Get Your Students Hired
I think I need to use more open questions in the classroom. to help engage the students.
Adel ,
Open questions allow for critical thinking and students enjoy being challenged. We need to let the students know that they have to be prepared.
Judy Mohammed
I find that sometimes too many open qustions leave them vulnerable and some students are afraid of answering incorrectly. especially in a small group students may feel pressured to have all the answers.
Michelle,
This is very true. Students like to be challenged and we need to encourage critical thinking.
Judy Mohammed
From the student feedback I get after teaching a course, I have learned that students appreciate more open ended questions because it makes the class discussions more interesting and the students are more active rather than passively learning.
Paul,
Probing is a wonderful way to get students to open up and if we just probe a little more each time, they are more comfortable with responding.
Judy Mohammed
I wouldn't stop asking the open questions at all. Perhaps you could enhance your questions with probing in order to get more bang out of those questions. Sometimes students give answers concisely to get it over with but they actually have more to say on the subject.
Brian,
This is very true. Open questions bring out broad discussions that most often lead to better comprehension of the material taught.
Judy Mohammed
Gina,
You are so right about open questions. They can take the lessons on tangents at times. I always have to pay attention to time and rell them back in. I do make the students aware of this at the beginning, that sometimes we may have to cut a discussion in order to get back to the lesson.
Judy Mohammed
I use opened question all the time. I fine it brings to light weather stendents are understanding the lessons. It also lets me know who may not be understanding so I can offer them help to understand better.
I agree that sometimes with open questions I have to reel them in and continue to focus on the point of the lesson. But I have had those groups in which they are quiet and it's small and they just don't speak or are very brief. I've learned to read the group as a whole and decide how often to throw out Open questions.
Gina,
I am surprised that your open questions do not open up your students' discussions. I do have one problem with open questions - sometimes the classes may run off with a discussion and I remain with less time to deliver the pertinent information. At this time, I have bring teh class back to the lesson.
Judy Mohammed
Patricia,
This is very true. Students are more comfortable expressing themselves with open ended questions.
Judy Mohammed
Is there such thing as too many Open Questions within the class room setting. Especially if you have a class as we sometimes get, that is small and can be less vocal. As the instructor I can feel like "this class needs more interaction as a group, if i ask open questions we can create discussion" but to no avail. One shouldn't stop the open questioning, should we?
I really try to use the open questions technique. I like the interaction of the students of the response he or she giving, plus it provides me detail of how the student is absorbing the lectures I have given or reading his or her books.
Keith,
Open questions do lead to more student participation. Let them know from the beginning that you are looking forward to their interaction in the classes.
Judy Mohammed