NURS 6003 week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline

NURS 6003 week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline

I’m going to talk about the importance of asking questions in this discussion. I wanted to explore the topic of asking questions. Shiver (2015) shares her thoughts on asking questions in graduate school:

One of the most important things I’ve learned in grad school is how to seek help when needed. Knowing when and how to ask for help can make navigating this unfamiliar territory easier and save time by avoiding the mistakes that others have made. This skill is very valuable, as you’ll often encounter the unknown during your graduate studies NURS 6003 Week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.

The key is knowing when and how to seek help. The goal of grad school is for students to become independent scholars in their chosen fields who can both ask and answer their own questions.

When you start, you quickly realize that grad school is different from undergrad. It can be challenging to understand what’s expected of you in terms of being guided versus figuring things out on your own. This is a significant shift from undergrad, where professors guided you on what and when to complete tasks. In grad school, there are still professors to help, but in general, graduate students are expected to take charge of their education and reach out for what they need.

Here are some tips for asking questions to enhance your learning:

General Strategies for Asking Questions

When thinking of questions, consider your course objectives. Do you want students to master essential concepts? Develop their critical thinking skills? Your questions should help them practice these skills and convey important information, ideas, and thought processes relevant to their learning in your course. For more information about course objectives NURS 6003 Week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.
Aim for clear and specific questions. During class discussions, instead of starting with a single, complex question, use a series of questions to delve deeper and add complexity. Essay questions on exams or written assignments, on the other hand, are a good opportunity to ask multifaceted questions. If your course goals involve preparing students to answer such questions, use in-class questions to guide them through the process.

Assignment: Academic Success and Professional Development

Ask questions throughout your class and stick to one question at a time. When you ask multiple questions, students may get confused about which one to answer. In your course planning, note when you’ll pause to ask and answer questions. Asking questions throughout the class makes it more interactive and helps assess and improve student learning. Don’t wait until the last few minutes of class to ask for questions. Students are less likely to ask questions when they know there’s only a short time left.
Pose open-ended questions. Open-ended questions are best for engaging students in discussions as they encourage debate. Avoid asking leading questions that suggest the answer and yes/no questions. If a yes/no question is needed, have a follow-up question to encourage critical evaluation and discussion.

Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure you address different cognitive processes in your questions. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a helpful way to think about the various cognitive processes students use to engage with knowledge. Bloom’s Taxonomy can be applied in all stages of course planning. The table below presents six types of cognitive processes ranked by complexity. Ideally, you should combine questions that test students’ knowledge and understanding (foundational thinking) with questions that require complex processing to assess their ability to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate NURS 6003 Week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.

Review and analyze your questions after class. After teaching a class session, hosting a help session, collecting assignments, or conducting exams, make brief notes on which questions were most effective in achieving your goals and which questions led to unexpected answers. Keep these notes with your lecture materials or lesson plans to refine your questions for future teaching or student interactions.

Reference

Shiver, K. (2015, November 3). The importance of asking for help. Inside Higher Ed: gradhacker. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/importance-asking-help

The Teaching Center. (2019). Asking questions to improve learning. https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/teaching-methods/participation/asking-questions-to-improve-learning/

Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions

In Module 1, you started building the foundation for your success by thinking about a network – individuals and teams that can help you clarify and follow your vision. A network is most valuable when you’re comfortable asking questions. Chances are other members of your network have faced similar questions and may have guided others toward solutions that can now help you.

In this Discussion, focus on the questions you’re ready to ask as your journey begins. Remember that sharing questions can be a great way to assist others who have similar questions, even if they aren’t aware of it!

To prepare:

Think about the questions or concerns you might have as you begin the MSN program.
Consider the individuals, teams, and departments you explored in Module 1 and how they can support you in addressing these questions and concerns.

By Day 3 of Week 2

Post any questions or concerns you’re willing to share with the group. The Discussion board is an opportunity to connect with your course colleagues, and others may have the same questions or concerns.
By Day 6 of Week 2

Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ posts by offering a potential solution to their questions or concerns, with supporting evidence if possible, or by expanding on their thoughts and providing an example to support them NURS 6003 Week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.

I am going to respond to this discussion by stressing the importance of asking questions. I wanted to see what was out there concerning asking questions. Shiver (2015) explains her take on asking questions as:

One of the most important things that I’ve learned in graduate school is how to ask for help when I need it. Knowing when and how to ask for help can make navigating this unknown terrain much easier and save you time by avoiding the mistakes (or experiments) that others have made. This skill cannot be underrated, as you will encounter the unknown regularly in your studies as a graduate student NURS 6003 week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.

The trick is knowing when, and how, to ask for help. The point of graduate school is for students to become independent scholars of their chosen disciplines who can ask and answer their own questions.

When starting out it’s quickly apparent that graduate school is different from undergrad. It can be difficult to know what is expected of you in terms of being instructed on what to do versus independently figuring out what to do. This is a huge change from undergrad, where a lack of knowledge was assumed and professors were there to show you what and when things needed to be completed. Now, there are still professors to ask for assistance, but by and large graduate students are expected to take the lead in their training and reach out for what they need.

Here are some tips for asking questions in order to improve learning:

General Strategies for Asking Questions

• When planning questions, keep in mind your course goals. For example, do you want students to master core concepts? To develop their critical thinking skills? The questions you ask should help them practice these skills, as well as communicate the facts, ideas, and ways of thinking that are important to their learning in your course. For more information about course goals NURS 6003 week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.
• Aim for direct, specific questions. During class discussions, rather than beginning with a single question that is multilayered and complex, use a sequence of questions to build depth and complexity. Essay questions on exams or paper assignments, on the other hand, often provide an appropriate opportunity to ask multi-layered questions. If your course goals include preparing students to answer multi-layered questions, use questions during class time to walk students through the process.
• Ask questions throughout your class and ask only one question at a time. When you ask more than one question, students often do not respond because they are unsure which question you want them to answer. In course planning, include notes about when you will pause to ask and answer questions. Asking questions throughout the class will not only make it more interactive but will also help you measure and improve student learning. Do not wait until the last two minutes of class to ask for questions. Students are unlikely to ask questions when they know that only a few minutes remain.
• Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions work best for engaging students in discussion, as they offer the opportunity for debate. Avoid asking leading questions, those that prompt or suggest the answer, and yes/no questions. If a yes/no question is warranted, be ready with a follow up question to encourage students to critically evaluate the material and engage in discussion.
• Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to be sure you are addressing various types of cognitive processes in your questions. Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a useful way to think about kinds of cognitive processes that students use to engage with knowledge. Bloom’s Taxonomy can be used in all stages of course planning. The previous table shows six types of cognitive processes ordered according to the level of complexity involved. Ideally, you should combine questions that require “foundational thinking” to assess students’ knowledge and comprehension with questions that require “complex processing” to assess students’ abilities to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate NURS 6003 week 2 Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions guideline.
• Refine and reflect on questions after class. After teaching a class session, teaching a help session, collecting an assignment, or administering an exam, take brief notes on which questions were the most effective at achieving the goals you had set and which questions led to answers that you did not expect. Keep these notes with your lecture notes or lesson plans and use them to refine your questions for the next time you will teach or meet with students.

Reference

Shiver, K. (2015, November 3). The importance of asking for help. Inside Higher Ed: gradhacker. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/importance-asking-help

The Teaching Center. (2019). Asking questions to improve learning. https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/teaching-methods/participation/asking-questions-to-improve-learning/

Discussion: Strategies for Addressing Questions

By Day 3 of Week 2

By Day 6 of Week 2