Summary:
- Why is asking questions in class important?
- Benefits of students asking questions
- Effective questioning techniques to employ in the classroom
Humans are known to be curious creatures because we are constantly in search of new information. We build our knowledge based on what we encounter in our day-to-day lives.
The ability to explore and question our surroundings develops from a young age. You might have observed how children are curious to know everything.
They keep directing their questions to everyone around them, including their parents, teachers, or even strangers! If anything ‘new’ catches their eyes, they get excited to know all about it, and they can’t wait to ask questions about it.
This is how they learn about the world they live in. This thirst for knowledge is carried forward as we grow up. This characteristic of being curious is present in all of us.
When it comes to learning, there is no limit, and asking questions enriches our curious minds.
The Importance of Asking Questions
Did you know that asking questions in class can make you learn faster and increase your ability to remember the concepts?
Yes, asking questions can help you to understand a concept in a more detailed manner. Yet, many of us hesitate to ask questions in class.
Does the thought of standing up and asking questions in front of your classmates make you nervous? Then you are not alone. This is something that all of us experience.
Often, students hesitate to ask questions because of the fear of being judged by their peers. Self-consciousness often prevents us from voicing our questions in class.
Many of us feel that we might appear to be less knowledgeable or come off as not being smart enough as compared to our classmates.
But this is not true. There is no such thing as stupid questions. All questions matter and each question can have its own unique answer.
Hence, every question is valid and worth asking. Think of it this way, if you had a doubt regarding a topic, the chances are many of your friends also have the same doubt but are afraid of speaking up.
When you ask that question, you solve not only your doubts but also help your friends in the process.
5 Benefits of Students Asking Questions in Class
There are a lot of benefits associated with asking questions in class. Let us explore these benefits in detail.
1. Encourages Active Learning:
It’s hard to maintain focus and retain attention when the lecturer is the only one speaking for the entire duration of the class.
When students ask questions in class, it sends a message to the lecturer that the students are interested in a particular topic.
This leads to active learning where the students are actively participating rather than passively receiving information.
In other words, you are not just listening to what the lecturer is teaching but also show interest and involve yourself in the subject matter.
Active learning has the added advantage of increasing your critical thinking capacity, which is the ability to think in a more organised and rational manner, wherein you will be able to analyse a concept from different angles and understand the concept more deeply.
2. Helps You to Clear Your Doubts:
When the lecturer is teaching, you might miss a part or fail to understand something; in such situations, raise your doubts and clear all the queries immediately.
When you do not ask doubts, you might fail to understand a topic because you lack clarity on it. Do not let fear or shyness stop you from asking questions.
If a question is left unanswered in your mind, then it might hinder your performance in exams and also have an effect on your overall knowledge. It will remain a barrier in the learning process.
The purpose of learning shouldn’t just be for the sake of exams but must serve a far greater purpose. Learning is a lifelong process; it never stops.
If a concept is not understood in the initial phase, then it will be far more challenging to understand it in the latter phase, as it becomes more complex.
For instance, if we take a subject like mathematics, the concepts keep getting more advanced as we move from one semester to the next or from a lower class to a higher class. Clearing doubts at an early stage will set the student down the right path.
3. Makes the Subject More Interesting:
A class becomes more interesting when it is guided by the questions of the students. Questions lead to a more engaging learning environment, where the entire class is encouraged to participate in the discussion.
Even a boring topic can be made interesting by asking questions, thereby making the class more interactive and lively. Questions enable us to think beyond the topic and open up the space for more opinions and perspectives.
When you ask a question, your classmates may also be interested in knowing the answer, which will motivate the class to ask more follow-up questions on the topic.
When everyone involves themselves in the discussion, the topic automatically becomes more interesting, and the information can be absorbed effectively.
Questions and discussions also make learning a fun activity, providing an alternative method to learning.
4. Helps to Retain Information:
When you take the initiative to ask a question yourself, you are more likely to remember the answer. This might have happened to you.
We ask questions when we feel that the topic is interesting or relatable to us. This makes us curious to know the answer. Hence naturally, we remember it for a long period of time.
On the other hand, when we passively listen to a class, the information is stored only in our short term memory. But when we ask questions, we are self-motivated to know the answer.
Hence we hold on to the information even after the class. When the information is not forced upon us, we actively analyse the topic and become personally invested in it.
This becomes a huge motivating factor in learning the topic accurately.
5. Promotes Personal Growth:
Asking questions in front of the whole class takes courage. Some students find it easy to do so, but it’s not the case for everyone.
Many students feel uncomfortable and worry about being seen as stupid when they don’t understand the topic. Instead of clarifying their doubts, they choose to remain silent.
But taking the initiative to ask a question can help build their confidence to a great extent.
This is where the concept of intellectual humility comes in. It is a way of thinking where we admit to ourselves that we may not know the answer to everything.
According to the research conducted by Elizabeth J.Krumrei Mancuso, intellectual humility enables a person to gain more general knowledge.
For instance, instead of having the mindset that ‘I know everything’, intellectual humility takes a more humble approach wherein a person thinks that ‘There is a lot that I need to learn’.
This same approach can be carried forward in our classrooms as well. Rather than feeling silly about not knowing the answer to something, we need to cultivate the growth mentality where we acknowledge our weaknesses and be more open to learning.
5 Effective Questioning Techniques in The Classroom
Here are 5 effective questioning techniques to help you master the art of confidently asking questions in class.
1. Mentally Prepare Your Questions Before Asking Your Lecturer:
Doing this allows you to confidently ask your questions without fumbling through them. Pausing or taking too long to properly frame the question can waste the time of the teacher.
Hence, thinking of the question beforehand can benefit both you and the class.
2. Raise Your Hand or Stand Up:
Depending on your lecturer’s preference, you can either raise your hand or stand up before asking your question. It is important to be respectful while asking the question.
Raising your hand or standing up allows you to silently signal the lecturer that you have a question to ask without interrupting the class. Once the lecturer acknowledges you, you can proceed with your question.
3. Ask Your Question in A Loud and Clear Voice:
Try to speak in a pitch that is audible to the rest of the classroom. Avoid speaking in a low tone — this makes your question difficult for others to hear.
Your voice must be clearly heard even to the people sitting on the backbenches. Speak slowly and pronounce your words clearly so that there is no confusion.
4. Keep Your Question Short and To the Point:
It’s not necessary to draw out your question with long statements. You can employ the 5W1H method to ask clear cut questions.
In this approach, the question begins with — What, Who, Where, When, Why and How. Try to frame your questions using these terms. This way, you can get to the crux of the question without beating around the bush.
5. Pay Attention when The Lecturer Answers Your Question:
It’s necessary to look at the lecturer when he/she answers your question. Avoid being distracted when your lecturer is speaking. If you need more clarification, don’t hesitate to ask your lecturer right away.
Conclusion
It takes a lot of practice to develop the habit of asking questions in class. The idea of asking a question in front of the whole class might seem daunting the first time.
But as you cultivate the habit of asking questions frequently, you develop confidence. Asking questions can help you in the long run.
The act of addressing a group of people enables you to build your public speaking skills, which is a highly sought after skill in the professional world.
