ASKING AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Asking Questions

Developmental Questions:generate learner involvement and draw upon the background of the learners and allow them to learn from each others’ experience.

Leading Questions:

lead a learner to a reasonable answer and intended to build confidence

Check Questions:let you know how well the learners are comprehending the material and build confidence in learners when they answer them correctly .

Rhetorical Questions:are used to underscore a point and do not really require an answer.

Poll Questions:ask for a show of hands regarding how many learners are familiar with something and to learn about the background of the learners.

Questioning Techniques

Using Open-Ended Questions:How many of you have experience with …?What do you think of it ?Would anyone else like to comment ?

Keeping Questions and Clear:Have a reason for Asking Each Question.Use the Ask-Pause-Call-Evaluate Sequence.

Answering Questions

How to Ask for Questions:Asking for questions about every fifteen to twenty minutes is a good rule of thumb.“You look like you might have a question.”

How Not to Ask for Questions:Learners won’t ask questions if you in any way communicate that you really don’t want to be asked.

Some typical ways that trainers discourage

questions•Making a comment a lot of

material to be covered in a relatively short length of time

•Asking idiot questions•Prefacing an answer with “As I

stated earlier”

•Looking at notes• Interrupting a learner to

answer the questions•Frowning, looking at one’s

watch•Not pausing after asking for

questions

Techniques to encourage questions

•Tell the learners from the start that they can ask questions

•Use statement “That’s a good questions.”

•Look directly at the learner

• If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so!

•Make sure you understand what the learner is asking and be patient

•Be sure everyone heard the question•After answering one learner’s

question, ask if anyone else has a question