In the age of available answers, can learning ever become obsolete? Interestingly enough, the answer is no, especially when we reframe learning. What if, instead of teaching our students to answer questions, we teach them how to question answers?
The Need for Reframing Learning
One way by which we can learn something new is to reverse engineer processes with our students. For example, if the name of the game used to be “Find x,” why not flip it around and ask, “Y x? (Pun intended.)
This intellectual inversion ensures a refreshing twist on familiar concepts and allows for an engaging, more profound exploration of knowledge.
Here are some more examples of this method at work:
Mathematics: Rather than just teaching the Pythagorean theorem as a formula, ask students why the theorem holds true. Show them its practical use in their daily lives. Encourage them to prove the theorem, see the relationship between the sides of a right-angled triangle, and understand why it is applicable in various situations. For instance, illustrate the theorem by showing them that walking diagonally across a space from point A to point B is faster than taking an L-shaped path. But don’t just tell them. Test it. Time it. Make it a game. Maybe make it a race. Then ask why it took less time diagonally than it did the other way.
Literature: Complement “Pride and Prejudice” lessons with its film adaptation, using the visuals as conversation starter. For example, the costumes in the film serve as a visual narrative of societal norms and cultural values of the Regency era, with class distinctions manifesting in the quality of materials, gender roles represented by dress styles, the marriage market subtly mirrored in women’s attire, and the display of status symbols further elucidating the characters’ social standing.
- Post-viewing, ask multiple-choice questions that necessitate deep character analysis. For example, question why Elizabeth Bennet rejected Mr. Darcy’s first proposal, offering options connected to societal norms, personal values, or character traits.
- The exercise’s focus isn’t the ‘correct’ answer, but the depth of insight provided for each choice. Students should justify their answer, citing specific scenes or events. Following this, engage them in a class discussion to defend their choices and discuss the implications of different answers, using the multiple-choice format as a springboard for deeper discussion rather than a simple recall test.
History: Rather than having students memorize historical dates, it can be more beneficial for them to investigate the significance and implications of these dates. For instance, if students learn about July 28, 1914—the beginning of World War I—encourage them to explore what led up to this pivotal date.
- Questions such as “What were the key events and decisions in the years, months, and days leading to the start of the war?” or “What national and international tensions contributed to the outbreak of the war?” can help students see the date not as an isolated fact, but as a crucial moment in a larger historical narrative.
- Furthermore, students can also be prompted to consider the immediate and long-term consequences of that date. For example, ask, “What happened immediately after the war began?”, “How did life change for the ordinary people in the countries involved?”, or “How did this date set the stage for the rest of the 20th century, including the advent of World War II?”
- Through this reverse engineering of historical dates, students can move beyond rote memorization to a deeper understanding of the complex causes and far-reaching effects of significant historical events.
Science: In a biology class, when learning about photosynthesis, rather than asking students to memorize the process, ask them why plants use sunlight to create food, what would happen if the process is altered, and how this process impacts the wider ecosystem.
- To demonstrate the technological implications of understanding photosynthesis, teachers can prompt students to consider questions like: “How might our understanding of photosynthesis inform the development of renewable energy technology?” This can lead to discussions about how photosynthesis has inspired technological innovations like artificial photosynthesis, which seeks to harness solar energy for sustainable fuel production.
Art: When studying an art movement like Impressionism, encourage students to practice “the art of slow looking” when examining a painting. Slow Looking, a method proposed by Shari Tishman, is described to be taking “the time to carefully observe more than meets the eye at first glance”. It is a “way of gaining knowledge about the world. It helps us discern complexities that can’t be grasped quickly” which “foregrounds the capacity to observe details, to defer interpretation, to make careful discernments, to shift between perspectives, to be aware of subjectivity, and to purposefully use a variety of observation strategies in order to move past first impressions.”
