affect your daily routine? Describe your trip to the museum.

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Answers What are the elements of art? Low-level; Knowledge Imagine that the Ebola crisis becomes a world crisis in 10 years. How might this crisis affect your daily routine? High-level; Synthesis Describe your trip to the museum. Intermediate-level; Comprehension

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy…. If the U.S. had not won the Revolutionary War, consider how our lives in the U.S. might be different. Explain the process of the formation of ice from water. What do you think is the most important part of the circulatory system? Why? Give evidence to support your opinion.

Identify the question level and level of Bloom’s Taxonomy: Answers If the U.S. had not won the Revolutionary War, consider how our lives in the U.S. might be different. High-level; Synthesis Explain the process of the formation of ice from water. Intermediate-level; Comprehension What do you think is the most important part of the circulatory system? Why? Give evidence to support your opinion. High-level; Evaluation

So how did you do? If you think you did well on the practice exercises, let’s celebrate your success (Marzano, Domain 1, DQ 1, Indicator 3) by cutting out this image and wearing it to class this week! Woo-hoo!

Checking for Understanding Activity: Questioning Skills In your content area, write three low-level questions, three intermediate-level questions, and three high-level questions. Make sure you type all nine of these questions for submission for my evaluation. Contact at least five other people (friends, peers, teachers, relatives, etc.) via Facebook, text, twitter, crowdsourcing, or some other social media format. Send them all nine of your questions and ask them to vote on which low-level question, which intermediate-level question, and which high-level question they like best. (It would be interesting to find out their rationale behind their vote, too. I would think that would be helpful to you.) Be ready to share in class which questions they liked the best.