How to develop discussion questions

What makes a question effective?
A good question is relatively short, clear, and unambiguous. Ask only one question at a time. Pouring out a string of questions (even if they are on the same topic) is likely to confuse students, who often won't know where to begin an answer.


Pay attention to the responses you get because they will tell you much about how effectively you have phrased the question. Sometimes when students don't respond or respond poorly, it's because the question has been worded either too vaguely or too broadly. It may help to think backwards: Begin with the answer you want to get and then devise a question that will lead to that answer.


What are the different kinds of questions I can use?
Researchers and teaching experts have devised a number of different "typologies of questions," but perhaps the best way to categorize questions for science and engineering classes is to think of them along a continuum of relatively closed or relatively open questions.

Closed questions ask for a very specific answer. In the Torch of the Firehose?, Arthur Mattuck describes "Are-you-with-me?" questions (relatively closed) that ask the students to supply some detail of a problem that is being discussed ("and the derivative of sin x is?").

Open questions require more thought. ("What would happen if the force were reversed?") There may even be a range of potentially good answers--you can ask students to judge which ones are better than others or which one is best . Then ask them to justify their choices. If you are asking a more complex question that requires calculations, write key elements on the blackboard or prepare an overhead transparency that provides necessary information.

One general piece of advice: Be careful about asking a question that is too easy. At best, your students may feel it's not worth answering; at worst, they may feel insulted at having been asked a question with an obvious answer.


Should I let the course of the class dictate the questions I ask, or should I plan out questions ahead of time?
Both. While you need to be flexible enough to allow questions to emerge spontaneously during discussion, you should also prepare questions ahead of time based on the key points you want to make in that class.


Think, too, about the range of answers you are likely to get to your questions and plan your response to each. This will help guarantee the answers you get wion't take you off on a tangent. Having anticipated the responses, you can determine how to get back to the business at hand in the most efficient way possible.
Should I "cold call" students?

When you "cold call," you ask students to answer a question even if they haven't volunteered. While cold calling can increase the level of anxiety in a classroom, one of its benefits is that it gives students the chance to practice speaking while under pressure, a skill that will be important to them in their professional lives. You can also "warm call" by asking a question of one or two students and then giving them five minutes to frame a response while you discuss something else.
Each of these techniques has its strengths and drawbacks. However, their success will be enhanced if you:


* Establish a norm early in the semester and stick to it. (In other words, don't start cold calling students after midterms!)

* Keep track of which students you have called on when so that you can be fair in your calling pattern. Ideally, you will come to know some of the strengths and weaknesses of each of your students (e.g., Sally is good at calculations; Mark tends to think intuitively and globally), so that you can play to their strengths when calling on them.

* Help students save face by responding to wrong answers with tact and generosity.

- UO Teaching Effectiveness Program

Motivating Students to Excel

* Establish high and reachable standards of excellence and provide the time and resources to help your students reach the standards you set.

* Be clear about your expectations by telling your students, having this in writing in the syllabus and on your website, and providing sample/models of work that meets the standards you expect. Use rubrics

* Give your students frequent opportunities to provide evidence through small, weekly assignments that demonstrate their understanding, problem-solving ability, writing skills, etc. The assignments don’t need to be graded. They can contribute to a portion of the grade assigned as participation. They can be short online quizzes through Blackboard’s survey feature or half page response papers, paraphrases of key concepts and examples that illustrate understanding of the concept. Consider letting students work in pairs or small groups on these assignments. This can result in some excellent peer teaching.

*The feedback on these small assignments doesn't necessarily have to be individual. You can give general feedback at the beginning of class or through a group email. For example—"I've been noticing a few common mistakes that people are making and want to give you some tips on how to avoid them in the future." Or, “Based on Tuesday’s response paper I want to clear up some confusion on the difference between ___________ and _____________.”

* Design weekly (and less grade-damaging) assignments in formats similar to what they can expect in other more important assessments (formal papers, midterms, finals). Have these assignments demonstrate the level of critical thinking you expect in student responses to questions and problems and short answer identifications.

* These smaller, frequent, and less threatening assignments keep students accountable for staying current in the course. They allow you and your students to gauge progress in understanding. They prepare students for the level of rigor in your benchmark assessments.

* As often as possible relate the course material to something which is meaningful for your students, something to which they can relate. Use metaphors and analogies that help anchor important concepts for them.