How do you use questioning techniques to stimulate and challenge your students' thinking?

Questioning students is a good technique, but I agree that we also need to support and guide them. This can be by leading them through the thinking process, and modeling how we approach issues. As a cognitive scientist, I find that demonstrating how I think as a senior lawyer is hugely helpful and something that is relatively rare given many teachers do not have practical experience in their particular area, even if they are academically very accomplished.

There is great value in silence. Many students have an easy cop-out available to them at all times: "I don't know". As a teacher, you're instinctively driven to ask follow-up questions as soon as they play their beloved dunno card, and they might even have come to expect that from you, but I've found that simply not saying anything at all can trigger deeper thinking. I'll simply look at them, eyebrows raised, a playful smile on my face, while I let the unease of silence simmer and bubble. Suppressing that urge to come to their aid and instead letting them tread water can feel like you're leaving your students out in the lurch, but they'll soon have to start swimming themselves – and that's exactly what we, as teachers, strive for.

I employ strategic questioning techniques to stimulate and challenge my students' thinking during lectures and discussions. Beginning with open-ended questions, I encourage critical thinking by prompting them to analyze and synthesize information rather than offering straightforward answers. I incorporate probing questions that delve deeper into concepts, encouraging students to explore various perspectives and consider the implications of their responses. By posing thought-provoking questions, I aim to create an environment that fosters curiosity, problem-solving, and active engagement.I adapt my questioning style to each student's level of understanding, providing opportunities for both individual reflection and collaborative exploration.

While open-ended questions can spark curiosity, targeted closed-ended questions also have value. Asking "why" repeatedly can frustrate. Balance broader discovery with focused inquiry. Draw out assumptions. Play devil's advocate. Ask for evidence. Challenge convenience and confirmation bias. Probe to unpack complex issues. Seek what's omitted. Question your own views. Active listening and empathy, not just interrogation, build understanding. Curiosity without judgment unlocks potential.

I use questions during lectures or tutorials as a type of journey. You need to find out what the students know and "fill the gaps" with your knowledge. Questions and prompts can help navigate the territory and this can deepen their understanding of the content.

I use the technique of "ASK ME." 1. Activate Prior Knowledge: I start by asking questions that tap into what students already know to create a foundation 2. Socratic Questions: I use open-ended questions 3. Know Your Audience: I tailor my questions to the individual needs and abilities of my students, 4. Metacognition: I ask questions that prompt students to reflect on their thinking process, 5. Encourage Divergent Thinking: I pose questions that have multiple possible answers, 6. Silence and Wait: I give students time to think before responding 7. Model Questions: I demonstrate effective questioning techniques through my own inquiries, 8. Evaluation and Feedback: I provide constructive feedback on their responses,

Designing questions that prompt learners to think critically is not always easy, particularly when they have been accustomed to transmission oriented learning cultures which discourage questioning. Initially, many of my students find it difficult to map the connections between their concrete experiences and observed phenomena around them and the more abstract and removed dynamics of the wider context. To get them to think more critically about broader issues, I ask questions in relation to specific cases/scenarios. It's easier for the learners to progress from thinking about issues as 'outsiders' to thinking about them from their more personal perspectives (at a deeper level).

L'avantage des questions c'est qu'elles permettent aux apprenants de se rendre compte qu'ils ne savent pas ou du moins pas vraiment. On crée ainsi un besoin pour le savoir que l'on va apporter et il sera alors plus facile de capter leur attention (1ere étape de l'apprentissage - que l'on croit ou non à la théorie du cerveau plat de Chater). L'étude de Harvard qui s'intéresse à l'effet d'une question sur le cerveau devrait être connue de tous pour donner envie d'utiliser le questionnement à la base de tout apprentissage

Planning ahead can do what nothing else can. I have always noticed that prior planning of questions lead to a managed learning environment where my complete focus is on the students rather than what I have to ask. This leads to the development of questioning ability of the students enhancing their critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Begin by setting up "thought provocations" rather than traditional questions, offering scenarios that encourage curiosity. Tailor each question to your students’ evolving understanding, using a blend of surprise and challenge. Embed reflective pauses where students formulate their own questions, fostering ownership of learning. Introduce timed “question sprints” that push students to quickly analyze and respond, keeping energy high. Lastly, use real-time feedback loops, allowing peer-to-peer question exchanges, to deepen critical engagement and encourage collaborative thinking.

I find that starting starting some of your questions with "I'm curious" puts the students at ease and it fosters participation. For instance: I'm curious, what's more important, planning or execution?

Gamification is a valuable strategy for enhancing interaction. I enjoy presenting key points in an engaging manner, challenging individuals to respond to questions in dynamic situations. By framing questions as enigmas within a game, participants feel more at ease and are less likely to experience anxiety.

Questioning techniques are tools for effective communication. You can use open-ended, closed-ended, probing, leading, rhetorical, reflective, clarifying, empathetic, sequential, and silent questions based on the situation. Adapt your approach to gather meaningful information and actively listen to responses.

I find reframing a student’s answer is helpful to clarify my own understanding of what they mean, and then ask follow up questions to gather more detail, require more thought or get a contextualised example

Utilizing Bloom's Taxonomy, I challenge my students through various questioning techniques. Starting with ?? ??????????????????????, I ask basic recall questions. ?????????????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????? stages encourage interpretation and problem-solving. ?? ?????????????????? fosters critical thinking while ?????????????????????? prompts judgments and decisions. Finally, ?? ???????????????? pushes students to synthesize new ideas. These levels stimulate deeper thinking, guiding students from foundational knowledge to higher-order cognitive skills. I hope you enjoy the fun emojis! :)

These are some really great points. I’ve been a lecturer for just over 9 years, and I’ve received numerous awards of excellence for my teaching, plus very high ratings from students, and from my experience I think that an aspect that is often overlooked is not only asking the right questions, but how you respond to the answers. I’ve seen lecturers ask a question, and then when a student answers the lecturer just says: “no”, or “wrong”, or “nope, that’s not it”. This immediately causes the student to shut down and often stop particularly (watch their faces from the side - it’s so easy to notice the change). Therefore, it’s crucial to respond in a positive way which encourages them to continue participating.

Questioning techniques is a tool that can be used to assess understanding, Guage whether the learning objectives has been met or used to actually assist in bringing the material to life. - Questions in the form of quizzes , e.g Multiple Choice Questions, are straight to the point. Either you know it or you don't and results can be used to see where there are shortfalls. When I set up quizzes I match a question range to a topic. If students perform poorly in a particular range, I know what needs to be revisited. - Questions that encourage discussion. Steer the conversation and the answers. Alot of times students may have an idea of the material and you allowing then the forum to say it out loud allows for better retention and application

Questioning is an effective study method, supported by research indicating it enhances memory retrieval of content. I encourage my students to engage in mutual questioning, fostering a collaborative learning environment where they not only ask each other questions but also develop the skill of effective questioning during their studies.