I found each student has a differnat answer. I break up the class in groups to discuss the questions and then explain there answers and allow the other groups to ask them questions.
Open ended questions, ask factual questions that require simple and straight forward answer, then praise students which encourages participation. Afterwards the more difficult and divergent questions
Open ended questioning is effective. I have a number of foreign students in my class and I frequently ask them what their experience with the subject of discussion has been in their home country. I have gotten some interesting and very diverse responses. I also encourage my students to question me at anytime during my class.
Dr. Ron Spicer
Open ended questions at the beginning of class and closed questions at the end to make sure they understood the topic.
Group discussions, by giving the groups real-life situations. Example: Susan is 15 minutes late for work everyday. How do you, as the supervisor, handle this problem?
I also try to ask open ended questions. I have found that redirecting questions and expanding on them really helps. Half way through class I have students write down questions and than we answer them as a class. It ensures everyone participates.
Isabel
Asking them to relate a personal experience to the topic of discussion in the lesson.
HI Christian- Thanks for your post to the forum. You are doing a great job at getting your students engaged in questioning. Using humor in the "lower level" questions is terrific - especially if it gets the more apprehensive student to relax and join in! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
What has been working good for me is that I try to infuse a little humor in both questions and responses, while remaining respectful. I believe this helps students relax, make most of them willing to put their thinking caps on and dive into the discussion. I don't do this all the time, but I find it extra helpful when asking questions at the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy.
Hi Marlene- Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, it really does get students engaged when you relate the topic at hand to their own experiences.
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Talking about scenarios they can relate with that connect with the content initiates questioning
Incorporating games that involve questioning such as Jeopardy
Hi Guy- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have some great ideas for getting students involved in discussions. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
As other posts have stated open-ended questions & silence are always good. If the discussion is going well I sometimes play "devils advocate" by asking opposing questions trying to get students to debunk my point of view through more questions among themselves.
I come up with a list of critical thinking questions on the readings
Hi Gilbert- Thanks for your post to the forum. As you mention, positive reinforcement is so important in questioning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career, Susan
Using a combination of questions directed to the entire classroom or to an individual student but always using positive reenforcement in my response, regardless if the answer is correct or incorrect.
I like to ask questions during my lectures. I start out with straight forward questions and then move into more open-ended ones to encourage more participation. This gives me a chance to evaluate how the student are grasping the material.
Silence can be golden. I have learned to have patience...the responses will come.
Question techniques vary in order to get student participation. Sometimes I have the students get into small groups, create one disscusion question, and then as a class we all answer their questions.
