Asking Questions Diego Aguirre

When Solving a Problem… What types of questions can you ask? Can you give me an example of each type? Teams… 10 minutes

Clarifying Questions What is a clarifying question? What properties does a question have to have to be considered a clarifying question? Teams… 10 minutes

Clarifying Questions Simple questions of fact Concerned with the details needed to understand the situation Easy to answer by presenter If the presenter struggles to answer the question, it is likely that the question in not a clarifying question

Clarifying Questions Clarify the dilemma (provide the nuts and bolts) Don’t provide any new “food for thought”

Clarifying Questions - Examples Can you come up with some examples? Teams… 5 minutes

Clarifying Questions - Examples What do you mean by ____? How many students were assessed? What is your main point? Were all students given the same assessment, assignment, etc? Could you put that another way? How often is this data gathered? Could you explain this further? How current is this information? Why do you say that? What criteria were used?

Clarifying Questions - Examples Let’s say one of your friends goes on a vacation to Europe You are interested in learning more about this. Come up with some clarifying questions with your teammates Teams … 8 minutes

Clarifying Questions - Examples What countries did you visit? How long did you stay? The answers are factual, short and specific.

Probing Questions What is a probing question? What properties does a question have to have to be considered a probing question? Teams… 10 minutes

Probing Questions Intended to help the presenter think more deeply about the issue at hand Should not suggest action but work only to make the presenter think about options Allow for multiple responses Make the presenter reflect, take another perspective Never suggest or place blame

Probing Questions - Examples Talk to your teammates and try to answer the following question: How might a probing question start? What words would you use to start phrasing your question? Teams… 5 minutes

Probing Questions - Examples Can you come up with some examples? Teams… 5 minutes

Probing Questions - Examples Why are your students successful/unsuccessful? What fears do you have? How do you think your students will respond? Why did you choose ....? What will you do with....? What needs to change? Will you be able to measure .....?

Probing Questions What makes a good probing question? Teams… 10 minutes

Good Probing Questions Allow for multiple responses Promise insight Avoid yes/no responses Touch a deeper meaning Stimulate reflective thinking by moving thinking from reaction to reflection Create a paradigm shift Evoke more questions Encourage perspective taking Are concise Challenge assumptions Prompt slow response Channel inquiry

Probing Questions – Probe Assumptions What are you assuming? What could we assume instead? You seem to be assuming _____. Do I understand you correctly? All of your reasoning depends on the idea that _____. Why have you based your reasoning on _____ instead of _____?

Probing Questions – Probe Assumptions You seem to be assuming _____. How do you justify taking that for granted? Is that always the case? Why do you think the assumption holds here? Why would someone make that assumption?

Probing Questions – Probe Assumptions Go back to the problems we have tackled in class. Can you come up with some questions that probe assumptions? Teams … 10 minutes

Probing Questions – Probe Reasons and Evidence What would be an example? What are your reasons for saying that? How do you know? What other information do you need? Why do you think that is true? Do you have any evidence for that? Could you explain your reasons to us? What difference does that make?

Probing Questions – Probe Reasons and Evidence Are these reasons adequate? But, is that good evidence for that belief? Why do you say that? Is there a reason to doubt that evidence? What led you to that belief? Who is in a position to know that is true? How does that apply to this case? What would change your mind?

Probing Questions – Probe Reasons and Evidence Go back to the problems we have tackled in class. Can you come up with some questions that probe reasons and evidence? Teams … 10 minutes

Probing Questions – Probe Implications and Consequences How can we find out? Is this question clear? Do we understand it? What does this question assume? Is this question easy or hard to answer? Why? Would _____ ask this question differently? Does this question ask us to evaluate something? What? How could someone settle this question? Can we break this question down at all?

Probing Questions – Probe Implications and Consequences Do we all agree that this is the question? How would _____ state the issue? Why is this issue important? To answer this question, what other questions must we answer first? Is this the most important question, or is there an underlying question that is really the issue? I'm not sure I understand how you are interpreting this question. Is this the same as _____?

Probing Questions – Probe Implications and Consequences Go back to the problems we have tackled in class. Can you come up with some questions that probe implications and consequences? Teams … 10 minutes

Ineffective Thinkers Impulsive Do not check the work Quickly give up Do not use multiple sources Inflexible Skip steps Use imprecise language Do not engage in the line of reasoning and presentation Do not plan, and do not have skills for organization of learning materials Unable to identify the process of learning