Why are questions important?Why are questions important?Teachers ask as many as 300 to 400 Teachers ask as many as 300 to 400

questions a day.questions a day.Questions guide students’ thinking Questions guide students’ thinking and determines how students will and determines how students will

process materials presented to them.process materials presented to them.Questions are the single, most Questions are the single, most

influential teaching activity.influential teaching activity.

Why ask questions?Why ask questions?

Focus Student attentionFocus Student attentionHelp students interact with Help students interact with

contentcontentCheck for understandingCheck for understandingEvaluate the effectiveness of the Evaluate the effectiveness of the

lessonlesson Increase the level of thinkingIncrease the level of thinking

Different questions elicit different Different questions elicit different thought processes.thought processes.

Four types of questionsFour types of questionsConvergentConvergentDivergentDivergentLow-level Low-level High-level High-level

ConvergentConvergent

Have one correct answerHave one correct answer Convergent questions are needed to Convergent questions are needed to

help students sharpen their focus and help students sharpen their focus and attention to detail and accuracy.attention to detail and accuracy.

What is 3+4?What is 3+4? What are the days of the week?What are the days of the week? What are the planets in our solar What are the planets in our solar

system?system? What year did the US land on theWhat year did the US land on the

moon?moon?

DivergentDivergent

Open-ended, more than one correct Open-ended, more than one correct answeranswer

Divergent questions help students to Divergent questions help students to delve into imagination and creativity delve into imagination and creativity while at the same time, build their while at the same time, build their confidence. confidence.

What are some examples of What are some examples of amphibians?amphibians?

What is your favorite book?What is your favorite book? What animals are mammals?What animals are mammals?

Low-levelLow-level

Requires only mental recall to be Requires only mental recall to be answeredanswered

Building blocks to higher-level thinkingBuilding blocks to higher-level thinking The student only has to remember The student only has to remember

something that he/she already knows.something that he/she already knows. What is the order of the planets in our What is the order of the planets in our

solar system?solar system? What are three simple machines?What are three simple machines?

High-levelHigh-level

The student must do some kind of The student must do some kind of processing of information in order processing of information in order to answer the question.to answer the question.

The processes include comparing, The processes include comparing, describing, inferring, hypothesizing, describing, inferring, hypothesizing, analyzing, and making judgments analyzing, and making judgments or evaluations. or evaluations.

ExamplesExamples

Compare your community to the Compare your community to the communities of the colonists.communities of the colonists.

What do you think will happen to this What do you think will happen to this paper clip when I drop it into the cup paper clip when I drop it into the cup of water? Will it sink or float?of water? Will it sink or float?

What do you think life was like for What do you think life was like for the colonists?the colonists?

Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy

Most widely used classification Most widely used classification system for analyzing educational system for analyzing educational questions in the cognitive domain.questions in the cognitive domain.

Teachers tend to ask primarily low-Teachers tend to ask primarily low-level questions and the students level questions and the students lose the opportunity to think lose the opportunity to think critically. critically.

Bloom’s TaxonomyBloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge Knowledge ComprehensionComprehension ApplicationApplication AnalysisAnalysis SynthesisSynthesis EvaluationEvaluation

Knowledge levelKnowledge level Knowledge questions encourage Knowledge questions encourage

students to recall information in the students to recall information in the form that they learned it.form that they learned it.

Knowledge level verbsKnowledge level verbs DefinesDefines MatchesMatches DescribesDescribes NamesNames IdentifiesIdentifies RecallsRecalls LabelsLabels RecitesRecites ListsLists Recognizes Recognizes

Comprehension levelComprehension level Encourage students to communicate Encourage students to communicate

an idea or phenomenon in a new or an idea or phenomenon in a new or different formdifferent form

Comprehension level verbs:Comprehension level verbs: DiscriminatesDiscriminates generalizesgeneralizes EditsEdits gives examplesgives examples EstimatesEstimates infersinfers ExplainsExplains predictspredicts ExtendsExtends summarizessummarizes

Application levelApplication level Encourage students to apply ideas or Encourage students to apply ideas or

skills to new situations or to use the skills to new situations or to use the knowledge they possess to solve a knowledge they possess to solve a problem.problem.

Application level verbs:Application level verbs: ConstructConstruct translatetranslate DemonstratesDemonstrates relatesrelates ModifiesModifies showshow ComputesComputes Put to usePut to use IllustrateIllustrate ProveProve

Analysis levelAnalysis level Requires students to break down Requires students to break down

something, such as an idea, into its something, such as an idea, into its constituent parts or to uncover the constituent parts or to uncover the unique characteristics of a “thing”.unique characteristics of a “thing”.

Analysis level verbs:Analysis level verbs: Break DownBreak Down DifferentiateDifferentiate ClassifyClassify DiscriminateDiscriminate CategorizeCategorize SimplifySimplify ContrastContrast CriticizeCriticize DebateDebate OutlineOutline

Synthesis levelSynthesis level Encourage students to put the Encourage students to put the

information back together in information back together in imaginative and/or original ways.imaginative and/or original ways.

Synthesis level verbs:Synthesis level verbs: BlendBlend ModifyModify ConstructConstruct IntegrateIntegrate CreateCreate CombineCombine DesignDesign ArrangeArrange DevelopDevelop ReorganizeReorganize

Evaluation levelEvaluation level

Require students to judge something by Require students to judge something by determining a standard and comparing it determining a standard and comparing it to the standard.to the standard.

