Amalia - I also believe that allwoing them to brainstorm - and even to go out on a limb - encourages a more viable and vibrant interaction. Also, I have learned that when I encoruagte this, those students who tend to be more shy are more likely to participate.
I think that questioning is important because it focuses on getting the students to think about what it is been asked. Searching for the asnwer is a very important part of the learning process. I like to ask students lots of questions. I like to see them think and braistorm an answer. I like to tell them that it is OK to brainstorm and give me the answer that they think is right and it comes first to their mind. Even if they think they might be wrong, I think it is good that they lay it out.
Amalia
Hi Trudy- Thanks for your post to the forum. I really liked your example of a question that will require students to use higher order analytical skills. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think posing questions that put the students in the position of being a decision maker is one way to help students apply what they are learning. When I teach a business course, for example, and we are discussing a business concept, I might ask, "If you were the manager, what questions would you want answered before making a final decision about this?"
Jeff - I value the use of your word "guide" - it is appropriate and yet also dynamic, since that is exactly what questioning does.
As the module indicates, it prepares them to be life-time learners, which is one of the primary goals of education. It is crucial for the student struggling with any degree to shyness to be able to conquer this skill in order to effectively work and apply his classroom learning in the world of work.
By asking the right questions you can direct and encourage your students to follow a course of study consistant with the class. I find questioning a powerful tool to generate curiosity and interest in the course.
Hi Tom - That was hilarious but also made me think. If we can get our students to ask questions that are so advanced that even we have trouble answering, we are doing a terrific job!
Best wishea for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
The High School I went todeveloped us to be questioners. One of the outcomes is that I am a self admitted education junky, The down side for the school was that by middle of Jounior yrar I overheard one teacher say, "Ok we have them asking relivent questions, but Ii think we ran out of answers long ago"
HI Jeff- Thanks for your post to nthe forum. You make a good point - we can guide our students studies by modeling the sort of questions they need to be asking themselves. Best wishes -Susan
I find by asking students questions that have no true right or wrong answer, they are more motivated to look into the subject further and have more to share in classroom diuscussions.
One thing that good questioning does is guide students through the material. If an instructor uses good questions for this purpose during lecture, then students will begin to understand the types of questions they should be asking themselves while reading, completing assignments, and so on.
HI Nancy - thanks for your post to the forum. There is no doubt that it is easier to lecture for 55 minutes and end class, but as you mention, we need our students to be actively involved in their learning.Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think that asking questions helps students become responsible and take charge of their own learning. It makes them an active participant in learning rather than a passive recipient.
Hi Ajani-Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree so completely- making the effort to remember students' answers and referencing them in the future really makes students feel valued. Susan
Also, when building on the students answers, referencing these answers later on helps reassure the student that they are being listened to in the course in general--not just during the discussion in which he or she spoke up. It helps keep their attention.
If transfer is the goal of all learning, then encouraging students to ask questions is a step toward that goal, as they naturally tend to ask questions that have meaning for them and their lives. Students also feel better about themselves when they ask questions and the teacher or their peers build on them.
Students will need to look within themselves for the answers to the questions and if NOT, feel self-directed to look up the answers!
If they understand that it is okay to not know an answer and that we should always be seeking avenues to those answers, they will learn to seek the answers out for themselves versus waiting for the instructor to feed the answers to them. They will be more engaged in the classroom because they will be able to contribute what they think and feel at critical junctures in the learning process.
Hi Jason- Thanks for your post to the forum. As you point out, feedback is essential to help students learn from their mistakes. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
