Lesson 2: How can you implement an effective question?
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Objective
Participants will determine what strategies are necessary to deliver effective questions.
Introduction
Writing effective questions is the first step toward deepening student thinking, but there are many more factors to consider in the implementation of a question other than simply writing a higher-order question. Some factors to consider when delivering questions to students are how much wait time you use, whether you are asking students as a class or asking them to share their answers with partners, and ensuring that you don't just answer the question yourself. Using an appropriate amount of wait time is essential so that all students have an opportunity to consider how they would answer the question. Likewise, sometimes it might be more appropriate to ask students to share answers to a question with a partner instead of one student sharing an answer with the whole class. In this lesson, participants will consider how certain delivery factors can play into the success of their own questioning techniques.
K-W-L Pre-Assessment
- Before you begin reviewing the content in Lesson 2, please make additions to the K-W-L chart. You should add a few comments describing what you think are strategies for delivering effective questions that would deepen student thinking in the "K" section of the chart. You can then brainstorm a few questions you have about how to deliver effective questions and type them in the "W" section of the chart, indicating what you want to know.
Warm Up
Access the following video, which is a clip from Ferris Bueller's Day off.
After watching the video, reflect on the following questions, and record responses in your Journalate:
- How was the structure of these questions ineffective based on what you learned in Lesson 1?
- How was the delivery of these questions ineffective?
- How engaged were the students? Were they given opportunities to respond or deepen their thinking?
Investigation
As you access the links below, please take notes in your Journalate journal. The ideas and prompts to consider during your investigation should guide your note-taking.
1. Read the following article about effective questioning. Pay particular attention to the section titled "How can you incorporate the use of effective questioning in a course?". In your Journalate, reflect on a potential upcoming lesson and what context you could ask a question. For example, would a future lesson lend itself more to a class discussion or a small group discussion?
2. Watch the video clip on implementing wait time into your questioning strategies. While watching the video, consider if you use appropriate wait time in your own classroom.
3. Read the following blog post about strategies for effective questioning. Pick the one out of the four that you feel is the most crucial to consider when delivering an effective question, and reflect on it in your Journalate.
Reflection
- After reviewing the previous links, list two or three effective questioning strategies that you will implement in your classroom. You can record your answers followed by your name in the "L" section of the K-W-L chart. In addition, if you can answer any questions from the "W" section, please record these answers in the "L" section. If any new questions emerged after completing the "Investigation" portion of Lesson 2, you can add them to the "W" section.
- In your Journalate, answer the following questions considering what you learned about effective questioning strategies from this lesson:
- In what ways have you delivered a question ineffectively in a past lesson? What is something you would change if you could teach that lesson again tomorrow?
Go on to Lesson 3: How can I plan effective questions in my lesson?
Return to Designing Effective Questions