Hi Cynthia - Thanks for your post to the foum and for sharing a very interactive strategy for questioning! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
What I like to do is the day following a leacture I write questions on the board and allow all my students to look up the answer and then answer it. Only one question per student and everybody has participate. When it comes to me reading the questions the student who answered it has to read it out loud to the class and that way if there was anything that was missed the own students are adding on to the answer. My students really enjoy this. They give each other positive reinforcement as well as myself.
Make sure all students are focused on the discussion, and start with an easy question for the students then build from there. Get excited for the correct response.
I typically ask open ended questions to the entire class at the beginning of each session. Once the ice breaks a little, I will ask more pointed questions to individual students. Ultimately the goal is to turn these questions into a conversation, or dialogue, in which the entire class can participate.
I like to ask an open ended question and than go around the room to see what each student's response. Sometime's I have a student that really doesn't know the answer, but I'll skip them and return back. Sometimes this will end up that a student will than ask a question themself which I'll hear their peer's answer before I provide the correct answer if one of their peers already didn't provide the answer.
in an online setting, it is difficult to see whether a student is engaged in the class, as I cannot see their faces and body language. So asking questions to a particular students can be tricky. As my class engage in discussions, I go with the flow and encourage responses and comments from those who do speak up and then ask, "what are your thoughts on this?" type of questions to those who have not participated.
In my class I had used informal surveys or “voting†questions when non-responsive student involved in the question and answer sessions. I have seen that with this technique I keep my presentation alive, and the audience involved.That is working for me.
Hi Ziaul- thanks for your post to the forum. I like your idea of having the students question each other. Having peer-to-peer involvement is always great for participation. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I divide them in two groups to question each other and I get better involvement.
I like to focus on nonparticipating students while I'm asking or answering a question from another student to prepare them for the inevitable.
HI Sarah- Thanks for your post to the forum. It is always great to see how supportive students are of each other in class! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I think that is a very good idea because, some students are in a comfort zone and prefer to observe others with little class interactions. However when they are ask to participate in class discussions they seem to light up and their classmates response to their participation is usually acknowledged with positive comments.
I ask open ended questions that might have several answers. "Name brands with celebrity endorsements" for example. I have some of my own and encourage the class to identify brands that they like.
Hi Talina - You are obviously a very empathetic teacher! You might want to try preparing the shy student to answer a question in the full classroom. Take some time to personally discuss some small bit of a topic with the student. Be sure that they absoulutely understand the concept. Perhaps try to tie it to some personal experience that the student may have had. Then, ask the student a question that you know they will be able to answer. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I have some students in my class who are very shy and quiet. I do not call on them directly most of the time because I feel this makes them nervous and makes them further withdraw from the discussion in class. I ask questions and then put them in groups to discuss the question and write down their answers. In this way the quiet or shy students are interacting with their peers and do not feel like they are being put on the spot by me.
I also enjoy asking questions. I implemented this as a recap to the lecture that was cover the night before. this allowed the students to understand the material better. and it also helped tie in the new material that would be presented that day. the ability for me to identify those individuels that were not clear, i was able to engage them more in the lab.
There are some students who takes time in replying questions raised in class. I uasually am patient with them, I show them that I am willing to spend more time to listen to their answers. Sometimes, I remind them, the answers he/she gave the last time we had a discussion, and tell them how informative or thought provoking it was. By doing so, it will encourage them that we instructors are concern and consider their ideas.
Hi Charmaine- Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree, students usually enjoy sharing their personal experiences related to what they are learning. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I usually ask students about any personal or family related experiences relating to the topic being discussed. Most students are usually eager to compare personal experiences to information that is written in their textbooks.
A very good tactic, Ariana - thanks for sharing!
Susan
