Suggestion 57. Redirect student questions

IF YOU WANT TO:

• Encourage class discussion

• Invite students to share their knowledge

• Have students apply concepts to demonstrate understanding

• Respond to student questions

Redirecting student questions.

Whenever you have reason to believe that there are students in the class who know the answer to a student's question, it is useful to redirect the question to one of those students or to the class as a whole. A professor in the social sciences, for example, says that in the discussion section he tries hard not to answer students' questions directly unless he doubts that anyone in the class would be in a position to give the correct response.

"Even in lecture classes, I often use this technique," he says. "It tends to involve the other students more with the question and it illustrates how fellow students can be a resource for learning."

Limitations on Use of Suggestion

  Discipline:  None
Course Level:  None
 Course Size:  None
        Mode:  None

Copyright 1983 by the Regents of the University of California

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