Writing questions Question stems are a good way of helping to improve your questions. The stems below are useful in constructing good research questions. Use these to modify your questions and see if you can improve them.

To what extent…?

How far…?

Whose responsibility is it…?

Should…?

Do the benefits of… outweigh the disadvantages?

What is more important…?

In what way does …?

What is the impact of…?

Divergent / Convergent Thinking

8WAY THINKING

Approaching the

world with a wider

degree of curiosity,

because there is

more than one way

of looking at the

world!

Let’s try this now!

Group of 5 or fewer!

Choose a team rep (resource collection & will communicate your team’s views)

Use laptop as a primary resource

Collect the stimulus word, paper and 8Way thinking sheet from the front

Reps need to be concise and precise with their delivery of information

You have ….

Stimuli

Hong Kong

The Olympics

Love

Music

Medicine

Steve Jobs

Computer Games

China

Chickens

Laptops in lessons

Owning guns

Charity

School uniform

Exams

The Peak

Justin Bieber

Laws

Typhoon

Summer

Revolution

HSBC

Flying

Community

Buddha

Internet

Iphone

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Is the question relevant to you and your

interests?

Is it a question that others will find

interesting?

Will it prompt you to connect with other

students, professionals or organizations?

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Does the question require more than a

‘yes or no’ answer?

Are there more than one or two possible

answers?

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical ?

Evaluating Questions

Can you research and answer the

question meaningfully given the

resources, time and ability level you have?

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Does the question challenge

assumptions? Does it demand that people

take fresh look at a familiar situation or

area?

Connected

Provocative

Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Does the question have an ethical

dimension? Will it involve the looking at

different perspectives and opposing

opinions?

Charged

Connected

Provocative

Charged Deep

Open

Practical

?

Evaluating Questions

Can the question only be answered by

careful and lengthy research?

Do you need to break the question in to a

more sub-questions?

Problem solving: You are being interviewed by Microsoft for an important post in their Creative Department. During the process you are asked the following question…

Now!

You have one minute

On your own and in silence…

Come up with one question that relates to

today’s session!