As teachers we ask questions all the time . Research suggests that the questions we ask the most often require students to simply give back a discreet bit of information, a fact or detail. These are questions that would fall at the "knowledge" level of Bloom's taxonomy. By changing how we frame a question, it is possible to use questioning as a way to further higher level thinking among our students and as a way to assess their understanding at that higher level.
Below are some question stems that are organized by their level in Bloom's Taxonomy (old version). For our purposes, I have only listed the three highest levels of Bloom's. Think about incorporating these question types as you plan your lessons and units. Think about how you could use questioning as formative assessment.
Analysis
- subdividing something to show how it is put together
- finding the underlying structure of a communication
- identifying motives
- separation of a whole into component parts
- what are the parts or features of ...?
- classify ... according to ...
- outline/diagram ...
- how does ... compare/contrast with ...?
- what evidence can you list for ...?
Synthesis
- creating a unique, original product that may be in verbal form or may be a physical object
- combination of ideas to form a new whole
- what would you predict/infer from ...?
- what ideas can you add to ...?
- how would you create/design a new ...?
- what might happen if you combined ...?
- what solutions would you suggest for ...?
Evaluation
- making value decisions about issues
- resolving controversies or differences of opinion
- development of opinions, judgements or decisions
- do you agree that ...?
- what do you think about ...?
- what is the most important ...?
- place the following in order of priority ...
- how would you decide about ...?
- what criteria would you use to assess ...?
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/questype.htm
Below are some additional websites that may be useful. I would also encourage you, if you haven't already, to view the videos attached to my last blog as they provide some great classroom examples of questioning and the reasons for using questioning as formative assessment.
A new (updated) Bloom's taxonomy chart
http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUL09/guruprasad/
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/teachtip.htm#questions
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4009/is_200710/ai_n21033479/
http://www.grrec.ky.gov/MathAlliance/Questioning%20Techniques%20For%20the%20Classroom.pdf
P.S.
I am hoping to begin some group discussion/exploration on the topics of challenge based learning and a group on Formative assessment later this month. Please email me if you are interested or have any questions. The goal of these groups would be primarily to share information and ideas and perhaps do some reading on the topics.
Hope to hear from you soon! :) Becky
Becky:
ReplyDeleteI think you might be interested in a program called Odyssey of the Mind. I have been a judge for this Creative Competition for many years. Judy Morgan and I often talk about how we wish ESM would get some teams going for this. Essentially, when you are a coach for OM, you cannot tell kids what to do to solve the problem. You have to ask them leading (ESSENTIAL!) questions to "guide" them. Once you have coached Odyssey of the Mind it changes the way you teach. We can't just deliver information and expect it to be absorbed. John