Maximizing Instructional Time Student Engagement through Questioning
Purposes for Questions Which of the following is the most useful reason to ask questions? A. To actively involve students in lesson B. To assess mastery of objectives C. To check on completion of work D. To develop critical thinking skills
How Do I Ask Questions? “The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask him which he finds hard to answer.” Alice Wellington Rollins
Ciardello’s Four Types of Questions Question TypeQuestion StemsCognitive Operations MEMORYWho, what, when, where? Naming, defining, identifying CONVERGENT THINKING Why, how, in what ways?Explaining, comparing, contrasting DIVERGENT THINKING Imagine, suppose, predict, if/then, how might? Predicting, hypothesizing, inferring EVALUATIVE THINKING Defend, justify, judgeValuing, judging, justifying choices
AL Science COS Describe factors that cause changes to Earth’s surface over time. Question Type Question Stems Cognitive Operations Sample Memory Who, what, when, where? Naming, defining, identifying What changes can an earthquake make in the earth’s surface? Convergent Thinking Why, how, in what ways? Explaining, comparing, contrasting Why might a tsunami occur after an earthquake? Divergent Thinking Imagine, suppose, predict, if/then, how might? Predicting, hypothesizing, inferring Suppose an earthquake was predicted in Alabama. How might the land look different? Evaluative Thinking Defend, justify, judge Valuing, judging, justifying choices Would you rather experience an earthquake or a tornado? Why?
Bloom’s Taxonomy LevelVerbs KnowledgeCount, Define, Describe, Draw, Find, Identify, Label, List, Match, Name, Quote, Recall, Recite, Sequence, Tell, Write ComprehensionConclude, Demonstrate, Discuss, Explain, Generalize, Identify, Illustrate, Interpret, Paraphrase, Predict, Report, Restate, Review, Summarize, Tell ApplicationApply, Change, Choose, Compute, Dramatize, Interview, Prepare, Produce, Role-play, Select, Show, Transfer, Use AnalysisAnalyze, Characterize, Classify, Compare, Contrast, Debate, Deduce, Diagram, Differentiate, Discriminate, Distinguish, Examine, Outline, Relate, Research, Separate SynthesisCompose, Construct, Create, Design, Develop, Integrate, Invent, Make, Organize, Perform, Plan, Produce, Propose, Rewrite EvaluationAppraise, Argue, Assess, Choose, Conclude, Critic, Decide, Evaluate, Judge, Justify, Predict, Prioritize, Prove, Rank, Rate, Select
Student Engagement with Questioning Create a Classroom culture open to dialogue Use both preplanned and emerging questions Select an appropriate level of questions Avoid trick questions and Yes/No questions Phrase questions carefully, concisely, and clearly Address questions to the group then to individuals randomly
Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe Read the recipe’s ingredients Read the directions Share a question from each question group Rate the cookies for taste, uniformity, moistness using the following scale: 1.4: Excellent 2.3: Very Good 3.2: Good 4.1: Fair
Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe Benjamin Bloom’s Levels of Questioning Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
Planning for Effective Questioning During Planning Determine guiding questions that will deepen student understanding or give focus to the lesson Anticipate student misunderstandings and use questioning techniques to help clarify During Lesson Keep the lesson outcome in mind. Guide student’s thinking to deepen understanding and clarify their thinking Expect all students to respond to questions when called on