Effective Questioning in Class

This Q&A was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond –

Question

Dear Jonas,

I have read some of your columns dealing with how to use questions in class, and I realize how useful it can be to use questions effectively in class. So, I have been asking a lot of questions. It seems to work in some classes, but very often, I ask a question and no one answers, or the same students answer all of the time. Sometimes in a more vocal class, everyone chimes in, and I don’t know if I like that. Can you summarize for me some thoughts about using questions in my classes? And what is the best way for doing this? I am still not sure that I have it right!

Signed: Questionable

Answer

Dear Questionable,

I am always learning more on this topic, and I am glad you asked. I recently attended a very good teaching workshop sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers as part of their Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Program. This particular topic was presented in a very interesting fashion by Lt. Col. Ronald Welch, an engineering faculty member at West Point; thanks to him for providing such great food for thought.

First, I think it is important to review the motivation for using questioning during class. It gets the students engaged, keeps them on their toes, develops rapport in the classroom, stimulates critical thinking, adds variety to class, and assesses student learning. That quite naturally leads us to ask “What is a good question?” I think in-class questions posed by the instructor should be short, clear, unambiguous and nontrivial. For effective questioning, one should plan most of the questions that will be asked in class so that they effectively review or refresh prior knowledge, connect prior knowledge to a new topic or stimulate critical thinking. As you will see, it is helpful to know your students‚ names and have some sense of their individual personalities. Well timed and scripted questions are a method to allow the instructor to stimulate students‚ thought processes so necessary to effective learning and to manage class involvement.

Then how do we ask questions? For purposes of discussion we can examine basic questioning techniques by dividing them, somewhat artificially, into categories. Four basic categories might be labeled: The Default, The Volunteer, The Jump Ball and The Choir. These methods all start with the question and then a pause; but engage students somewhat differently. They are:

The Default: the instructor calls on a student by name to respond; this is a standard.
The Volunteer: the instructor waits for a raised hand; this is probably most useful for conceptually challenging questions.
The Jump Ball: the instructor requests a response from “Anybody,” letting the first person who jumps in respond; this is useful for conceptually challenging questions that need a fast answer in high energy classes.
The Choir: the instructor is asking “Everybody”, expecting a chorus of responses. This technique is useful for simple but important points that everyone should know cold.

Mixing questioning techniques adds to the variety of the classroom experience for both the student and the instructor. Just thinking of these classifications has made me aware that I often have relied on one technique too often and reminds me to try others. Interestingly, I am also more aware of involving more students rather than defaulting to the usual few respondents. You may also want to let your students know that you use many different ways to ask questions, and mention some to prepare them.

There are a few other questioning techniques that you may want to use, but these should be used sparingly. These include the Misleading Question, The Expert, The Un-Expert, and the Blind or Misdirected Question. The Misleading Question has the instructor asking a question that seems, on the surface, to have an obvious answer but that, in this case, is incorrect. This can be a useful technique to remind students to reflect on basic assumptions or truths before blindly applying a solution technique. Be cautious however, because students are inclined to write everything down, and may record incorrect information. At the end of a discussion in which an error or misleading path has been introduced, it is important to make sure the error is thoroughly identified before moving on. With The Expert, the instructor asks a student that he/she considers to be quite knowledgeable in that area to enable him/her to share that information. This technique requires knowing the students well, and knowing about their backgrounds. Prior knowledge about your students‚ co-op experiences and backgrounds would help you aim your questions. I often ask my students to provide me with a copy of their resumes early in the term. With the Un-Expert, select a student that you are sure does not know the area or answer. Perhaps let the student know in advance that you don’t expect that anyone in class “knows” the answer. You use the question to lead the student (perhaps by asking more additional and more basic questions or reminding them of parallel situations) in developing a thought process or solution strategy, building on past knowledge in a new way that you have not covered yet. This technique can create that teachable moment that can really enhance learning. This technique powerfully illustrates how the answer “I don’t know” can actually improve one’s learning experience, and when properly handled, can do much to relieve the anxiety of participating for some students. When you sense that a class is beginning to predict your questioning pattern you might throw a Blind or Misdirected Question. Ask a question to a student by name while your attention or focus seems to be elsewhere. An occasional surprise such as this fosters better attention.

After asking the questions, it is important to handle the answers effectively. It is crucial to listen to the answers carefully and affirm the good material, minimizing the extras that may be part of a student’s answer. If there are errors made, or the answer is incorrect, focus on the point of the question, making corrections as you see necessary to prevent problems or misconceptions, but not dwelling on inconsequential errors. Most of all remain very positive since students can become less enthusiastic about answering if they are made to feel uncomfortable when they answer.

Good luck.

Jonas

Quick Tip

Experiment in your class with different types of questioning techniques to get a sense of how you can make this work for you. Due to differences in style and personality, you may find a selection of these that work very well for you, and others that are not a good fit.

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This content was adapted with permission from the book Chalk Talk: E-advice from Jonas Chalk, Legendary College Teacher, edited by Donna M. Qualters and Miriam Rosalyn Diamond.

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