how to tutor effectively - asking good questions

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27/5/2014 How to Tutor Effectively - Asking Good Questions http://moonbythesea.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Tutor-Effectively-Questions 1/4 How to Tutor Effectively - Asking Good Questions by MoonByTheSea 609 Follow ers Source: Richtom80, LGPL license, via Wikimedia Commons Source: Alan Light, CC: BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons Asking the right questions is key to successful tutoring. As a tutor, how often have you given a brilliantly crafted explanation, only to be met with a blank stare? By asking good questions, you can make sure your student is actively engaged in the learning process, promoting deeper understanding of the subject matter. The questions you ask should help your students reinforce basic ideas, build connections among concepts, and push them to apply their knowledge to new situations. In her book Tools for Teaching, Barbara Davis briefly outlines ten types of questions that are useful for instructors to ask. Here, I will expand upon these questions, provide examples, and relate their importance to effective learning. Notice that these questions move from simpler to more complex levels of thought. Exploratory Questions Ask students to recall basic information. Examples: “What is kinetic energy?”, “What is a vector?” Ask this type of question at the beginning of a tutoring session so you can figure out what your student already knows and where there might be gaps in information or understanding. Challenge Questions Ask students to question their assumptions, conclusions, and interpretations (or those of others). Examples: “If there is no gravity in space, how does the Earth stay in orbit around the sun?”, “Are there any other explanations that could account for these findings?” This is a good type of question to ask if your student has made an error in thinking, and you’re trying to get the student to correct the error themselves. In the above example about gravity, students often make the false assumption that there is no gravity in space. Students are more likely to remember the correct approach if they self-correct rather than having someone just tell them the right answer.

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How to Tutor Effectively - Asking Good Questions

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Page 1: How to Tutor Effectively - Asking Good Questions

27/5/2014 How to Tutor Effectively - Asking Good Questions

http://moonbythesea.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Tutor-Effectively-Questions 1/4

How to Tutor Effectively - Asking GoodQuestions

by MoonByTheSea

609 Follow ers

Source: Richtom80, LGPL license, viaWikimedia Commons

Source: Alan Light, CC: BY-SA, viaWikimedia Commons

Asking the right questions is key to

successful tutoring. As a tutor, how

often have you given a brilliantly

crafted explanation, only to be met with

a blank stare? By asking good

questions, you can make sure your

student is actively engaged in the

learning process, promoting deeper

understanding of the subject matter.

The questions you ask should help

your students reinforce basic ideas,

build connections among concepts,

and push them to apply their

knowledge to new situations.

In her book Tools for Teaching,

Barbara Davis briefly outlines ten types of questions that are useful for instructors

to ask. Here, I will expand upon these questions, provide examples, and relate

their importance to effective learning. Notice that these questions move from

simpler to more complex levels of thought.

Exploratory Questions

Ask students to recall basic information.

Examples: “What is kinetic energy?”, “What is a vector?”

Ask this type of question at the beginning of a tutoring session so you can

figure out what your student already knows and where there might be gaps in

information or understanding.

Challenge Questions

Ask students to question their

assumptions, conclusions, and

interpretations (or those of

others).

Examples: “If there is no gravity in

space, how does the Earth stay in

orbit around the sun?”, “Are there

any other explanations that could account for these findings?”

This is a good type of question to ask if your student has made an error in

thinking, and you’re trying to get the student to correct the error themselves.

In the above example about gravity, students often make the false assumption

that there is no gravity in space. Students are more likely to remember the

correct approach if they self-correct rather than having someone just tell them

the right answer.

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Wikimedia Commons

Relational Questions

Ask students to compare

similarities and differences among

concepts.

Examples: “What is the

relationship between the potential

and kinetic energy of the ball at

these two different points?”, “What

are some differences between mammals and reptiles?”

Deep learning requires students to develop a schema, a kind of mental

concept map of their learning. You can facilitate this process by asking your

students to articulate relationships among concepts. Understanding these

relationships helps students push their learning beyond mere memorization of

facts.

