The importance of questioning!

Well, I have had many reflections on how and why I ask students certain questions. Asking questions sounds pretty straight forward but is it really!?! I think what I have gathered from my readings, discussions with colleagues, reflection on lessons and general notion on the subject is that done properly it is an effective tool for gauging student progress. That bit is pretty much a given but how do you know you are asking the right questions or challenging enough questions, too many questions or not enough!? Hmm.

Well I think my questioning skills are slowly improving, I am getting used to the idea of minimalising my answering of questions in lessons and deflecting questions from students on to other students. This sounds pretty straight forward but I have previously always felt the need to answer any question directed towards me. I am getting more used to the idea of pushing questions around the class and building upon them, I'm sure I read it was called 'snowballing', or something to that effect. Anyway, it can at times really engage the class in a deep discussion where they fire off answers upon which I attempt to buid upon the original question, increasing the difficulty and thought process involved (I'd love to say I do it off hand but generally I will prepare a bank of questions beforehand that I will attempt to drop in throughout the lesson.) 

Now I thought I was steadily improving unti it was pointed out to me that some of my questions are simply getting them to recall facts about yesterdays or an earlier part of the lesson and how is that showing learning. Some students may have a perfectly good memory, however does short term memory constitute learning or progress or simply the ability to recollect? What my questions need to show is a greater formative assessement. For example I need to ask a question which shows from what they have just rememebered and how they would apply that information. This should then hopefully show progress.

A way I can improve on this would be to ask more open ended question, if there are a greater mutliple of answers or ways to get to that answer then that provides greater scope for my questioning and development of the students. It is fine to use summative questioning in order to re-call information from many lessons/weeks/months ago so long as my questioning then evolves into a more formative approach. It's much easier to build answers up from scratch then go in straight at the top and lose lots of students who may appear confused and stuck when really they just needed guidance down an imaginery path towards an answer of which they got there themselves with great satisfaction achieved.