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: ⚬ review learning ⚬ challenge learner thinking ⚬ stimulate interest and motivate learners to become actively involved in the lesson ⚬ cultivate critical thinking skills ⚬ encourage learners to ask their own questions. There are a number of ways in which you can do this. Depending on the content and aims of the lesson, it is likely that you will use different types of question. Three types of question are explained and exemplified below. TIP: You should consider the wording of questions in advance to ensure that they are accessible to all learners. Discussion questions These facilitate debate and allow teachers to dig deeper into learner reasoning (in some situations, their imagination) by asking probing questions. Example: Why do you think that? Activity: could be used in pair, small group or whole-class discussion. Discussion questions do not need to have a ‘correct answer’ as their value is in helping learners to think through, share and discuss their own response. Diagnostic questions These give you a quick insight into whether what you have taught has been learned. Responses may identify parts of the curriculum that warrant re-teaching to clarify misconceptions and fill gaps. They can identify specific gaps in learner understanding while learning is still taking place. Example: True or false? Activity: could be a lesson starter (using mini-whiteboards or sticky notes) or part of a quiz or other form of assessment. All diagnostic questions must have a clear purpose; you must use the information gathered to help inform your next steps. See below for suggestions on how to use diagnostic results in feedback. Hinge-point questions The ‘hinge’ is the point where you move from one key idea/activity/point on to another. Hinge-point questions are a specific type of diagnostic question that are most useful after a period of learning to help you decide whether to continue, recap or re-teach. It is usually the case that understanding the content that occurs before the hinge is a prerequisite for the next chunk of learning. This is important because moving on is dangerous if key concepts are not fully understood, yet if you get this wrong and re-teach pointlessly then engagement will slip and time will be wasted. Example: What did we learn today? Why does it matter? Activity: list of ideas (timed), either individually or in a pair. These could be written on poster paper or shared orally. For hinge-point questions to be useful, you have to be able to elicit the information from learners immediately and be able to understand and act on it quickly. Dylan Wiliam suggests that learners should respond within one minute and teachers should be able to view and interpret responses within 15 seconds. Hinge-point questions seek a response in the form of a snapshot, not an essay. Experienced teachers will use a range of question types in their professional practice, appropriate to the level, subject and learners they are teaching.

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: be oral or written be appropriate to the learner include information about where to go (which pages in the Learner's Book, for example) to revise the problematic material. 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.

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.

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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