Questioning at a Distance Synchronously and Asynchronously:
Teaching Tips

• Begin a distance learning class by establishing some ground rules as to when questions can be asked: At the beginning of class, at any time, at the end of a class, or questions must be submitted in writing.
• Begin a distance learning class by asking questions that you know most of the students can answer. Prime the pump with positive feedback.
• Respect all student responses. Always acknowledge a response and find something good in it, even if the answer is wrong. Remember that students at field sites are concerned about who is listening and don’t want to be embarrassed.
• Know the characteristics of your questions. Are they intellectual or attitudinal? Do they require recall of specific facts or are they probing? Will one answer suffice or are there many possible answers?
• Plan questions in advance. Write them down and identify which cognitive level they are intended to elicit: Recall; comprehension; application of a specific principle, formulae, or skill; or critical thinking?
• Give students 3-5 seconds to think about a question before you ask for a response.
• Repeat all questions so that everyone at each field site can hear the question.
• Ask the students to form small teams of 2-3 people to answer questions.
  If you are unsure of a student question, paraphrase it and ask the student if that is what they meant.
• Record important student responses on a flip chart, whiteboard, or under a document camera.
• If a student asks a question, redirect it to other students for a response.
• Train students to ask quality questions.
• Never use put downs or provide negative feedback of any type. It will devastate a student.