Excerpt from Chapter 10: Art of Asking Questions

Below is an excerpt from Chapter 10 in my newest book Blended Learning in Grades 4-12.

Chapter 10: Art of Asking Questions

Successful conversations begin with dynamic questions. Asking the “right” kind of question that will drive a conversation is an art. It is crucial that the facilitator formulates questions that will accomplish the following objectives:

·      Excite curiosity.

·      Engage higher level thinking skills.

·      Encourage multiple points of view.

·      Challenge thought, instead of stifling it.

·      Fortify understanding of the curriculum.

·      Inspire the application of knowledge in new & innovative ways.

·      Draw on personal experiences and perspectives.

·      Foster collaboration.

·      Build a strong community.

Discussion of question types that foster discussion as well as question types that kill conversations…

Tips for Designing Strong Questions:

Begin with an Eye Catching Title to draw students in and grab interest. If a student sees a question titled “Chapter 3 Question,” they will be less likely to answer the question. Instead of a catchy title,  like “Poetic Justice?” or “Bizzare Photo: What Happened Here?” draws students in and intrigues them.

Embed Media to engage students. Have fun with photos and videos! Students love all things visual. Include pictures and video clips to present information, explain concepts, inspire debate, stimulate creative writing. Embed word documents with directions, lecture notes, vocabulary, and assignment descriptions support student work online as well.

Layer Your Questions to increase participation and student engagement. Beginning with a general question that is then followed by more specific questions will narrow the scope of the conversation and encourage students to examine the issue/topic more closely. The broad “hook” question will draw students in, but the more specific follow-up questions will allow them the freedom to focus on the aspect of the topic they find most interesting. If the questions are more specific, then the responses are more likely to be specific. This strategy is also particularly helpful in differentiating instruction online to engage a variety of skill levels.

Ask Controversial or Polarizing Questions to draw students into a conversation or debate. If you have established a safe space online, then presenting controversial questions will allow students to engage in constructive discussions about topics they are passionate about. As a facilitator, you will need to follow the conversations closely to ensure students maintain a respectful tone when expressing opposing viewpoints.

Encourage Connections between your topic of discussion and the students’ life experiences. If students are able to connect the discussion to their families, friends, classes, books, music, interests, hobbies, points of reference, etc. then the information being discussed will be more meaningful and they will retain the information longer. Incorporating these connections into the conversations will also personalize the discussion and lead to more meaningful student interactions.

Be Flexible during discussions. Sometimes the conversation will head in a direction you did not anticipate. These tangential conversations can be just as valuable as the initial topics presented. It is important to evaluate each individual discussion and ask follow-up questions that keep students on track but do not pigeon hole their responses. Do not get locked into your agenda as a facilitator, instead be open to the organic evolution of conversations.