getting a discussion started when the material is black and white
I teach in an associate degree nursing program. I enjoy active learning, questioning, and interaction with the students. My greatest challenge is getting any kind of discussion going with kind of material I am presenting. I teach medical surgical nursing. The content contains a lot of pathophysiology and so the questioning and answering tends to be pretty straight forward. I want the students to critically think but feel it ends up being more of an oral quiz. Any suggestions?
Hi Murielle, Thanks for your post to the forum. Questioning skills may be one of the toughest techniques to master, but the pay-off is huge! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I am looking forward to using a series of questions to get a discussion going with my students, this will also help me see how well they understand the topic.
Hi Steven, Good idea! Thanks for sharing! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hey, Kim, I might have an answer for this one.
Prior to teaching college courses, at taught training sessions for a reatil computer company who shall remain nameless. One of the strategies we had for teaching was called "Lead Learning Out". The idea focused around procedural questions about how the computer opperated. Instead of, for instance, showing a student what happens when you right click on a link, we would hand the customer the mouse, and say something to effect of, "I wonder what would happen if we hovered over that text and clicked the right button".
It might be possible to use a variation of this in a classroom setting. For example, teaching Photoshop: "Can anybody tell me what will happen if I adjust this setting on the smudge tool, and brush it over this part of the image?"
Just my two cents.
Hi chris - Pathophysiology sounds like a fascinating field and, as you mention' a great opportunity for your students to expand their critical thinking skills!
Pathophysiology is a great area to develop critical thinking, particularly for nurses. Each pathology exhibits a plethora of signs and symptoms, so it makes a great discussion tool. For example, discussing how that pathology would affect particular populations, age groups, body regions, etc.
I teach a lot of intro classes and skills based labs. I find it difficult to construct questions that will generate discussion when the subject is skill based (i.e., learning to use a software program). Any suggestions/examples would be helpful. By the way, I teach graphic design so the students are very visual and kinesthetic.
I agree with your question Paula. As I am going through this course I am thinking the same thing, how I can incorporate more varied questions to get greater involvement and a deeper level of thinking. I teach medical assisting classes and a lot of the material is "straight forward" so I could use some suggestions myself of ideas for a deeper level of thinking. Looking forward to some ideas!!!
Hi Katherine- Thanks for your post to the forum. You shared some good ideas for active questioning!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Even in cut and dry lectures questions are still out there. I have found just asking if someone can show me what I just explained such as having 3x5 cards with names of bones etc and having students use each other to identify where a certain bone is. Sometimes scenario based questions such as "given a set of lab values or symptoms ,what would you expect to find ". These are great for groups and gets more people involved.
Hi Paula - Here are some sample scenarios you may be able to use: http://www.ksbn.org/cne/SimulationScenarioLibrary.htm
Hi Paula - Thanks for your post to the forum. Having you tried using scenarios to encourage critical thinking? Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
