Training
It can be hard to help a student refine their research topic in a meaningful way. Library instructors use a variety of techniques to talk about topics, as do the writing instructors. Here are just a few techniques you can try, perhaps even in combination:
1. Use one or more of the rubrics developed by Baril et al. (2022; see pages 121-123). They developed rubrics to evaluate the debatability, researchability, and feasibility of research topics. You could use a rubric in a one-on-one conversation with a student or walk through a rubric with the whole class.
2. Use the topic formula designed by Booth et al. (2008). This formula helps the student identify the topic, question, and significance of their research. You could direct students to fill in their answers before you meet with them one-on-one.
- I am studying ______________
- Because I want to find out what/why/how ____________________________
- To help my reader understand _____________________________________
3. Use what, why, when, where, who, and how questions to help students make their topics more specific. You could direct students to create a concept map for their topic with an area for each question. For example, students could answer questions like the following:
- What part of my topic is a problem that needs to be solved?
- Why is my topic important?
- When was my topic a problem?
- Where is my topic a problem?
- Who is affected by my topic?
- How is my topic a problem?
Adapted from:
Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning (Harvard University)
Have a goal for the discussion. Goals need not conflict with the open-endedness of discussion. A discussion might aim to:
- Get a range of opinions or responses on the table
- Close read and clarify a difficult part of the readings
- Review course material and check for comprehension
- Solve a problem
- Get clear on a question or a concept
- Compare and contrast one or more answers to a question
- Write out the main questions in your lesson plan.
- Plan to break your question down into more simple questions.
Plan for silent thinking time after you ask each question. You might direct students to write down their answer during this time. Other suggestions from the Bok center include
- Writing. Ask students to write at the start or during lulls to give them time to process and generate more discussion material.
- Pair Share or Small Group Discussion. Ask students to discuss in smaller groups to provide a low stakes way of generating conversation.
- Warm Call. Give a particular student a heads up that you’ll be asking them to contribute or respond to a question in a little bit.
- Area Call. Call on an area of the room rather than a single person. You can also warm call an area.
- Hot Seat. Have one or a few students field questions from their classmates.
- Reverse Hand Raising. Ask students to raise a hand if they don’t have an answer or response. Commit to calling only on students who don’t raise a hand.
- Patience Game. Wait for a certain number of hands to be raised before you call on someone.
- Don’t forget the physical. Take a stand/stretch/move break. Have students switch seats.
- Freeze Frame. Pause the discussion; have students reflect on what was just said or how the discussion has progressed thus far.
- Plan ways to incorporate the nonparticipants.
- Monitor your facial and body gestures as you ask and answer questions. It’s important to have open body language and expressions.
- Find a reasonable way to disagree and correct students so that you do not alienate them.
- Provide effective feedback and acknowledge student contributions by highlighting comments that are helpful or insightful.
A Typology of Questions
By The Bok Center Staff
Facilitating student discussions can be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching. Listed below are some different types of questioning one might use to encourage student participation in class.
Open Ended Questions
What's Going On? What do you make of this situation? Casting question nets out to see what comes in. Listening for entry and emphasis points.
Asking for Information
Where? When? Who? What? Facts and opinions.
Diagnostic Questions
- How do you interpret and explain "A" and "B's" impact on the situation?
- How do you weave these points into some kind of understanding of what else is going on, possibly behind the scenes?
Challenge Questions
Why do you say that? How would you explain? Where is the evidence for what you say? How can you say a thing like that? Is that all? That's just the opposite of what Student X said. Can you persuade him/her?
Extension Questions
Exploring the issues. What else? Can you take us farther down that path or find new tributaries? Keep going? Therefore?
Combination Questions
- How would you relate your points to those mentioned by Student A or to something else you said?
- How would you understand X in light of Y?
Priority Questions
Which issues do you consider most important? Where do you start? How would you rank these?
Action Questions
What would you do in Person X's shoes? How?
Prediction Questions
What do you think would happen if we followed Student Z's action plan? Give us a forecast of your expectations. How will he/she react to your thinking?
Generalizing and Summarizing Questions
What inferences can we make from this discussion and case? What generalizations would you make? How would you summarize the three most critical issues that we have discussed? Can you summarize the high points of the discussion thus far?
We have collaborated with the Writing 150 teachers to create a Day 1 lesson that introduces students to our core curriculum of research and information literacy. Below you will find lesson plans and materials that will give you a good foundation for Day 1 instruction.
Detailed Lesson Plan
Abridged Lesson Plan
Library Resource Handout
Sample Slides