How to design better questions! December 7, 2015

When did education research start focusing on levels of questions? Socrates 400 BCE Ross (1860) “To question well is to teach well.” Bloom’s Taxonomy (1950s) Moorehead (1960s) Bloom’s Revised (1990s) Webb’s Depth of Knowledge (2002)

What does the research show? Research shows that only 5% of teacher directed questions are higher-order divergent (Wilen, 1987). While the taxonomy above articulates a wide breadth of question types and while teachers know that asking multiple types of questions is good pedagogy, the research indicates that teachers consistently revert to asking lower level convergent questions far more often that any other type of question.

STUDY % Higher Order % Lower Order % Operational The following table illustrates a number of studies that sought to determine the number of higher-order or divergent questions teachers asked compared to lower order convergent questions. The studies are summarized in “Questioning Skills, for Teachers” by W. Wilen (1991). The results of each study illustrate the magnitude of the problem we face in using questions well. STUDY % Higher Order % Lower Order % Operational Haynes (1935) 17 77 Flyod (1960) 6 42 Davis/Hunkins (1966) 90 Trachtenberg (1974) 95 Gall (1987) 20 60 Wilen (1990) 5 Study after study reveals that although educators know that the higher-order divergent questions hold significantly more power to engage the learner and ensure transfer of knowledge, we consistently retreat to using lower-order, convergent style questions when teaching and testing students.

3b: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques Effective: While the teacher may use some low-level questions, he poses questions designed to promote student thinking and understanding. The teacher creates a genuine discussion among students, providing adequate time for students to respond and stepping aside when doing so is appropriate. The teacher challenges students to justify their thinking and successfully engages most students in the discussion, employing a range of strategies to ensure that most students are heard.. Highly Effective: The teacher uses a variety or series of questions or prompts to challenge students cognitively, advance high-level thinking and discourse, and promote metacognition. Students formulate many questions, initiate topics, challenge one another’s thinking, and make unsolicited contributions. Students themselves ensure that all voices are in the discussion.

Techniques for Successful Questioning Phrasing: teacher communicates the question so that the students understand the response expectation (ie: no run-on questions). Adaptation: teacher adapts the question being asked to fit the language and ability level of the students. Sequencing: teacher asks the questions in a patterned order indicating a purposeful questioning strategy. Balance: The teacher uses questions at an appropriate level or levels to achieve the objectives of the lesson. Participation: teacher uses questions to stimulate a wide range of student participation, encouraging responses from volunteering and non-volunteering students, redirects initially asked questions to other students. Probing: teacher probes initial student answers, and encourages students to complete, clarify, expand or support their answers. Wait Time (Think Time): teacher pauses three to five seconds after asking a question to allow students time to think. The teacher also pauses after students’ initial responses to questions in class. Student Questions: teacher requires students to generate questions of their own

Activity: Re-write the DOK level 1 questions. Followed by a share-out.

DOK Question Levels1-2 to 3-4 How do you test for the square root of 25? (DOK 3) How would you describe the sequence of events that lead to the Russian Revolution? (DOK 3) Apply the lessons from Of Mice & Men to a situation in your life. (DOK 4) What is the square root of 25? (DOK 1) When was the Russian Revolution? (DOK 1) How would you summarize Of Mice & Men? (DOK 2)

DOK Question Stems DOK 2 DOK 1 Can you recall______? When did ____ happen? Who was ____? How can you recognize____? What is____? How can you find the meaning of____? Can you recall____? Can you select____? How would you write___? What might you include on a list about___? Who discovered___? What is the formula for___? Can you identify___? How would you describe___? DOK 2 Can you explain how ____ affected ____? How would you apply what you learned to develop ____? How would you compare ____? Contrast_____? How would you classify____? How are____alike? Different? How would you classify the type of____? What can you say about____? How would you summarize____? How would you summarize___? What steps are needed to edit___? When would you use an outline to ___? How would you estimate___? How could you organize___? What would you use to classify___? What do you notice about___?

DOK Question Stems (cont.) How is ____ related to ____? What conclusions can you draw _____? How would you adapt____to create a different____? How would you test____? Can you predict the outcome if____? What is the best answer? Why? What conclusion can be drawn from these three texts? What is your interpretation of this text? Support your rationale. How would you describe the sequence of____? What facts would you select to support____? Can you elaborate on the reason____? What would happen if___? Can you formulate a theory for___? How would you test___? Can you elaborate on the reason___? DOK 4 Write a thesis, drawing conclusions from multiple sources. Design and conduct an experiment. Gather information to develop alternative explanations for the results of an experiment. Write a research paper on a topic. Apply information from one text to another text to develop a persuasive argument. What information can you gather to support your idea about___? DOK 4 would most likely be the writing of a research paper or applying information from one text to another text to develop persuasive argument. DOK 4 requires time for extended thinking

Bloom’s – Old Version (1956) Bloom’s ‐ New Version (1990’s) Requires investigation, complex reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking‐probably over an extended period of time. *Longer time period is not an applicable factor if work is simply repetitive and/or does not require higher‐order thinking. Requires reasoning, developing plan or a sequence of steps, some complexity, more than one possible answer, higher level of thinking than previous 2 levels. Engages mental process beyond habitual response using information or conceptual knowledge. Requires two or more steps. Recall a fact, information, or procedure. Webb’s DOK (2002) Bloom’s – Old Version (1956) Bloom’s ‐ New Version (1990’s)

Wilen, William W. (1991). Questioning Skills for Teachers, third edition. National Education Association, Washington DC