Diagnostic Questions

Ask students to describe

underlying concepts or processes.

Examples: “Why did you use

l’hopital’s rule in this problem?”,

“Why did you draw the force in

that direction?”

If students just memorize facts and equations without understanding the

underlying reasoning, they’ll get stuck later when they try to build on what they

know or are expected to apply their knowledge to new situations. Asking

diagnostic questions helps you make sure that your students comprehend

what they are studying and that they aren’t just repeating memorized facts.

Even if a student is on the right track, it’s good to ask them to explain their

reasoning.

Action Questions

Ask the student what they would

do, or what others should do.

Examples: “What is the first thing

you should do when setting up

this type of problem?”, “What

should the company in this

example do if it wants to maximize its profits?"

Once a student has a fair grasp of the concepts being studied, asking action

questions is a good way to gauge their ability to apply what they know to new

situations. In something like math or physics, try to use examples that are a bit

different from what the student may have just studied, instead of just using the

same problem with different numbers.

Cause-and-Effect Questions

Ask the student to identify the causal relationship between ideas or events.

Examples: “Why did the hydrogen atom lose its electron in this reaction?”,

“Why was heat released in this reaction?”

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Source: Public Domain via WikimediaCommons

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Source: Public Domain via WikimediaCommons

Sometimes students just memorize

equations or steps, and cause-

and-effect questions can help you

check that your student

understands underlying causal

relationships.

Summary Questions

Ask the student to summarize or

synthesize what they’ve learned

so far.

Examples: "Let's review what

we've discussed--the next time

you see this type of problem, what

steps will you take to find the

solution?", “Can you repeat that

explanation back to me in your own words?”

Summary questions are useful near the end of a tutoring session to check the

student’s understanding. You can also sprinkle summary questions

throughout the tutoring session to make sure your student is on the right

track.

Priority Questions

Ask the student to identify the

most important cause or issue.

Examples: “What is the most

important factor in determining the

type of reaction?”, “Based on what

you’ve studied, what is the most significant factor in determining infant

mortality rates in developing countries?"

Since priority questions can often elicit short answers, you may want to follow

up with a “why” question asking the student to explain their reasoning. Using

priority questions is a good way to push a student’s thinking beyond surface

facts.

Hypothetical Questions

Change the facts or conditions of

a problem, and ask your student

to draw a new conclusion.

Examples: “How would your

solution change if the mass were

moved by a constant force instead

of being attached to a spring?”,

“What would happen if I add more

oxygen to this reaction?"

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Source: AndrewKepert on en.wikipedia, CC:BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons

Learn more about effectivetutoring

How to Tutor Effectively - Some

Research-Based Approaches

Many people offer tips for

effective tutoring, but what does

the research say about good

tutoring techniques? And how

can you put these principles into

practice?

How to Tutor Math Effectively -

Techniques for Using the

Textbook

Guiding your students in

techniques for effectively using

their textbooks will help them

build foundational skills for long-

term success in math.

Hypothetical questions are similar to cause-and-effect questions, but they

require students to apply concepts to a different situation rather than

explaining what is already given. These are good questions for reinforcing a

student’s understanding after they successfully finish a problem.

Try using some of these question

types during your next tutoring

session. Even if you choose just a few

to add to your tutoring routine, you

should see a difference in your

students’ learning. As you get more

practice, you’ll start to get a sense for

which questions work best for you.

Extension Questions

Ask the student to extend what

they’ve learned to a new situation

or context.

Examples: “How might momentum

and energy be important later in

our study of nuclear physics?”,

“How could you design an

experiment to test this idea?"

Since extension questions require

students to stretch their

understanding beyond what is

normally expected, only use these

questions once your student has

mastered the fundamental

concepts. Often textbooks will

include extension or “challenge”

questions at the end of a chapter,

so you can mine these for ideas.

Last updated on January 20, 2014