Asking Good Questions a Case Study Maria Terrell

Case Study-Math 111 • Challenges we faced to improve student learning • Adapting Eric

Students Engaged in Deep Learning • Actively seek to understand the material and interact

Deep Teaching • Engages what students know • Develops some material in depth •

T/F: • You were once exactly 3 feet tall. A) True B) False 3/12/2021

T/F: • You were once exactly π feet tall. A) True B) False 3/12/2021

Sample questions and student response data T/F: • You were once exactly 3 feet

Good Questions • • Draw out their latent knowledge Monitor their level of understanding

Example --Handout #2 • Critique sample questions • Which draw on students’ experiences? •

Writing your own questions Handout #3 3/12/2021 10

Using Clickers • How are students drawn in? • How do they react? •

Using Warmups • Warmups help me prepare for class (HPL 1) • Warmups direct

Using Good Questions/Polling • Insight into what students think (HPL 1) • Raises visibility

The Trial- Fall 2003 • Data collected • What the data suggest – Exam

What we Learned • Good Questions have a positive effect when used with peer

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Asking Good Questions a Case Study Maria Terrell Cornell University Project was partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation grant DUE-0231154. 3/12/2021 1

Case Study-Math 111 • Challenges we faced to improve student learning • Adapting Eric Mazur’s approach in teaching physics to mathematics --Good Questions for Deep Learning and Deep Teaching • What makes some questions “good” • What is Deep Learning and Deep Teaching? 3/12/2021 2

Students Engaged in Deep Learning • Actively seek to understand the material and interact vigorously with the content • Make use of evidence, inquiry, and evaluation and relate ideas to one another • Relate new ideas to previous knowledge and to everyday experience • Are motivated by interest and tend to read and study beyond the course requirements 3/12/2021 3

Deep Teaching • Engages what students know • Develops some material in depth • Fosters meta-cognition • Handout #1 3/12/2021 4

T/F: • You were once exactly 3 feet tall. A) True B) False 3/12/2021 5

T/F: • You were once exactly π feet tall. A) True B) False 3/12/2021 6

Sample questions and student response data T/F: • You were once exactly 3 feet tall. • First vote T=. 80, F=. 20, after discussion T=. 90, F=. 10 • You were once exactly π feet tall. • First vote T=. 40, F=. 60 after peer discussion T=. 85 F=. 15 3/12/2021 7

Good Questions • • Draw out their latent knowledge Monitor their level of understanding Refine their understanding Enhance their reasoning skills. 3/12/2021 8

Example --Handout #2 • Critique sample questions • Which draw on students’ experiences? • Which draw on prior knowledge? • Which engage students in deeper learning? 3/12/2021 9

Writing your own questions Handout #3 3/12/2021 10

Using Clickers • How are students drawn in? • How do they react? • What evidence is there of learning? 3/12/2021 11

Calculus I Fall 2003 3/12/2021 12

Using Warmups • Warmups help me prepare for class (HPL 1) • Warmups direct attention to key concepts (HPL 2) • Warmups encourages students to read the book and monitor their understanding (HPL 3) • Technological challenges/implementation (Blackboard, Moodle) 3/12/2021 13

Using Good Questions/Polling • Insight into what students think (HPL 1) • Raises visibility of key concepts (HPL 2) • Opportunities for discussion and refining thinking(HPL 3) • Technological Challenges—polling issues 3/12/2021 14

The Trial- Fall 2003 • Data collected • What the data suggest – Exam results-Handout #4 – Student interviews-Videos 3/12/2021 15

The benefits of talking 3/12/2021 16

The benefit of voting 3/12/2021 17

The whole process 3/12/2021 18

3/12/2021 19

What we Learned • Good Questions have a positive effect when used with peer discussion. • Good Questions do not provide a benefit if used heavily but without peer instruction • Student learning improves through discussions with peers 3/12/2021 20