How can I ask good questions?
Questioning is a key skill for any teacher, in this session we want to explore best practices and learn how to become better inquisitors (Created by Richard Ng)
- For TAs and Teachers to consider the importance of questioning
- Helping students without giving the answer away
Imagine that Teachers and TAs were banned from asking questions.
In what ways would this negatively impact learning?
Consider individually and then discuss in groups.
What does this tell us about the purposes of questioning?
- We taught it != they learned it
- We need to make the invisible (their learning, inside their heads) visible
- We should confirm:
- That they are able to give good answers
- That they have reliable reasoning processes and mental models to reach those answers
Two important findings from cognitive neuroscience:
- Testing effect
- Memory is the residue of thought
Correspondingly, question for:
- Factual recall
- Provoking deep thought