Effective teachers understand that learning is about exploring the unknown and that such exploration begins with questions. Not questions that are simply lectures in disguise; not yes-or-no questions that don't spark lively discussion. But, questions that open a door to deeper understanding. A teacher's questions should be planned as carefully as the lesson. Those questions should become the basis of the plot line of the story that the lesson tells. If the students were to listen to and answer, to themselves, every question that the teacher asks, their understanding of the lesson would be fairly complete by the end of the lesson. This would also occur because the teacher would be carefully calling on students to assist that understanding.
There are basically three types of questions that teachers use as they teach. The recall question is intended to elicit stored data from prior knowledge. It's close to a stimulus response mechanism. These are used effectively when a teacher wants to quickly review and bring to mind information that will be needed for the lesson at hand. (i.e. What is the title of the chapter?, Name the steps needed to solve this equation.) The teacher should be able to ask these questions of anyone in the class but if you want the review to be efficient, ask students who know the answers. Analytical questions require processing and are usually associated with cause and effect. They are used when you want students to distinguish, group, and explain what they know. (i.e. What does this topic have to do with yesterday's topic?, In what ways is this method different than the one we used previously?) These questions get to the heart of whether the students understand. Ask them slowly, with emphasis, and give all students a chance to ponder the question. Keep class attention as students answer because the answers are necessary for continued discussion and informal assessment. Application questions ask the student to move beyond the immediate information to arrive at their own constructed knowledge. Students theorize, state examples, judge, and extrapolate. (i.e. What would happen if every student knew what you now know?, What information would you like to ignore if you could?) These questions are asked sparingly or given in written form. That way all students have a chance to answer. These questions give students a chance to embed learning on a deeper, emotional level.
High-powered questions allow the students an opportunity to think. High-powered questions often time create quiet, often awkward moments. These awkward, quiet moments allow the most productive thinking to occur.
[read Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen]
