Hi Angela, Thanks for your post to the forum. You are using some great questioning techniques! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I like to take breaks during my lecture classes and ask the students about what we were just discussing. I try to make the questions open ended. If everyone is silent, I give them time to discuss in pairs or small groups and/or look through the text for the answer. If a particular student is quiet I will call them by name a pose a question that I know they can answer to encourage a response. I may later pose a question to the same student that I know they have to think about if they remain quiet during subsequent questions.
Hi James, Thanks for your post to the forum. That is an excellent example of using a case study to allow students to apply concepts they are learning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I like to engage students in questions that require a lot of thought. Using sticky notes for students that do not like to speak up is helpful as well.
I generally like to talk about controversial issues that most students have an opinion about. Once one student (usually the most extroverted) begins, the rest of the students piggyback on his/her answer.
I present a scenario of a patient that may have recently been in the office. Tell them the presenting complaint and ask them what questions they want to ask the patient and what tests we might want to run. If they ask about a specific test, I will give them the result and ask what that tells us and where do we go next?
Hi Eric, Thanks for your post to the forum. Great strategy to get students engaged! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
Susan Polick
What I like to do is start the conversations from topics outside the class and then bring students in. Then start to introduce the material into the conversation and apply it to how the students would use it in their lives.
Hi Christopher, Yes, when they can apply concepts to something they have personally experienced, students do become more engaged in what they are learning. Susan
Susan Polick
Questions that draw on real life experiences of the students are excellent. the student will understand the information better. Also the student is more likely to remember the discussion long term.
Try to make it relevent to something that happened to them in life. Some concepts seem easier if they can relate to it personally.
Hi Mark, Thanks for your post to the forum. The more exposure we can give our students to critical thinking skill -the better! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Michael, Yes, students get a lot from sharing experiences that relate to the concepts that they are learning. From your post I sense that you are a very empathetic instructor!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Asking empirical questions regarding data, information, and experience will always bring out relevant facts. Secondly to get unimperical questions to draw how critical thinking..."how can we solve world hunger?" This allows for brainstorming etc in a classroom and can be of value.
One of the questioning techniques that I've used which was successful in getting students to participate have been questions that draw on the life experiences of the students -- especially in the major that I teach which is criminal justice. Some students have had varied experiences encountering the criminal justice system and this helps to either clarify or expand on a concept or question that I have presented to the class. I do make sure that the student giving their life experience as part of their answer to the question is comfortable about sharing their life experience as some are very personal or painful. If a student does use a painful personal experience as part of their answer to the question, I reward the student by letting them know that I appreciate their courage and candor in sharing somehting that painful in order to expand on a concept and make it more real and understandable for their fellow students.
Hi Chuck, Thanks for your post to the forum. Students do love to play games in class and I admit - I love to also!! Great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Sharon, Thanks for your post to the forum. No question- open-ended questions are the best way to get participation! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
I have had some success with student participation by dividing the class into four groups and playing a game of jeopardy. The interaction within the group's have helped quiet students open up more. Also each time I use this technique I designate a different student to be the spokesmen. Giving each the opportunity to a verbal comfrintation with the other groups. The questions pertain to the previous days lecture.
 I use open-ended questions to imitiate student participation and let them know that we are looking for dialogue on
subject matter. It also allows me to check for understanding.
Hi Misty, Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, you are giving them an additional opportunity to use critical thinking skills. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
