Activity 3.3 Integrating Questions in Sessions
Answer the questions that accompany each of the five criteria. The questions prompt you to think
about each criterion and are similar to the types of questions to utilize in your sessions.
In your sessions:
1. Avoid questions that can be answered with a simple “yes or “no.”
 Why should you avoid asking yes /no questions?
 A common yes/no question is Do you understand this? What are better
questions and directives that prompt students to think actively and provide
you with feedback regarding students’ understanding of a topic? Two samples
are provided; add more examples.
1. What are they important ideas? Why are they significant?_____________
2. Solve another similar problem.___________________________________
3.
4.
5.
2. Focus on open-ended question words.
FIGURE 3.1 Open-ended versus closed-ended question words
Open-ended
Close-ended
What?
Who?
Why?
When?
How?
Where?
 What is the difference between open ended and close-ended question words?
 Why should you focus primarily on open-ended questions in your sessions?
3. Use what, why and how questions as a tool for engaging students and jump-starting active
learning and deeper-level thinking. There will be moments in your sessions when students are at
a complete loss about a topic, are not talking, or are totally uninvolved. Utilize what, why, and
how questions as a means to start the process of thinking and talking.
For example, a math tutor used the following questions when working with a student who was
confused about a homework problem:
 What do you think happens next?
 How did you get that answer?
Choose a specific topic in the subject that you are tutoring. Then develop two to
three questions to use with students who are having difficulties with the topic.
1.
2.
3.
Lipsky, S. , A Training Guide of College Tutors and Peer Educators (2011).
4. Follow up with who, when, and where questions, if needed. For certain subjects and courses,
students will need to know people, locations and dates.
In the subject that you are tutoring, when do you need to stress who, when and
where questions? Identify two to three situations that would necessitate the use
of close-ended questions. For example: a requirement on the student’s upcoming test in
art history is matching specific artists with corresponding art genres.
1.
2.
3.
5. Redirect questions back to students whenever possible. When students ask you a question, reply
by asking another question that points them toward discovering and answer. The purpose of
answering students’ questions with your own question is to guide students’ thought processes and
mental habits. As explained in the previous chapter, the students, not the peer educator, should
be doing most of the talking, thinking and activity during a session.
The following dialogue between and psychology tutor and a student exemplifies how to redirect
questions that lead the student toward and understanding of the topic. After reading this portion
of the dialogue, indicate how the tutor should respond to the student.
Student (pointing to lecture notes): What is “classical conditioning?”
Tutor: What do you know about it?
Student: Nothing; it is very confusing and doesn’t make sense to me at all.
Tutor: What is the definition that you wrote in your class notes?
Student: “A learning situation where a conditioned stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus
results in an unconditioned response.” But what does this mean?
Tutor: What words are you unsure about? Highlight them as you say them.
Student: Conditioned stimulus, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response.
Tutor: How can you figure out the meaning of these terms?
Student: Would it be in the glossary?
You indicate how the tutor should respond:
Tutor:
At times it is appropriate for the peer educator to answer students’ questions or to explain subject
matter. Describe such a situation. Draw from your experiences working with students of
observations of other peer educator’s sessions.
Lipsky, S. , A Training Guide of College Tutors and Peer Educators (2011).