Any Questions?

When students are actively responding to questions and asking good questions, the instructor can feel assured that there is a great deal of learning going on in the classroom. Creating this level of involvement often requires a deep understanding of the craft of teaching. Setting the right rhythm, leading skillfully, and responding effectively are crucial teaching abilities that are most apparent in the interpersonal dance that occurs when teachers and students start asking each other questions.

As you work to maintain the energy level of your classes during the period of the semester that some educators call "the doldrums" try to use questions to keep students actively engaged in your lessons. Here are some tips to help you master the steps of a questioning classroom.

Setting the Right Beat

The classroom environment is as important as the question itself. Teachers need to create an atmosphere in which students feel questions are a welcome part of learning.

Tone. Questions should primarily be used for gaining and refining knowledge. If they are used to catch students who are not working or discipline inattentive students, for example, students will be less likely to respond and risk embarrassment. Keep the focus on the intellectual goal.

Encourage Questions. Let students know you welcome intellectual questions by making them evident in your class. Introduce them in your lecture, pose questions, have them write questions. Include questions in your class every day.

Good Answers. Answer student questions as fully as possible to show that you respect their questions. If you cannot give adequate time to a complex or off-topic question, arrange to address it outside of class or in another format.

Taking the Lead

Questions work best when they lead students to the next insight or when they help student challenge or synthesize the information they have gained. Teachers need to know how to be one step ahead of the students.

Types. Know the various types of questions and how each type works. Don't rely on recall type questions (such as, "What is . . . ?), use a variety. The CIRT will send you a list of various question types to help you monitor the types of questions you rely on.

Strategies. Plan your questions according to some strategy. Move from easy to hard; concrete to abstract. Know how to probe. Guide students through a topic with a series of pre-planned questions. We can send you some possible ideas.

Be Prepared. Be ready for unexpected responses. How should you handle mistakes? What do you do if you get an overly-emotional reaction? How do you handle silent students? Usually effective follow-up questioning can redirect students.

Keeping in Step

How the teacher responds to questions sets the stage for future reactions. Here are some tactics that researchers recommend.

Wait Time. Become comfortable with waiting 5-10 seconds. This gives students time to get their thoughts together. If you still have no response, probe why they aren't answering, offer some guiding questions, or ask them to write for 1-2 minutes and collect a couple answers.

Listen. Use advanced listening skills when students answer. Use their name. Show you heard them. Confirm their main idea. Build on their response by using another question or comment that develops their thoughts.

Follow Through. Use probing questions to help a student better develop their initial response. Rephrase questions to guide the explanation step-by-step if necessary. Coach students as they develop solid answers through your follow-up questions. Teachers should not expect initial responses to thoughtful questions to be perfect. Use their first response as the start of a conversation that leads to the best answer.

Redirect. Use your questions to redirect the conversation to other students. For example, you might say, "If Judy is right, what do you think that would mean?"

There are a number of other tactics for responding to student questions. Call the CIRT for a short article summarizing the research on the best practices.

Final Comment

Using questions to lead students to new ideas is as old as Socrates. The strategies and tactics for doing this well remain as challenging today as they were for that ancient educator. Far more than lectures or small group work, questions draw students and teachers into close interactions. Good teachers develop a repertoire that makes this a comfortable and engaging learning time. Reviewing some of the summary articles available from the CIRT can help you decide your favorite dance steps. Any questions?

This Teaching Tip was first published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and Learning on November 10, 1997.