Questions: A Game Changer in Teaching and Learning

Asking questions is paramount in learning and cannot be emphasized enough. During conversations, it is common for young children to ask "Why?" multiple times. Undeniably, a culture of questioning is an essential aspect of teaching and learning. A commonly used method is to utilize Bloom's Taxonomy to identify the question type and classify verbs according to its indicators. An example of this is Bloom's Taxonomy chart, which categorizes verbs like "Describe" and "Explain" under the indicator for "Understanding." Using these verbs in questions is recommended to test one's understanding of the content. Constructing questions became more manageable with this practice. Additionally, verbs are organized in a hierarchy according to their placement in the taxonomy - the education community credits this hierarchy for developing Higher Order Thinking (HOTS).

To fully harness the power of questioning as a teaching and learning tool, it may be necessary to do more than align questions and verbs to specific indicators of the taxonomy and promote higher-order thinking skills (HOTS). There are several reasons why more than this approach is needed. First, the referenced methods fall short in recognizing the essential connections between the verb and the task, the utmost significance of the ‘Feedback Loop’ methodology, and the conspicuous exclusion of crucial cognitive processes from the Taxonomy that are vital in crafting a thorough response to a question. A question that comes to mind is whether Bloom's Taxonomy can serve as a questioning tool or if it's only meant for cognitive assessments.

It is essential to understand that Bloom's (1956) Taxonomy was not designed to categorize questions or verbs by taxonomy indicators. Instead, he utilized the taxonomy to assess the cognitive capabilities of the students with special needs. The students showed competence in each taxonomy level by completing tasks one after the other. This is a reminder that the taxonomy refers to tasks, not verbs. Verbs are essential, but only if they give the learner helpful information about the task.

For example, students can practice punctuation rules by analyzing sentences and determining if commas are correctly placed. This evaluates their ability to use commas accurately. In a subsequent task, they might have to insert commas into different sentences and clarify the reasoning behind their placement. One can also complete the same task by using paragraphs or essays. Again, students had to explain comma placement even though the tasks got more complex.

Norman Webb (2005) developed the Depth of Knowledge model, also known as Webb's DOK, at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Webb explains that DOK is the required complexity level for meeting curriculum standards. He maintained that questions could be more complex, not higher order, and strongly disagreed with categorizing verbs to indicate complexity. Regrettably, similar to Bloom, various misinterpretations of DOK have arisen.

A standard graphic that is frequently duplicated and can be misleading is the "DOK wheel. "This chart categorizes verbs according to the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels. Webb strongly opposes using the graph that categorizes verbs based on its four levels. Instead, Webb emphasizes directing our attention to the task at hand rather than fixating on the verb - an example on his website utilizing Levels 1-3 advocates this approach.

DOK 1 - Describe three characteristics of metamorphic rocks. (Requires simple recall)

DOK 2 - Describe the difference between metamorphic and igneous rocks. (Requires cognitive processing to determine the differences between the two rock types, hence the use of skills and concepts)

DOK 3 - Describe a model one might use to represent the relationships within the rock cycle. (Requires deep understanding of rock cycle and a determination of how best to define it, hence the use of Strategic Thinking)

Each question intentionally employs the verb ‘describes,’ with the level of complexity progressively increasing at each level. It's vital to recognize that complexity is not associated with higher-order thinking. When using Bloom's model, it is critical to take note of the caution given by Maureen Donohue-Smith in 2006. She stated that Bloom and other scholars did not prefer any specific type of question over others. However, there is a general belief that asking in-depth questions that require critical thinking is more effective than asking straightforward factual questions. Maureen suggests focusing on the necessary skills for generating a response but notes that they work together in a feedback loop instead of being organized hierarchically.

When students answer a question, they either support or challenge their data. This process enables the modification of previously acquired knowledge. Students must question, reevaluate, challenge, and assess their thinking against their knowledge base. Students develop a deeper understanding of the content by following the Feedback Loop thought process outlined by Maureen Donohue-Smith (2006).

To decide which of the two movies to watch, it's crucial to understand both films.  To provide an adequate response, it's necessary to reevaluate meanings, challenge assumptions, evaluate prompts, analyze and contrast different aspects, and consider critical factors for decision-making. A comparison and contrast element may influence the decision-making process, but only after the individual has reviewed and reevaluated their understanding of the movies through the Feedback Loop process. Some researchers argue that high-order thinking is invalid, as they believe there is just thinking.

What is at least one way to include questions in teaching and learning? The iceberg approach has become popular because it emphasizes that although icebergs may look different on the surface, they all have a standard underlying structure beneath the waterline. The fundamental thinking process utilized to produce a response to a group of questions can remain consistent across all topics, regardless of the subject matter. Examine the following questions.

• What should one consider when choosing college classes?
• How would one decide which candidate to support for president?
• Discuss the relationship of the two brothers to their father and their response to revelations about their family.

Although the topics may vary, it is crucial to prioritize to teaching students the necessary thinking skills to answer a question accurately. This will significantly contribute to their success in providing accurate responses. To answer the given questions, students must utilize their analytical and evaluative skills by comparing and contrasting various topics, such as college courses, presidential candidates, or siblings, using their prior knowledge. It is also essential to use the feedback loop to verify the accuracy of their findings and conclusions. It is crucial to not only comprehend the content but also understand the thought process needed to give an accurate response. Assisting students in developing the necessary thinking skills to answer questions makes questioning an effective tool for teaching and learning. This is because thinking is an essential life skill.

Please note that although the tasks were on different topics, they required the same thinking skills and used different verbs. Bloom's colleagues and other researchers have advised against using verb categorization for creating question types in the education community. Krathwohl (2002), who worked alongside Bloom, attempted to challenge the idea of categorizing questions solely based on verbs and the notion of "Higher-Order Thinking skills." Krathwohl developed a framework of three questions: Factual, Conceptual, and Procedural.

Bloom's colleague Anderson (2001) created a classification system for questions that emphasizes analyzing their underlying structure along a thinking continuum. However, to effectively answer questions, it is vital to use critical thinking skills to understand the underlying structure of the query rather than just relying on its classification. So, when you hear a colleague mention that this is an analysis question, interject that analysis may be one of the necessary thinking skills, but the task still follows. It determines the level of thinking complexity needed to complete the task.

To effectively teach students how to create unique responses to questions, we must adhere to the following principles:

• When working with questions, it's more important to concentrate on the task at hand than on the specific verb used.
• Acknowledging and honoring the relationship between the action word and the task is pivotal to teaching and learning.
• We must recognize that Bloom's taxonomy does not encompass all cognitive abilities.
• It's important to recognize that there isn't a separate category of high-level thinking; it’s all just thinking.
• Recognizing the Feedback Loop's importance in the thinking process cannot be overstated.

References
Anderson, L.W. (Ed.), Krathwohl, D.R. (Ed.), Airasian, P.W., Cruikshank, K.A., Mayer, R.E., Pintrich, P.R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M.C. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, And Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Complete Edition, New York: Longman.

Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The Classification of Educational Goals; Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Company.

Smith-Donohue, M (2006), quoted in Wendy Conklin and Jeanine Manfro. Strategies for Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills (K-2). Greenville, WI: Shell Education#50819(i6437).

Krathwohl, D. R. (2002 Autumn). A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Overview. Theory into Practice.

Webb, N. (November 2005). Depth-of-Knowledge Levels for Four Content Areas. Presentation to the Florida Education Research Association, 50th Annual Meeting, Miami, Florida.