Docent Training Questioning Techniques

“In today’s ‘meaning making’ museums visitors are not passive learners to which knowledge is transmitted, but active learners engaged in questioning, analyzing, comparing, examining, interpreting, evaluating, and synthesizing (Hein 1998). The current trend toward participatory learning and interactive exhibits and programs […] posits that learners construct knowledge in personal ways but are greatly influenced by social environments, and that new ideas and information must be integrated with prior learning in order to be comprehensible and applicable.” ~ Eisner and Day The Handbook of Research and Policy in Art Education pg 215

Types of Questions Cognitive/Memory questions ask what visitors already know or can see. Answers involve simple recall and are either right or wrong. Example: Has anyone ever visited an Anasazi site? Convergent questions ask visitors to do something with the information they already have or can see. They involve finding similarities, differences, patterns, and/or relationships. Convergent questions ask visitors to categorize, to organize information, or to find a central theme. Example: (After discussing types of pottery decoration) Can you find an painted pot in this part of the exhibition? Why do you think the maker painted it that way?

Types of Questions cont… Divergent questions ask visitors for new ideas or inferences; they are open-ended (no one right answer). To answer divergent questions, visitors must gather information from past experiences, link it to information being explored in the exhibition, and create new understanding and interpretations. Example: What is something you could do to build community in your classroom? Evaluative questions ask visitors for judgments, choices, or conclusions. Answers should not be casual opinions. To be valid, answers must come at the end of time spent considering the subject. Example: Do you equate property and happiness? Why or why not? ~Smithsonian “Museums on Main Street”

Suggestions Clarity of Purpose When formulating questions, develop questions that are essential to a well-rounded grasp of a problem or topic. Questions should tie back to the main theme(s) of the tour and/or the object at hand. Precise Wording Avoid questions that are merely memory testing. Ask questions that are sequential. Questions and answers should be used as stepping-stones to the next question.

Types of Questions to Avoid  Questions that lead to group answers or chorus questions.  Double-barreled questions, such as: “How is the pueblo pottery tradition carried on today and what impact has it had on tourism in the Southwest?”  Elliptical questions or questions that begin with What about?  Leading questions that answer the question.  Catch questions that have no answer.  Premature questions, asked before the students are able to answer them.  Questions to only one student or only to those who volunteer.  Guessing questions, such as: “Is this pot Mogollon or Hohokam?”  Questions that have one-word answers.

Why people fear asking questions They fear it:  Is not polite  May be embarrassing to the other person  May expose ignorance  Will challenge the person in authority  May invite ridicule  May waste the guide’s time ~The Good Guide pg 77 Don’t be afraid to answer “I don’t know.”

Guiding Discussions  Follow up incorrect answers. Take advantage of wrong or marginal answers. Encourage the student to think about the question. Perhaps the student's thinking is partially correct, even novel.  Follow up correct answers. Use a correct answer as a lead to another question. A correct answer sometimes needs elaboration or it can be used to stimulate student comments and discussion.  Encourage students to ask questions of each other and to make comments. This results in students becoming active learners and in cooperating on a cognitive and social level, which is essential for reflective thinking and social development.

Not quite what you planned for… Helpful Hints:  With school groups: Teachers may be embarrassed if their students do not remember factual information. It is better to present facts, then ask for comparisons, etc…  If the visitors are not giving the response you were looking for, consider rephrasing the question.  If the visitor is completely off topic, gently steer them back. Validate what they have to say, but continue to ask for responses.  The value of unexpected questions: Ask something unusual. Have the students “go back in time” and ask which item they would take back with them. Ask them how they would solve a problem if they had only the tools used by ancient peoples. Ask them what they would do if they could make an object… etc…

Ask questions that are personal and relevant to students, i.e. questions that draw on the life experiences of students.

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