Asking Questions
Questions help us learn from and understand each other.
Below is a suggested framework for asking questions that range from a basic to more comprehensive understanding of the material and/or each other.
A Framework for Questions
Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework for some goals of learning. There are six categories that progress from a basic understanding of the content (remember and understand), bringing in outside knowledge (apply and analyze), and finally, to taking the content and applying it to new situations (evaluate and create).
Create
Evaluate
More complex and deeper understanding
Applying the information to a new setting
Analyze
Apply
Bringing outside knowledge to the topic
Understand
Remember
Basic, surface-level, initial understanding
You can use these categories to create your own questions to broaden your own and others' understanding of a given topic.
Diving in Deeper
Below is more information for each category as well as sample guiding questions for you to use.
Remember
Recall facts and basic concepts
define, duplicate, list, memorize, repeat, state
Guiding questions:
What is …?
Where is …?
Why did …?
When did …?
How would you show …?
How is …?
How would you explain …?
How would you describe ..?
Can you list the three …?
Who was …?
Understand
Apply
Explain ideas or concepts
classify, describe, explain, identify, locate, reorganize, report, select, translate
Guiding Questions:
How would you compare/contrast …? Will you state or interpret in your own words …?
What facts or ideas show …?
What is the main idea of …?
Which statements support …?
What can you say about …?
How would you summarize …?
Use information in a new situation
implement, execute, solve, use demonstrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch
Guiding Questions:
How would you use …?
What examples can you find to …?
How would you solve ___ using what you’ve learned …?
What would result if …?
Can you make use of the facts to …?
What elements would you choose to change …?
What questions would you ask in an interview with …?
Analyze
Draw connections among ideas
differentiate, organize, relate, compare, contrast, examine, experiment, question, test
Guiding Questions:
What are the parts or features of …?
How is ___ related to …?
Why do you think …?
What is the theme …?
What conclusions can you draw …?
How would you categorize...?
Can you identify the different parts …?
What evidence can you find …?
What is the relationship between …?
What ideas justify …?
Evaluate
Justify a stand or decision
appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Guiding Questions:
What is your opinion of …?
How would you prove …? Disprove…? Can you assess the value or importance of …?
Would it be better if …?
What would you recommend…?
How would you prioritize …?
Based on what you know, how would you explain …?
How would you justify …?
Create
Produce new or original work
design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Guiding Question:
What changes would you make to solve …?
How would you improve …?
What would happen if …?
Can you propose an alternative…? Can you invent …?
How would you adapt ___ to create a different …?
How could you modify the plan …?
What way would you design …?
Suppose you could ___ what would you do …?