Improving learning through Questioning
Excerpts from the Approaches to learning and teaching series, courtesy of Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment International Education: cambridge.org/approachestolearning
Improving learning through Questioning
Thinking is driven not by answers but by questions. Learners do best when they are given adequate opportunities to engage with and respond to questions. As a teacher, you can use questions effectively in the classroom to:
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Using feedback to optimise teaching and learning
Questions help learners to challenge and explore their understanding of a particular topic. Questions can also help learners identify areas where their knowledge is less secure. This is a valuable part of the learning process. You can help them to move beyond ‘struggle zones’ in their learning by providing feedback that helps them to fill the gaps in their knowledge, thereby boosting both their competence and their confidence. Feedback should:
Once it is clear to learners what must be done to move beyond their current limits of learning, they often make significant progress. You can facilitate this progress via feedback and help ‘close the loop’ of learning. Feedback is powerful: to optimise teaching and learning, you should create an environment in which learners are encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and identify next steps during the learning process. These next steps may take the form of further questions on the topic, to which the learners might like to research answers, or the next steps may be connected with their experiences of learning. For more information, see the Metacognition section.
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Self/peer assessment
Rather than always relying on teacher judgement, by assessing their own (and each other’s) work learners independently assess progress with confidence. Learners who can look at their work, and judge the degree by which it reflects explicitly stated goals or criteria, can assess the quality of their work and revise it accordingly. They are actively involved in the learning process and their independence and motivation is improved.
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Further reading
Gaunt, A. and Stott, A. (2019) Transform teaching and learning through talk: the oracy imperative, Rowman and Littlefield Education, Lanham, MD. Gershon, M. (2013) How to use questioning in the classroom: the complete guide, Amazon Media. Paul, R.W. and Elder, L. (2000), Critical thinking: basic theory and instructional structures handbook, Foundation for Critical Thinking, Tomales, CA. Wiliam, D. (2011), Embedded Formative Assessment, Solution
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