Question-based Learning
This style of teaching can be used for all ages and levels but requires the instructor’s superior level of skill and knowledge of information being taught for it to be used effectively. The instructor will have to tailor questions appropriately to the age and communication abilities of the students. They must consider if their student’s grasp of the language being used is sufficient enough to understand the questions being asked. More simple versions of these questions can be used when teaching children. During this process, determining if the students are responsive to questions or if they prefer a more instructor-centred style of teaching, is important.
Before asking questions, we need an environment where students are confident enough to speak up and voice their opinions and feelings about their snowboarding. For a student that is anxious to attempt their toe turns in case they fall, they might simply be copying the answers of others to avoid attention. An element of trust needs to exist in the student-teacher relationship before questions asked will receive honest answers. The instructor must also decide what type of questions are best to use in each situation. The most common question types are: open, closed, leading, clarifying, probing and scaling questions.
Open Questions
An open question is one that allows a difference of opinion within a matter that has not been determined yet. This type of question can create an open environment for dialogue to follow.
The advantages are that the answer will portray students’ perception of a situation, their exact thoughts and even an insight into the complexity of their verbal communication.
The disadvantages are that the answers can vary greatly from person to person and include details that can be insufficient or undesirable towards the end goal. In this scenario, a follow up question of a different variety will be necessary.
Example
“In that toe turn, what part of your body did you move across your board first and how did you move it?”
Closed Questions
A closed question is one that requires a definitive answer from its direct form, or from a choice of offered options. Once a response is given there is no environment for dialogue, only an option to ask another question or end your line of questioning.
The advantage is that the student provides a concise and definitive answer to the question asked, and that the lesson can move on promptly.
The disadvantage is that there is no opportunity for the student to expand upon or offer clarity around the answer given unless prompted by further questioning.
Example
“Did you move your leading knee or shoulder into that toe turn first?”
Leading Questions
A leading question is one that is typically closed in structure and encourages an answer that leads the student towards a specific way of thinking. A leading question should have an intended answer in mind and be asked in a way that makes it easier for the student to answer “yes” than to offer a different answer.
The advantage here is that the student is guided towards the intended outcome and that it removes the possibilities of undesirable answers, whilst leaving the students feeling like they had a choice.
The disadvantages are that the student may be experiencing something outside the boundaries or parameters of the question, which is likely to be missed. Used in excess, this type of question can also be seen as manipulative.
Example
“From here it looked like you moved your leading shoulder across the board first, it would be better to move your leading knee first don’t you think?”
Clarifying Questions
A clarifying question is one that simply acts as a step to confirm factual information. It can be used effectively to check for understanding.
The advantage is that the information received is actually what was offered, in order to establish a plan for the next question.
The disadvantage is the limitation in gaining insight into anything other than the answers already given. If used too much, students may begin to think the instructor is not listening to them.
Example
“To make sure I understand, which body part did you move across your board into that toe turn first again?”
Probing Questions
A probing question is used to encourage students to think further about specific details from their given answer. A probing question has no intended answer, it simply offers insight into the subjective nature of a given answer.
The advantage is that, with effective use, it provides a deeper insight into the student’s perception of a situation as a whole.
The disadvantage is that if used too much, or applied to irrelevant information, the question can be perceived as invasive and create a feeling of interrogation.
Example
“Could you be more precise with how you know which body part you moved across the board first into your toe turn?”
Scaling Questions
A scaling question is used to quantify subjective information in a given answer. This type of question allows an avenue for students to set measures on their opinions, emotions and perceptions of a situation.
The advantage is that it transfers opinions and emotions into tangible measurements that can be used for comparison from one task to the next, in order to recognise achievements or to highlight a plateau or regression in development.
The disadvantage is that students may wonder what the relevance of the question and their answer is if the resulting measures are not used for later comparison.
Example
“On a scale of 1-10, 1 being jerky and 10 smooth, how would you rate that toe turn where you moved your shoulder across your board first compared to the toe turn where you moved your knee across the board first?"
Real World Application
In the real world, our conversations use a combination of question types, often without active thought about which types are being used. It’s natural to use a type of question that we think will result in an answer that we need as quickly as possible. This is where a patient approach to this style of teaching and learning is necessary. As we have explored, there are advantages and disadvantages with each type of question. It’s crucial to be able to adapt and change the type of question quickly and effectively when necessary. It does take time to develop versatility within question-based learning. However, a great way to practise the skill of questioning is to reflect on lessons and identify moments when this style could have been beneficial.
Hot Tip
In the event that the neutral position is compromised, the instructor can simply adopt a different teaching style. More often than not, a command or task-practice style is the most appropriate failsafe, depending on how much time the student has to work independently.
The following example demonstrates question-based teaching and learning, utilising a range of question types. The end goal in the mind of the instructor is to have the student realise that they are moving their leading shoulder across their board first to start their toe turn. The instructor would like the student to become aware of this and decide to use their leading knee first, before their leading shoulder.
Example
Instructor: “On a scale of 1-10, 1 being worst and 10 best, how would you rate that last toe turn compared to your first toe turn?”
Student: “I’d say the first turn was a 4 and the last turn was more like a 7.”
Instructor: “For the turn you scored a 4, did you move your leading shoulder or knee across the board first?”
Student: “Shoulder I think.”
Instructor: “And how did the snowboard turn as a result?”
Student: “It didn't really move much to start with but after a few moments it did turn quite quickly.”
Instructor: “Ok, so would you agree that you would like to snowboard with the toe turns you scored a 7 for more often?”
Student: “Yes, definitely!”
Instructor: “Well for the turn you scored a 7, help me understand, did you move your leading shoulder or knee across the board first?”
Student: “My knee.”
Instructor: “So when you moved your knee across first, how exactly did your board respond differently?”
Student: “It began to turn earlier and felt smoother.”
Instructor: “Sweet, so how will you move across your board to get all of your turns to feel like a 7 or more?”
Student: “I’m going to make sure I move my knee across my board before my shoulder to get them feeling better.”