- For example, instead of just looking at Monet’s painting “Impression Sunrise” and quizzing students about details of Monet’s life, perhaps begin by prompting students to spend time observing the piece —whatever it is they see, from strokes to colors to objects. Then ask them to consider why Monet chose to capture the fleetingness of a moment through light and color, deviating from the precise details and rigid techniques employed by traditional styles. What societal and cultural changes may have influenced this shift in artistic expression? Questions like these can lead to discussions about the industrial revolution, the rise of the middle class, and the expansion of urban life, all of which greatly influenced the Impressionist movement.
- So when your students look at a painting, they’re not only seeing strokes and color, but experiencing time and learning about culture and society through the use of space.
Early Childhood Education:
- Storytelling: After reading a story, ask why the characters acted the way they did instead of asking children what happened. For example, after reading “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” ask why the caterpillar ate so much.
- Play: During play, challenge children to question the reasons behind actions. For instance, if a toy car is not moving smoothly, ask why it is happening and encourage exploration and problem-solving.
Special Education:
- Sensory Activities: For students with sensory integration needs, involve them in sensory activities like playing with play dough or slime and guide them to explore ‘why’ these materials change shape.
- Social Stories: Use social stories to teach social skills. After the story, ask why a character reacted a certain way in a given social situation.
- Routine Activities: During routine activities like snack time or cleanup, encourage students to think about why we wash our hands or clean up our space.
The Curiosity-Driven Learning Environment
A central facet of this shift in teaching methodology is cultivating a curiosity-driven learning environment. Students should be actively encouraged to question answers and reverse engineer processes. In this era of almost unfettered access to information, the ability to critically assess, deconstruct, and question available information becomes not just desirable but absolutely vital.
These deconstruction skills are invaluable for academic pursuits and crucial for students’ future professional lives. They cultivate the ability to question, assess, and reconstruct a plethora of situations, enhancing decision-making skills and nurturing an independent, investigative mindset.
For instance, a business analyst often dissects complex market trends to formulate effective strategies. Similarly, software engineers constantly question and debug their own code to optimize its functionality. We live in an ever-changing world where uncertainty is the only certainty. In such a world, skills like healthy skepticism, the ability to go beyond the known, and an openness to ambiguity are crucial. These are the skills that will help our students succeed in a future beyond our foresight.
The Challenge of Change
However, it is vital to acknowledge the inherent challenges of altering established teaching methodologies. Such change often meets with resistance from various educational stakeholders, including teachers, students, administrators, and parents, who may be comfortably entrenched in conventional methods. Moreover, the transition to a new system that prioritizes questioning over answering may be daunting, requiring a profound shift in mindset and teaching approach.
Conclusion: Implementing the Art of Questioning Answers
While the road may seem formidable, embracing the potential challenges, fostering curiosity, and facilitating a pedagogical approach shift can keep learning relevant and fresh. Ultimately, the goal is to equip students with the critical skills they need to navigate and thrive in this age of available answers.
So how can we teach the art of questioning answers next school year?
Here are some suggestions on how to teach the art of questioning answers:
- Design Projects that Foster Inquiry: Assign projects that require students to research, hypothesize, experiment, and reflect. Instead of focusing on the end product, emphasize the process of questioning, exploring, and learning.
- Model Inquiry and Critical Thinking: As an educator, show students what it means to be a critical thinker. Ask probing questions, discuss your thought process, and share your own learning experiences.
- Create a Safe Environment for Questions: Make your classroom a safe space where all questions are valued and respected. Encourage students to ask questions without fear of judgment or failure.
- Integrate Socratic Seminars: This teaching method encourages students to ask questions and engage in discussion, rather than simply listening to a lecture.
- Promote Peer-to-Peer Learning: Allow students to learn from each other. In group activities, students can ask each other questions, challenge each other’s thoughts, and collaborate on finding answers.
- Provide Resources for Inquiry-Based Learning: Many online resources, books, and tools are designed to foster inquiry-based learning. Use these in your classroom to encourage students to question and explore.
- Provide Feedback on Inquiry, Not Just Answers: When grading assignments, don’t just focus on whether the student got the answer right. Consider how they approached the question, their thought process, and how they applied their learning.
So, looking ahead to the next school year, these strategies can help educators equip their students with the invaluable skill of questioning answers, fostering not just learners but future innovators and problem-solvers.