Utilizing Questioning Skills

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Utilizing Questioning Skills

• College of Agriculture Faculty
• August 16, 2006

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A Video Clip (or Two)

• Jot down what youre thinking or feeling as you
  watch the clips
• www.youtube.com

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Questions of the Day

• How might these clips relate to you, as a
  teacher, in terms of using questions in class?
• Why are questioning skills important in teaching?

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Objectives

• Describe and apply the levels and dimensions of
  Blooms Taxonomy
• Classify questions by Blossers questioning
• Describe questioning techniques
• Develop and evaluate questions
• If we have time, talk about different purposes
  for discussion

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LEVELS
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Knowledge

• Exhibit memory of previously-learned materials by
  recalling facts, terms, basic concepts and
  answers
• What is?
• When did?
• What are the?
• How do you?

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Comprehension

• Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by
  organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting,
  giving descriptions, and stating main ideas.
• How would you compare?
• What is the main idea of?
• How would you summarize?

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Question

• What are some differences between Knowledge and
  Comprehension?

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Application

• Solve problems to new situations by applying
  acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules
  in a different way.
• What examples can you use to?
• Show me how you would
• What would result if?
• What approach would you use to?

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Question

• What are some differences between Comprehension
  and Application?

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Analysis

• Examine and break information into parts by
  identifying motives and causes. Make inference
  and find evidence to support generalizations.
• Why do you think?
• How would you classify?
• What is the relationship between?

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Question

• What are some differences between Application and
  Analysis?

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Synthesis

• Compile information together in a different way
  by combining in a new pattern or proposing
  alternative solutions.
• How would you improve?
• Invent a way to
• What way would you design?
• Formulate a theory for

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Question

• What are some differences between Analysis and
  Synthesis?

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Evaluation

• Present and defend opinions by making judgments
  about information, validity of ideas or quality
  of work based on a set of criteria.
• What is your opinion of?
• Evaluate the effects of?
• Why was that way better?

Barton, L. G. (1997). Quick flip questions for
critical thinking. Dana Point, CA Edupress.
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Question

• What are some differences between Synthesis and
  Evaluation?

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So

• Why is Blooms taxonomy important in using
  questions?
• What do you think research tells us about the use
  of higher-order thinking and using higher-order
  questioning in colleges of agriculture?

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Scenario 1Laboratory Class

• Dr. Z introduces a unit through lecture and
  discussion. Throughout these days, students may
  be assigned homework in working with the new
  concepts. Immediately following such direct
  instruction, an experiment is modeled and the
  students are expected to repeat it. Reports
  include items such as a summary of how well the
  experiment went and why.

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Scenario 2Calculations Course

• Dr. X goes through the same routine daily. The
  students start off with a 5-minute quiz from the
  day before. Then, Dr. X goes over the homework
  by showing problems on the board. She then
  proceeds to model how to do the next set of
  problems and the students do problems for
  homework for the next day.

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Scenario 3Traditional Lecture Course

• Dr. Y has a similar pattern every unit. She
  lectures in class and the students take notes.
  After that, the students work handouts or
  questions from the text to acquaint themselves
  with the new terminology or concepts. At the end
  of a unit, in additional to a traditional
  assessment, the students do creative projects
  where they are required, for example, to write
  skits or create a commercial.

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Blossers Classification

• Managerial Questions
• Rhetorical Questions
• Close-ended Questions
• Open-ended Questions

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At What Level of Blooms Taxonomy Do These
Question Reside?

• Managerial Questions
• Rhetorical Questions
• Close-ended Questions
• Open-ended Questions

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Planning StrategyAnticipate Answers

• Why?
• What benefits could occur from doing this?
• What if I get an answer that is not on my list?
• How closely should I stick with my list?

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Planning StrategyBuild Them In

• Why?
• What benefits could occur from doing this?
• What if the class takes a different spin?
• What if the question is already answered?

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Planning StrategyMap the Path

• Develop the very last question in the series
  (destination)
• Develop the first question in the series
  (starting point)
• Fill in with questions in between (path)

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StrategyBoomerang

• Student asks a good question (typically
  opinion-based, but doesnt have to be)
• Ask them, what do you think?
• Good technique to use if you think the student
  has an idea on the answer
• Even better if you dont think they know you
  can check for misconceptions!

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StrategyWait Time

• What is wait time?
• Why should I care about wait time?
• How much time should I wait?
• What happens when I dont use wait time?
• How well am I using wait time?

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StrategyQuestion First - Name Last

• Ask the question, THEN use a name
• Why?
• What happens in reverse?
• When, if at all, is it appropriate to do the
  reverse?

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StrategyWhat So What Now What?

• Good for debriefing an experiential activity
• Series of questions that asks
• WHAT? What happened?
• SO, WHAT? So what does this have to do with
  what were studying?
• NOW, WHAT? How will you personally apply this?

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StrategySmart Lead-In Questions

• What makes you think?
• How do you select?
• Whats most important to you about?
• Where do you see?
• How have you employed?
• What has been your experience with?
• If you could change one thing about _________
  what would it be?
• How would you improve?
• What plans have you made to?
• In your experience, what has been your most
  valuable discovery in the area
• of ___________?

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StrategySmart Follow-up Questions

• How will you do that?
• How will you deal with that?
• How will you use that to your advantage?
• What steps have you made to take advantage of the
  _____________ opportunity?
• How often do you ______________?

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StrategyThink-Pair-Share

• Ask a question
• Given students time to think
• Be directive
• e.g. Find a spot in your margins and jot down
• Allow them to share with a neighbor
• Discuss response as a class

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StrategyMake Them Do Your Dirty Work

• Different Variations
• Bring in a question from your reading assigned
  the class before
• Review
• Jot down 3 possible test questions
• Problem-Solving
• You know the situation, what questions do we
  need to answer to address it

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Things to Avoid

• Putting Someone Down
• Pooled Ignorance
• Completely Transforming a Response
• Answering Your Own Questions

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PAUSE!

• What concerns do you have about asking good
  questions in class?

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Application
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Develop Your Own Questions

• Using different levels of Blooms taxonomy
• Using different types of Blossers
  classifications
• Except managerial
• After that Ill give more instructions!

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Types of Discussion

• Looking at the Bigger Picture

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Recitation

• Frequently used to review
• May cover many topics
• Characterized by teacher-directed QA
• Focus on lower-order questions that most could
  answer
• Alert students to content they should concentrate
  on in advance

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Problem-Based

• Typically embedded within a broader problem-based
  teaching activity or unit
• Engage higher-order thinking skills
• Teacher opens with discrepant event
• A puzzling situation not immediately explainable

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Problem-Based continued

• Focus student questions on gathering empirical
  data
• Encourage students to formulate hypotheses
• Teacher aids students in evaluating reasoning
• Encourage student self-reflection

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Sharing-Based

• Students develop shared meanings or confront
  differing opinions
• Common experiences and current events (typical)
• Form and express their ideas independently
• Safe and welcoming environment for the expression
  of differing views