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,
In your last column, you recommended that faculty break up lectures with other activities. I understand that some of my colleagues stop their lectures to ask questions of the students as part of their lesson. Doesn’t it seem contrived? Also it’s very time-consuming. Wouldn’t my time be better spent covering the material?
Signed: Questioning Question
Answer
Dear Questioning Questions,
Asking the students questions in class is actually a very effective and efficient teaching tool. It does not have to seem contrived – in fact, it can wake up the class! In addition, quality feedback from students can actually help you use class time more efficiently by allowing you to focus on areas where students have difficulties. There are several ways that questions can be used as tools for learning. These include providing the professor with a quick assessment of the students’ understanding of the subject material, giving students an opportunity to apply the material, and helping students make connections to previous knowledge.
As a professor, you may want to ascertain students’ comprehension of a concept that you consider a building block for a new topic that you are about to introduce. Asking questions can help you gauge what students already know or don’t know, and how well they actually understand the concept. After a concept or operation has been introduced, you can ask application questions to get feedback on how well the students grasped the material. For example, after you’ve introduced some basic notions of probability theory, you could ask a student how this applies to the Mass. Lottery. If they can’t apply the concept, then you know they really haven’t understood the concept and only followed the mechanics. Some more specific questioning might point you to the cause of the problem, and provide you with the opportunity to clarify. Additionally, asking questions based on the material just presented provides students with feedback on whether they understand and can apply the information correctly.
Often, particularly in the sciences and engineering, lessons focus on operations and application of theory. A question – often in the form of a quick problem or part of a problem – gives students practice applying these operations immediately. This is a powerful tool for reinforcing instruction. By giving the students an opportunity to be active learners and engage their minds, they become physically active and test out their new knowledge, allowing real learning to happen. Well-constructed questions can focus their attention on the key points that you are trying to make, as well as change the rhythm of the lesson. Studies have shown that a change in presentation style every 20 minutes maximizes attention.
Finally, questions can help students integrate knowledge and form links with prior learning and experience. Asking for analogies, similar situations, or connections to previous ideas facilitates retention of new information, and allows students to make connections with what they already know.
So questioning – as part of your lesson – is an effective teaching tool and a way to gain information about what the students are learning.
Any questions?
Jonas
Quick Tip
To see how the students are doing, I often ask them to tell me where the concept or operation would apply. Have they seen it before or used anything similar before? What does it remind them of? That way I know that the application is one that they are familiar with, and that it ties to something they have seen or known before, without giving applications or examples myself.
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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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