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Planning Effective Questions | Origin: ED125

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Effective and Efficient Instructional Strategies --> Planning Effective Questions

Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.

Ask good questions. Allow students time to formulate their answers. Ask the answers that need to be asked to insure student understanding.

I was reminded about the best characteristics of a well-asked question. Reminded to repeat and reinforce, to give more time to students to respond especially if English is not their first language, and avoid "Does that make sense?" or "Any questions?". Don't assume if you get no response to those questions that the students are all understanding the concepts taught.

I learned to no ask "any questions" but instead ask questions that i know they should be asking from the lesson. 

A lot more to asking questions than I ever realized. In my limited opportunities of speaking to, or instructing groups prior to this, I realize I failed in many of these areas. This one will be on my "go back and review" list.

Asking a good question requires many characteristics which include preparing the question, asking one single student, providing time for students to think about the question, repeating the question or paraphrasing a student's answer if it is correct. Another characteristic of a good question is that when someone gives the wrong answer it will prompt more questions e.g., if a student gives the wrong answer, continue asking the student questions to guide and aid the student to get the correct answer. Finally, ask questions that cannot be memorized and require the students to think critically.

I tend to like my classes to move pretty quickly to keep the flow, so slowing down and giving students time to answer a question will take some effort on my part. I also direct many questions to the group and will try to deliver them to individual students because I have definitely noticed more confident students taking over. I also ask if everyone understands too much and will try to break that habit.

Allowing time after asking a question is something that I personally have to work on and be more interactive at times.

Directing questions to individual students is a characteristic of an excellent question.  It reduces the impuls for all students to respond at once.

Students need to do mare than just recall facts.  They need to apply their knowledge and skills so they can transition easily to the workforce.  Teachers can help students function at higher level when they ask questions like "What might happen if.." or "What would you do in this situation.."  Thn having students reflect and explain why the chose a certain approach increases the application of their knowledge.

I enjoy seeing a student feel that satisfaction at having answered a "tough" question, e.g., one that requires higher levels in Bloom's taxonomy. On the contrary, I have gone back to the drawing board to formulate a different question if it did not lead to that same outcome. Now I see that I can use a series of questions to get the student to the correct answer. 

Questions are powerful tools of learning, not only useful for assessment.

I need to take time to prepare questions to include in the lessons. Also, give more time for students to answer questions when I ask a question about the lesson.

I learned how to formulate better questions for the class and the importance of helping students get to the answer.

I have learned that asking "Does this make sense?" or "Are there any questions?" are ineffective ways to identify student mastery. I am guilty of asking these types of questions and will now ask the students the questions that they should be asking me to generate responses and gauge to see if they have reached mastery.

Learned interesting facts about the characteristics of a "Good Question" and how to differentiate from a poorly asked question. Will keep in mind for the future. Very helpful.

Planning effective questions is crucial for engaging students and enhancing learning. Key steps include:

Align Questions with Learning Objectives
Incorporate Different Question Types
Encourage Student Engagement
Use Questions to Assess Understanding
Balance Question Complexity
Be Inclusive and Fair
Provide Clear Instructions
Follow Up on Responses
Encourage Student-Generated Questions
Reflect and Adjust
By planning and using a variety of effective questions, teachers can create a more engaging and interactive learning environment that supports student understanding and participation.

I really like these responses! It brings real-world "Teacher input!" Question, questions and questions... Cannot have too many of those for our students. You need to set a tone of inclusive, open ended questions that illicit answers from all the students, even those shy students! 

Employers consistently identify the need for students to function at higher levels than these. Teachers serve their students more effectively when they provide students the opportunity to do more than just remember and understand basic facts and skills. Employers are looking for graduates who can use basic knowledge to get things done, to recognize relationships and to use information in new ways to address challenges.

In this module, I learned the importance of questioning. Questions should be preplanned. As answers are being given, follow-up questions are important. Students should have the be able to understand the basic comprehension questions and then scaffold them up. As the instructor, you should ask the question and then give wait time, and call on a student. It allows for students to not drift off. A good way to check for understanding is to have other students restate what is shared. 

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