Higher Order Thinking Questions

How to improve teacher questioning to increase student learning.

1. Teaching Thinking Through
Effective Questioning
Chad Vosburg

2. “The mind is not a vessel to be
filled, but a fire to be ignited.”
(Plutarch)

3. What is Higher-Order Thinking?What is Higher-Order Thinking?
•Transformation of information and ideas
•Synthesise
•Generalize
•Explain
•Hypothesise or arrive at a conclusion.
•Students engage in construction of knowledge

4. What is Higher-Order Thinking?What is Higher-Order Thinking?
•Students are producers of knowledge
•Teacher is creator of activities
•Creator of environments
•Provide opportunities to engage in higher-order
thinking.

5. Good Science Questions Help Students:
•Make sense of concept
•Provide open-ended opportunities
•Unravel misconceptions
•Encourage students to make connections
•Accessible to all students
•Lead students to wonder more about a topic

6. What You Ask . .
Is What You Get!
1.Good questions basis for lesson
2.Plan questions in advance

7. How To Create Good QuestionsHow To Create Good Questions
Method 1 - Working Backward
Step 1: Identify a topic or lesson
Step 2: Think of a closed question and answer
Step 3: Create question that address answer

8. Method 1- Example
Step 1: Topic Precipitation in Maryland
Step 2: Closed question: The average rainfall in 5
counties in Maryland are 27cm, 39cm, 45cm, 51cm,
33cm. What is their average rainfall? (39mc)
Step 3: Good Question: Rainfall was averaged in 5
Maryland counties. The average is 39cm. How old
much rainfall could each county receive?

9. Method 2-Adapting a Standard QuestionMethod 2-Adapting a Standard Question
Step 1: Identify a topic
Step 2: Think of a standard question
Step 3: Adapt it to make a good
question

10. Method 2-Example
Step 1: Measuring length using nonstandard units.
Step 2: Typical Question:
“What is your height measured in hands ?”
Step 3: Good Question:
“ Can you find an object that is three hand spans
long?”

11. Teacher’s Responsibilities
1.Master content in the question
2.Present question clearly
3.Allow for individual approaches, methods, answers
4.Use concrete materials
5.Allow time for discovery
6.Allow time for consolidation of answers

12. “A good teacher makes you
think even when you don’t
want to.”
(Fisher, 1998, Teaching Thinking)

13. Dive Deeper into Thinking
Remembering

Understanding
Applying
Analyzing

Evaluating

Creating

14. References
Fisher, R. (1998). Teaching thinking. London: Cassell.