Evaluation level verbs:Evaluation level verbs: AppraiseAppraise EvaluateEvaluate ArgueArgue GradeGrade AssessAssess JudgeJudge CritiqueCritique ValidateValidate DefendDefend JustifyJustify

Useful questioning techniquesUseful questioning techniques

Wait timeWait timePhrasing questionsPhrasing questionsPlanning aheadPlanning aheadTeacher response to questions Teacher response to questions

(redirection, prompting, probing, (redirection, prompting, probing, praise)praise)

Wait timeWait time

After asking a question, the After asking a question, the teacher waits 3-5 seconds teacher waits 3-5 seconds before accepting answersbefore accepting answers

Give students time to think Give students time to think before answering questionsbefore answering questions

Results in dramatic changes in Results in dramatic changes in student responses.student responses.

Results of Wait time:Results of Wait time: The length of student responses is The length of student responses is

increased 300 to 400%.increased 300 to 400%. Students increase their use of evidence, Students increase their use of evidence,

or of logic based on evidence, to support or of logic based on evidence, to support their statements.their statements.

The failure to respond to questions The failure to respond to questions decreasesdecreases

The necessity for disciplinary measures The necessity for disciplinary measures decreases.decreases.

The variety of students participating in The variety of students participating in discussion increases.discussion increases.

Students gain confidence in their ability Students gain confidence in their ability to construct responses to questions. to construct responses to questions.

Phrasing questionsPhrasing questions

How questions are phrased impact the How questions are phrased impact the quality of response and the quality of quality of response and the quality of thinking required.thinking required.

Don’t begin a question with a name. This Don’t begin a question with a name. This engages only 1 student, all the others engages only 1 student, all the others are “off the hook”.are “off the hook”.

Avoid beginning each question the same Avoid beginning each question the same way. “Who can tell me….”way. “Who can tell me….”

Distributing questions:Distributing questions: Research indicates that many teachers:Research indicates that many teachers: Call on high-achieving students more Call on high-achieving students more

than low achieving studentsthan low achieving students Call on boys more than girlsCall on boys more than girls Call on white students more than minority Call on white students more than minority

studentsstudents Call on students in the front row more Call on students in the front row more

than the back rowthan the back row Call on students on one side of the roomCall on students on one side of the room Use unequal patterns of questioning, Use unequal patterns of questioning,

students have unequal opportunities to students have unequal opportunities to process material and transfer to long-process material and transfer to long-term memory.term memory.

Planning questionsPlanning questions

Be sure to write questions ahead Be sure to write questions ahead of time to ensure higher level of time to ensure higher level thinking questions are utilized thinking questions are utilized

Responding to student answersResponding to student answers

Once students have responded Once students have responded to a question, the teacher to a question, the teacher decides whether to praise, decides whether to praise, acknowledge, redirect, probe, acknowledge, redirect, probe, prompt, correct, or ask a new prompt, correct, or ask a new question.question.

PraisePraise

Use selectivelyUse selectively Can limit further thinking when viewed Can limit further thinking when viewed

as a terminal response.as a terminal response. Praise must be meaningfulPraise must be meaningful Stay away from global praise- good jobStay away from global praise- good job Be specific- I like the way you used your Be specific- I like the way you used your

experience to justify your answer. experience to justify your answer. Tell why it was a good job.Tell why it was a good job.

RedirectionRedirection

Asking the same divergent (open-ended) Asking the same divergent (open-ended) question to several students in a question to several students in a sequence of uninterrupted by the sequence of uninterrupted by the teacher’s comments. teacher’s comments.

Allows teachers to get contributions Allows teachers to get contributions from several students.from several students.

Allows more people to participate in Allows more people to participate in lessons.lessons.

Allows class members to continue to Allows class members to continue to process the question.process the question.

PromptingPrompting

Leading the student to the correct Leading the student to the correct answer by a hint or a series of hints. answer by a hint or a series of hints.

Encourage the students to take risks Encourage the students to take risks and make educated guesses.and make educated guesses.

Teaches the students how to use Teaches the students how to use various thought processes to find various thought processes to find answers to questions and problems. answers to questions and problems.

Prompting is a difficult skill because Prompting is a difficult skill because teachers cannot plan the hint questions teachers cannot plan the hint questions ahead of time, one has to think on one’s ahead of time, one has to think on one’s feet.feet.

ProbingProbing

Probing is a means of getting students to Probing is a means of getting students to elaborate on their initial responses to elaborate on their initial responses to questions, particularly when the initial questions, particularly when the initial response to a question has been minimal.response to a question has been minimal.

Asking the student for further Asking the student for further clarification, explanation interpretation, clarification, explanation interpretation, etc.etc.

Provides opportunity for more in-depth Provides opportunity for more in-depth thinking.thinking.

CorrectCorrect

Correct misinformation and prompt for Correct misinformation and prompt for correct information.correct information.

Do not repeat the wrong answer, only Do not repeat the wrong answer, only repeat back the correct answer. repeat back the correct answer.

Students can stop listening after the Students can stop listening after the incorrect answer is given. Make sure that incorrect answer is given. Make sure that the students are paying attention when the students are paying attention when the correct answer is given. the correct answer is given.

Effective practices related to questioningEffective practices related to questioning

Plan the questions that are to be asked Plan the questions that are to be asked during a lessonduring a lesson

Clarify the purpose of the questionsClarify the purpose of the questions Use a balanced combination of Use a balanced combination of

low/high/convergent/divergent questions low/high/convergent/divergent questions