Tools for Thought
Teacher
page
Using strategies to prepare and conduct interviews
This resource
complements the
Interviewing
techniques
tutorial found in
Tools for Thought
@ www.tc2.ca
Suggested grade range
K
3
6
9
Use of this resource is restricted to subscribers of this collection
12
© The Critical Thinking Consortium 2013
Overview of learning activities
Topic
Slide
Consider the situation
5
Compare interviews and conversations
6
Listen to an interview
7-9
Examine interview questions
10-13
Prepare for an interview
14-18
Conduct the interview
19
Assess the interview
20
Reflect on the strategy
21
Teacher
page
Tools for Thought
Interviewing
techniques
Using strategies to prepare and conduct an interview
Has anyone heard or seen someone being interviewed?
What is the point of doing this?
Student
pages
begin
Interviewing techniques
These strategies help get useful information from a
person by conducting an effective interview.
What will I learn?
• what are the features of an effective interview and interviewer;
• how to help prepare for and conduct an interview;
• why interviewing is a useful information gathering technique.
Consider this situation
• Think of a person, current or historical,
you would like to know more about.
• Imagine you have been invited to meet this person.
• What questions would you ask?
Compare interviews and conversations
What are the similarities and differences between an
interview and a conversation?
Interview
Casual conversation
Listen to an interview
Listen to an interview and brainstorm qualities of an
effective interviewer.
George Stroumboulopoulos Interviews
Peter Mansbridge
Peter Gzowski Interviews
Anna Maria Tremonti
Photo credit: Mark Dunne
Shelagh Rogers
Think about criteria
Criteria for
an effective interviewer
• asks engaging questions
• is attentive
• has genuine interest
• is responsive
• has background knowledge
• Read the suggested criteria.
• Compare the qualities of an
effective interviewer you
identified.
• Determine the best possible
criteria for an effective
interviewer.
Consider interview tips
TIPS
Preparation
• Do your homework
• Set a purpose
• Look for springboards
• Create questions
• Remember necessities
• Practice
Interview strategies
• Start easy
• Ask the right questions
• Have a conversation
• Create questions
• Pay attention to details
• Read the tips.
• Highlight new information
• Rank order the five most
effective tips.
Examine interview questions
• Think about the successful
interview tips and the questions
asked in the previous interviews.
Credits : Dennis Mojado
• What are the qualities of an
effective interview question?
Which question is most effective?
1. What is your favourite sport?
2. Do you think hockey is a great sport?
3. What motivates you as an athlete?
Think about question criteria
Criteria for an effective
interview question
• How closely do your criteria
match the suggested criteria?
• open ended
• build on interesting
background information
• draw out interesting ideas
and information
• cover a range of relevant
topics
• Identify the most relevant criteria
from the two lists.
Examine questions
A question may be ineffective because
it is closed or leading or both.
Open-ended questions tend to more
effective because they encourage
conversation and are less leading.
Leading Questions (Ineffective)
Open-ended Questions (More effective)
Do you get along with your parents?
Tell me about your relationship with your
parents.
- hints that maybe they don’t get along.
- non-judgmental
How fast was the red car going when it
smashed it into the blue car?
- the red car was at fault
-suggests high speed
Why did you disappoint your father?
How fast was each car going when the
accident occurred?
- does not assign any blame or make
assumptions
Modify questions
 Work in partners to identify
the flaws in each question
 Revise them to create
effective questions
Prepare for an interview
Interview a classmate in preparation for writing a
profile about this student for the “Know Your
Neighbour” section of the school website
• Create a briefing sheet about yourself to help
the interviewer generate questions.
• Include personal characteristics, talents or other
information you would like to talk about in your
interview
Identify information
• Working in pairs, exchange your briefing sheet with
your partner.
• Review the briefing sheet and identify important
background information .
Look at example
Brainstorm questions
• Review the information
recorded from the briefing
sheet.
• Prepare your interview
questions based on this
information.
Effective interview questions
• are open ended
• build on interesting background
information
• draw out interesting ideas and
information
• cover a range of relevant topics
Look at an example
Possible questions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Why did your family move to Canada?
What has been the most difficult adjustment to being in Canada?
What have you like the best?
What do you like best about our school?
How did you become a drummer?
Who is the person you admire most and why?
Conduct the interview
• Interview your partner.
• After the interview
Criteria for
an effective interviewer
• asks engaging questions
• is attentive
• has genuine interest
• is responsive
• has background knowledge
discuss how well the
interview met the criteria.
Assess the interview
Assessing my ability to “prepare and conduct interviews”
• How well did you prepare
and conduct the interview?
• What did you learn about
interviews?
• What are the advantages
and disadvantages of
using interviews to gather
information?
Reflect on the strategy
• How might you use the
Student resource?
• When might conducting an
interview be a useful tool?