The four components of effective questioning are: designing higher-cognitive questions, developing a sequence of questions, increasing wait time, and responding to answers (redirecting, probing, reinforcing).
Here's a breakdown of each component:
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Designing Higher-Cognitive Questions: This involves crafting questions that go beyond simple recall of facts. Instead, they encourage students to analyze, evaluate, create, and apply their knowledge. Examples include questions that ask students to compare and contrast, explain cause and effect, or solve problems. Focusing on higher-order thinking skills promotes deeper understanding and engagement.
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Developing a Sequence of Questions: Effective questioning isn't just about asking individual good questions; it's about creating a thoughtful sequence. Start with simpler questions to build a foundation of understanding and then gradually move towards more complex and challenging questions. This scaffolding approach helps students to develop their thinking skills step-by-step.
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Increasing Wait Time: Wait time refers to the pause after a question is asked and after a student responds. Increasing wait time gives students more time to process the question, formulate their answers, and articulate their thoughts. It also allows more students to participate and encourages deeper, more thoughtful responses. Increased wait time leads to more students answering, and answers being more comprehensive.
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Responding to Answers (Redirecting, Probing, Reinforcing): How a teacher responds to student answers is crucial. This involves several key techniques:
- Redirecting: Directing a question or a student response to another student to elicit a wider range of perspectives or to build on an existing answer.
- Probing: Asking follow-up questions to encourage a student to elaborate on their answer, clarify their thinking, or provide evidence for their claims.
- Reinforcing: Providing positive feedback and encouragement to students who participate and offer thoughtful answers. Reinforcement helps to build confidence and encourages further participation.
