HI Margaret- Thanks for your post to the forum. Funny how just by getting students to participate by raising their hand in response to a question can make them more inclined to continue participating! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I find that asking direct questions that require a student response to work well as a technique for getting the answering part rolling. For example, "by a show of hands, how many of you . . . . " By hands, I know which students have and haven't experienced the incident. It opens up further discussion.
Sometimes I have used leading questions to the topic, direct questions to certain students, thinking questions to get them started on the topic of the class.
Hi William - I always enjoy getting students to work together to answer questions or create projects or presentations. It also prepares them for working in teams in the workplace. Susan
Hi Daniel - Thanks for your post to the forum. I hope that you will be able to incorporate some ideas from this module into your questioning sessions. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi George- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are helping your students see the relevancy of what they are learning - excellent! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I also do this. Instead of just going thru terms we discuss the topics in the chapter and I fing my students get much more out of the material.
I ask my students quite often to reflect on a topic and come up with an example or situation on how they could apply the material to their field of study.
I have had great difficulty in getting discussions going. This forum's ideas is giving me more tools to use to try and do that. I like the idea of asking other students to comment on the first answer, either to expand it,if the answer was correct, or if it was right, if the answer was incorrect.
I intellectually know I should allow more time for that first response, and to follow up, but I am usually behind schedule on the class content, and so want to move on.
One technique that is very interesting to try is to ask two students to answer a question your about to pose. You will discover that the students will help one another to reach an agreeable answer.
It's very interesting when you do get to have the students write down specific questions prior to the lecture demonstration process. Can you call these questions out. You can directly answer them, and knowledge each student for their response.
Particularly if you're dealing with adult students. Drawing on their life experiences can help stimulate the classroom, topical discussions.
As soon some memorizing them. They are not necessarily understanding the topic material. It's best to pose practical application questions and solicit responses for them.
To get the class underway. It's often times best to start with an open-ended question, and then ask other students to extend on the answers.
Hi Eulalia - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are doing a terrific job using questioning to give you the feedback you need to teach effectively! Susan
I start out my class asking students whether they have any questions on their assignments. I direct the questions to their assignments because the assignments cover the last topic covered in class. If there were no questions, I ask the questions emailed to me by the students regarding their confusion in the assignments and other concerns. I encourage the class to share what their feedback regarding their assignments. I would also ask them how the problems assigned helped them better understand the topic covered in class. I will also ask more detailed questions on assigned problems that were incorrectly answered by the class, in general. This entire line of questioning will assure me that the students understood the last topic.
Questions that really apply to them, they have more meaning when they can relate to the questions that are asked of them.
Hi Monty - You can make an assignment that requires them to come up with a question. The question they submit will most likely be the one they really wanted to ask but did not want to appear stupid. Susan
Hi Joseph- I also find that using small groups to get introverts to participate works really well. Best wishes! Susan
It is not a challenge to get the extroverts in class to ask questions. The introverts provide some nonverbal communication clues that they have something to say e.g., their faces might get a little red, they may clear their throat, and the may automatically look down. I call on students when I feel like they have something to say but are too nervous to speak up. Sometimes, I will place students into small groups. Shy student are more likely to participate because of the size of the group and because the level of accountability often increases in small groups.
