Self-Questioning

The self-questioning strategy asks learners to generate, contemplate, and answer high-level questions about a text or lecture. The activity increases participants’ curiosity and they engage more deeply with the content. Self-questioning helps to focus participants’ attention, asks them to mentally organize the information, and helps them integrate new information with their existing knowledge. Some participant workbooks provide space for participant questions and answers. If they don’t, participants can write their questions and answers on index cards or sticky notes. One disadvantage of this strategy is that it takes more time to explain the activity and for participants to compose their questions and responses than conducting a simple question and answer session. More time is required for one or two volunteers to share their questions and answers. Also, the self-questioning strategy demands a higher mental load. For participants who have difficulty juggling multiple mental tasks at one time, the strategy may overload their ability to process information effectively.

Example

Some questions participants may ask themselves before a lecture or reading assignment may include:

  • Why am I reading/listening to this?
  • How can I use this information?
  • What will I learn in this lesson?

Questions participants might seek answers to while listening to the lecture or during their reading may include:

  • What is the main idea of _____?
  • How does this relate to what I already know/have learned?
  • What is different or what conflicts with my personal experience or knowledge?

At the end of the lesson or reading passage, participants can ask themselves questions like these:

  • How has my knowledge changed?
  • What other questions do I have about the topic?
  • How will I apply this information on the job?

Instructions

To conduct a self-answering question activity:

  1. Decide whether participants will generate and answer their questions before, during, or after the lesson.
  2. Create a list of example questions for participant consideration.
  3. If space is not provided in the participant workbook, distribute index cards or sticky notes.
  4. Explain the purpose of the self-questioning activity.
  5. Share the example questions and encourage participants to use one or more of the examples or generate their own questions and write them on the note card, sticky note, or space provided in the participant workbook.
  6. For “before” questions, allow time before the lesson for participants to write their predictions.
  7. For “during” or “after” questions, allow time after the completion of the lesson for participants to write their answers.
  8. Circulate around the room to observe participants’ questions and responses.
  9. Call on one or two participants to share their questions and answers.

Instructor-Led Training

Distribute index cards as participants enter the class in the morning or after lunch. Explain that, to exit the class, they will need to answer one or two higher-level questions of their choice based on the upcoming lesson. Collect the “exit tickets” at the end of the day (or before lunch), and summarize the responses when participants return again to the room.

Web Conference Training

Set up small groups in breakout rooms. Ask the group members to post their questions to the chat pod and discuss their answers. Afterwards, briefly join the breakout groups and listen to the discussions.