Questioning - Building a Dialogic Classroom

Questioning

Building a Dialogic Classroom

Preview Questions

By the end of the unit you should be able to answer these 'Big Questions': 1. How would you design a hinge question for your current unit/scheme of learning? 2. What would you judge to be the correct balance between open and closed questions in your setting?

"Dialogic teaching means using dialogue effectively to develop learning. This means placing students at the centre of a meaningful conversation and facilitating learning through questions, further reasoning, considering alternatives and building upon what has already been said."

Robin Alexander

Twenty questions an hour

Twenty questions every minute

How many questions do you think you ask in the classroom, on an average day?

Fifty questions a day

(Click on the answer you think is correct.)

"There are only two good reasons to ask a question in class: either to provide information to the teacher about what to do next or to cause students to think"

Professor Dylan Williams

Play

Open or Closed Question?The Advantages

Click on the image to take the short quiz

Closed Questions: Some Effective Strategies

Key Questions

Signal Questions

Turn to Your Partner

"Show Me" Boards

The teacher provides signals that would best fit the question being asked. The learner can then be guided in their answer by signalling (e.g. key terms on a wall display)

The teacher poses the question, then gives the learners a set amount of time to turn and discuss their answer with their neighbour before the teacher seeks an answer from a range of learners.

When asking for declarative knowledge, all the students must write their answer and show the teacher their answer. Enabling the teacher to quickly see who has a gap in their understanding and who may need further help to understand.

Give students the answer and instead ask them to come up with what the question could be (or as many questions as they can think of) e.g. "The answer is 'molecules'. How many questions can you think of that this could answer?"

Open Questions: Some Effective Strategies

Preview Questions

Staging Questions

'Fat' Questions

Big Questions

Preview questions in advance - share the questions before being asked (perhaps at the start of the lesson, or hand out talking chips before a demonstration or teacher exposition)

Pre-plan your questions to increase the level of challenge through-out a lesson or learning episode, moving from low to higher-order questioning. (more on this in "Scaffolding the Dialogue")

Learners must answer the question using no less than (for example) 15 words or using a particular word or phrase.

These are often posed at the beginning of the lesson and can't be tackled until the end. They focus on developing more profound thinking e.g. "Why do we find political satire engaging?". In best practice, the answering process should be collaborative, perhaps using a consensus circle in a group discussion.

The Hinge Question: A Very Effective Closed Question

A hinge is a point in the lesson when a teacher needs to check whether or not students have grasped a key concept in a scheme of work where their level of mastery of what has just been taught is key to them being able to understand the next concept. A hinge question allows the teacher to quickly assess students' level of mastery before moving on: a diagnostic tool.

+ info

Ed. scotland - Hinge question Planning tool

Creating a Question-Safe Learning Environment

Have you ever found yourself saying something like the following (while pouncing on an unsuspecting dreamer/chatter/doodler)? "Jimmy, what did I just say?" or "Sally, can you tell me one word type we just learned about?"

YeS?

How to Create a Question-Friendly Classroom

Considering our Preview Questions

1. How would you design a hinge question for your current unit/scheme of learning? 2. What would you judge to be the correct balance between open and closed questions in your setting?

Hinge Question Planning Template

Professional Reflection Activity

THANKS!

Contact: Faith Comrie: DCC Pedagogy Team Email: fcomrie442@dundeeschools.scot