Get Your Students Hired
Open ended questions and asking for students' opinion on a certain subject matter... "what do you think questions". They become more interested to share their views as there is no right and wrong answer.
We have show and tell. Students will present their work to the rest of the class, I will ask questions about the work being presented. The other students knowing they will be doing the same thing in a few minutes will usually make comments and ask more questions.
At the end of all presentations I can determine if there is anything that wasn't clear with the majority of students, and we review the subject matter then, before we start on the new work.
When doing a demo (cooking) that has many steps I ask "Ok class what do I do next?" When I get the answer I ask " who else can tell me why I am doing this" This works well when a critical step to the success of the outcome needs to be understood.
I have used open-ended questions. This usually works if not I will get the class started by asking a student a question and asking their opinion as well as others students this usually will get the ball rolling.
Hi John - That is the eternal problem for us as online instructors, even when we provide our students with the grading rubrics in advance. I agree, asking probing questions becomes necessary, albeit really time consuming!. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Jeopardy questions, students were involed having fun and at the same time discussing the topics.
This one is a persona crusade for me. In the discussions students write one or two sentences to respond to a discussion question and then get upset when they are docked points. No matter how many times I explain what a substantial post, they still post minimal. Thus I use questions to get them to expand and respond further.
I used a sort of motified Socratic method in discussion forums with students. I do not wait for students to volunteer questions but rather begin with a volunteered question and use it to both provide an answer and to raise related questions. Students are often reticent to volunteer questions for fear of appearing foolish however once a question is posed to them and their answers are not condemned by myself or the class they slowly gain confidence and feel a degree of safety and security in the class to share their thoughts. The development of this atmosphere is absolutely vital in building a vibrant discussion environment.
Hi Sandy - thanks for your post to the forum. I really like your idea of having students ask questions that patients might ask. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
open-ended questions, asking another student to respond to the question, or calling on them direct, with questions you know they can answer can build up their self esteem, resulting in more participation in the future. Instead of setting them up to fail, you are setting them up to succeed!
I try to have students think outside the box by asking questions that might be asked by the patient or in a case study.
Hi Emily - Students love to relate the class to their personal experience and it gets some great conversations going! Best wishes- Susan
Hi Sara- Thanks for your post to the forum. As you mention, these are the sort of open ended questions that elicit a dialogue. It can get exciting - I love watching the dynamic! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Nikhil- Thanks for your post to the forum. Students do seem to rise to the challenge of applying what they are learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Case Studies, I love case studies. This gets the whole class going and sometimes I am amazed at the level of competency some students demonstrate.
I like what if or scenerio questions. It seems to help reinforce the material and open up the room for conversation.
I try to ask questions that may touch the students personally and relate to their lives and past experience. This makes them more interested as it allows them to share their personal experiences with me and the whole class. I do not force them to discuss issues that may be too personal for them to discuss. I will also share information about myself if the question is aimed at me.
Hi Marion - Thanks for your post to the forum. You are running an active learning classroom! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I frequently stop my instruction to ask if any auestions on the material covered and if none I like to ask LOGIC questions at this point to involve the class and to get a feel to see if they are grasping the material. I always emphysize that there are no dumb questions!