Terrance,
"Why or why not" is a good follow-up question.
Judy Mohammed
Ellen,
Great. I am sure that your students appreciate this.
Judy Mohammed
Closed What is the GDP?
Open Can you define the segments of the GDP and issustrate how they are utilized in government policies about stimulating the economy?
i teach economics which is generally uses mostly open questions. I ask for the meaning of the concepts and how they are used in the "real" world. I also ask for examples and try to get other students involved with their opinions. We use current events to illustrate applications of the theory.
Closed: What are the main differences between direct current electricity and alternating current electricity?
Open: Which is better: AC or DC? Why?
I need to work on following up more of my closed questions with open questions.
Yes, I utilize these examples in class when we cover this topic during the communication portion of Medical Assisting Clinical.
Ellen,
These are good examples. Are these questions you use in class?
Judy Mohammed
Liset ,
These are good examples. Do you use them in classes?
Judy Mohammed
Dixie,
I give these questions as assignments requiring assessments and opinions, after having read the material. This saves time in class so I have more time for student interaction. The grading is easy since I know what I am looking for in the responses. They can either respond online or bring their responses to class.
Judy Mohammed
Dixie,
These are good examples and students would appreciate them for both review and discussion.
Judy Mohammed
"What is your pain level on a scale of 1-10"?
Revise to: Can you tell me about your pain including the intensity level?
Closed question : Mention the 4 chambers of the human heart
Open question : Why the human heart has 4 chambers ?
With open-ended questions, you can certainly get a deeper insight into how the concepts are being absorbed, understood (or not!), and applied. The only problem with asking them on exams is the extra time they take to grade!
Closed: We use the SPACE acronym to define the context for the communication we are planning. What does SPACE stand for?
Open: We use the SPACE acronym (Self, Purpose, Audience, Code, and Experience)to define the context for the communication we are planning. What do we mean by "Self"? Continue asking for translations of the other four elements.
Richard,
You are right, open questions are difficult with math.
Judy Mohammed
Judith,
Good examples. Closed questions can be used when time is limited.
Judy Mohammed
Judith,
Great way to start the class and review.
Judy Mohammed
Which of the following numbers are factorable?
To: Show how you would go about factoring any of the following numbers than can be broken into small units.
This is hard with basic math. Let's try earth science:
What atmospheric mechanism of carbon dioxide causes climatic warming?
To: Discuss how increasing levels of carbon dioxide may affect the length of growing seasons.
Example closed question: According to our textbook, what are three ways in which we can be better listeners?
This could easily be changed to an open question by adding: Give me examples of each and explain how that would make one a better listener.
Just to make a comment...I open all of my classes with closed questions from the previous day's lecture. This relaxes the class and generally they know all the answers which boosts their self-esteem. Then I go into some open questions allowing them to have more input. Even when I am asking the closed questions, I often add a "Why do think it is?" This stretches their thinking about what they already know.
