1. Teacher-student conversations that promote learning
Online Workshop
Teacher-student conversations that promote learning

2. Who will find this workshop useful?
teachers
AtoL facilitators
syndicates / departments
How to use this workshop:
to update, review and/or reflect on teacher / student interactions in the classroom
as a focus for in-school professional development
to support in-depth AtoL programmes in schools

3. In this workshop you will:
explore the role that teacher-student and student-student conversations can play in promoting and enhancing learning
clarify the purpose and value of questions in classroom dialogue
identify strategies that promote learning conversations
through a combination of readings and activities that you can do on your own or with colleagues.

4. Teacher-student conversations
Teacher-student conversations about learning are a vital part of assessment for learning.
However, many of conversations focus on task and/or behaviour management rather than learning.
Many of the questions we ask are closed questions.
So how can we promote learning conversations?

5. What is essential is that any dialogue should evoke thoughtful reflection in which all students can be encouraged to take part. Black & Wiliam, 1998

6. Questions are often the way to initiate productive dialogue.
The role of questions
Questions are often the way to initiate productive dialogue.
Let us look more closely at questions.
A starter question:
What do you think is meant by closed and open questions?
Is this question an open or a closed one?

7. Closed questions
Closed questions imply that the teacher has a predetermined correct response in mind.
These questions are nearly always concerned with the recall of facts or simple comprehension.
Torrance and Pryor (1998) suggest a framework of convergent and divergent models for formative assessment.
Convergent assessment aims to discover whether the learner knows, understands or can do a pre-determined thing.
Divergent assessment aims to discover what the learner knows, understands or can do.
Convergent assessment is characterised by closed questions.
For further information on convergent / divergent assessment go to: Slide

8. Open questions:
encourage students to think beyond the literal
enables a teacher to develop students’ understanding and promote critical thinking (divergent assessment)
allow for a range of responses and make progressive cognitive demands on students.
The type of question and the way that we question makes a difference to how successfully questions probe student understandings.

9. We need to:
give students time to respond (discuss their thinking in pairs or small groups)
allow students to respond to teacher questions in a variety of ways (writing the answers, concept map)
encourage students to ask as well as answer questions.

10. Activity: Bloom’s taxonomy and classroom dialogue
Introduction
Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive processes provides a useful framework for focusing classroom discussion on thinking skills.
The following activity may be completed with teachers or with students.
For a useful table for this activity that identifies verbs, question stems, and potential activities and outcomes click here or go to:

11. Activity: Bloom’s taxonomy and classroom dialogue
Think about a favorite myth, legend or fable that you know well
Imagine you are asking questions about this story or the characters
Use Bloom’s taxonomy to ask:
knowledge
comprehension
application
analysis
synthesis
and evaluation questions.

12. Activity: Bloom’s taxonomy and classroom dialogue
For an example based on the Māori myth Maui Snares the Sun click here
For a copy of the legend Maui Snares the Sun click here
For some sample question beginnings click here

13. Activity: Bloom’s taxonomy and classroom dialogue
Compare your questions with others. Discuss how you could move from questions and answers to rich classroom conversations involving:
challenge
clarification
elaboration of ideas
suggestions
observations
reflections
What strategies could you use to do this?

14. Strategies that promote rich discussions
Some of the things a teacher can do to promote and enhance discussions with students include:
Inviting students to develop more complex contributions:
“Say a little more about…”
Echoing:
“So you think that…”
Making a personal contribution from your own experiences:
“I remember…”
Non-verbal invitations:
eye contact, tilt of head…

15. References
Black, P.J., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice. 5 (1), 7–74.
Torrance, H., & Pryor, J. (1998). Investigating formative assessment: Teaching, learning and assessment in the classroom. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Mataira, K. (1975). Māori legends for Young New Zealanders. Auckland: Paul Hamlyn.
Dalton, J., & Smith, D. (1986). Extending children’s special abilities – Strategies for primary classrooms (pages 36–7)Victoria:Ministry of Education.
References to Bloom’s taxonomy on the internet are under Thinking Skills in the TKI search:
e.g.