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A questioning mind contributes to student success.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nPart of learning is being an active learner. Learning which only involves being fed information is merely surface learning. To really understand, a learner has to be actively engaged in the learning process. That means reviewing, practising, summarizing, and yes, asking effective questions. Asking questions requires thinking about the information and trying to understand it at a deeper level. By forming questions, you will understand things more fully. When you are learning new information or a new process, imagine that you are having to describe it to someone else. What parts of the information or process aren't entirely clear to you? These are the things to ask questions about.\r\n\r\nRemembering the 5 Ws and H is a good place to start. If you have a handle on these then you'll be on your way to understanding the important information. If you aren't familiar with the 5 Ws and H, then it's time to add it to your repertoire: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How!\r\n- \r\n \t
- Who - Who is invited? Who is the party for?<\/li>\r\n \t
- What - What is it? - It's a birthday party.<\/li>\r\n \t
- When- Give the date.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Where - Give the address.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Why - it's a birthday!<\/li>\r\n \t
- How - Bring an appy, bring an expensive gift, don't be late - it's a surprise.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWhen you make a habit of using them, you'll notice you start thinking about them in class as well. You'll think about them when you're reading your texts and research articles, and you'll naturally start to have a questioning mind. Asking effective questions leads to\u00a0further clarification and greater understanding. Asking effective questions helps you to analyze and think critically. These are important processes in learning.\r\n
\r\n Exercise: Effective Questioning Using 5 Ws and H<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n
Choose a topic you are learning about. It can be a topic you are learning in a course, or it can be something you are interested in learning more about, such as a health issue, an activity you would like to take up, or an environmental issue. Once you have chosen the topic, use the 5 Ws and H model to formulate questions that pertain to the topic. Note that all 6 may not be pertinent for every topic, but if one or more of them don't apply, just make a note of that so you know you've thought it through. These questions may evoke further questions you have about the topic; note them as well if applicable.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nEffective Questioning Using Bloom's Taxonomy<\/h1>\r\nSelf-testing is one of the most powerful study strategies.\u00a0 Creating good questions requires you to think critically about what you need to learn (planning). Testing whether you can answer questions without referring to a text or notes, as you would in an exam, allows you to effectively monitor your progress. The trick to effective self-testing is asking the right questions.\r\n\r\nOne way of picturing these levels of depth in learning is Bloom's Taxonomy. In high school level courses, you are usually asked questions from near the bottom of Bloom's Taxonomy scale, while at college or university, you are required to move beyond recalling basic facts and details, and must learn to apply and analyze material in depth moving to the higher levels on Bloom's scale. The categories in the cognitive taxonomy developed by Bloom (from lowest to highest) include:\r\n
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- Remember<\/strong> (knowledge recall) \u2013 retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory<\/li>\r\n \t
- Understand<\/strong> (comprehension) \u2013 interpreting the meaning of information; being able to \u201ctranslate\u201d knowledge into one\u2019s own words; linking new information to what you already know<\/li>\r\n \t
- Apply<\/strong> \u2013 using what you know to do required tasks<\/li>\r\n \t
- Analyze<\/strong> \u2013 taking things apart; dissecting; asking \u201cwhy?\u201d; seeing relationships and how things work<\/li>\r\n \t
- Evaluate<\/strong> \u2013 appraising, judging and critiquing the outcomes of any of the other levels<\/li>\r\n \t
- Create<\/strong> (synthesis) \u2013 putting things together; building on what you know to create something new; seeing new relationships or making new connections. [footnote]Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. (Eds.). (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives<\/em>. New York: Longman.[\/footnote] [footnote]Bloom, B., Englehart, M. Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain<\/em>. New York, Toronto: Longmans, Green.[\/footnote]<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n
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\r\n\r\nOne method for creating study questions or planning active learning activities is to move step-by-step through each level of Bloom's Taxonomy.\u00a0 Begin with a few questions at the Remembering<\/em> level.\u00a0If you don\u2019t yet know the technical language of the subject and what it means, it will be difficult for you to apply, evaluate, analyze, or be creative. Then, go deeper into your subject as you move through the levels.\r\n\r\n Exercise: Create Study Questions Using Bloom\u2019s Cognitive Taxonomy<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n
\r\n\r\nDownload the Bloom's Taxonomy Printable Worksheet [PDF]<\/a> to complete this activity or use the table below.\r\n\r\nPick a subject area in which you are working. For each level of Bloom\u2019s Taxonomy on this page:\r\n- \r\n \t
- Develop a question and answer it to show that you can think about the material at that level.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Then, working with a partner and using the chart below, explain the questions at each level of Bloom\u2019s taxonomy for this subject area to a partner and listen to them do the same.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Discuss how your questions would allow you to assess how much you know and what level you are working at.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
- Understand<\/strong> (comprehension) \u2013 interpreting the meaning of information; being able to \u201ctranslate\u201d knowledge into one\u2019s own words; linking new information to what you already know<\/li>\r\n \t
- Remember<\/strong> (knowledge recall) \u2013 retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory<\/li>\r\n \t