Open Ended Questions

The video “Closed or Open: That is the Question” (2011) focuses on an economics lesson in Chris Korinek’s middle school classroom and features a dialogue between the teacher and instructional expert Jim Knight regarding questioning techniques in the classroom. The two discuss the differences between closed-ended and open-ended questions, noting that the former generally has explicitly right and wrong answers which can be useful when checking whether or not the students are able to recall information from the material. The latter, however, is highly beneficial in supporting student expression and enhancing their skills in communication; open-ended questions do not have set correct answers for students to answer with, engaging their thoughts

and encouraging them to speak more and outline their reasoning behind what they say. Throughout the video, Korinek asks some questions of his students, but there are not many opportunities for in-depth discussion as most of the instruction centered on a class activity.
McTighe and Wiggins (2013) describe questions that are open-ended and call for higher-order thinking as “essential.” To develop these questions, they suggest looking closely at the standards, materials, and subject matter and asking students to find some sort of meaning in them. Korinek’s lesson (2011) taught students about three models of economic systems, but the class simply learned how to identify the aspects of the systems; at one point, for instance, the instructor asked which economic system was employed in China, which has a limited number of answers and did not require critical analysis or deep thinking of the content. As an alternative, he could have asked students which model of economic system they believed to be the most efficient and explain why they thought so, giving them the opportunity to express their personal beliefs and engage in a discourse with their classmates.
During the discussion between Knight and Korinek (2011), the two describe the concept of repeating, rephrasing, and reducing questions to maintain student engagement and allow every student to answer them; if a student cannot answer the question as originally asked, the teacher should first ask it again without any alterations, then ask it in different words, and finally ask a simpler version on the same subject.

Knight expands upon the topic in High impact instruction: A framework for great teaching (2013), noting a final, less commonly reached stage in which students who still cannot answer any versions of the question should reach out to their peers and repeat the answers they receive. Tofade, Elsner, and Haines (2013) also suggest that instructors should be aware of whether or not students feel psychologically safe in the classroom, arguing that immediately repeating a question may alienate or intimidate students. Instead, the teacher should provide an appropriate wait time as well as remind students that any response is worthy of

discussion.
The students in the video (2011) are not shown to have much difficulty understanding and answering any questions.

If one had done so, it would be important for the instructor to implement the “repeat, rephrase, and reduce” strategy so that the student could answer correctly; for example, Korinek could change the phrasing to ask what economic system the class just reviewed is used in China before simplifying it to requesting students to describe specific aspects of the nation’s economy and compare them to the three described systems. In the case of the aforementioned hypothetical question where students are required to explain why a particular system is more effective, he could potentially rephrase it to ask students which type of economic system produces better results and then reducing the question by having the students explain their beliefs regarding the benefits and drawbacks of each

system.
There are clear differences between these two examples. The closed-ended question has a limited number of correct answers; even the modified version of the question, in which students compare the economy of China to the systems they had just reviewed, simply requires them to recall the information. The open-ended question, however, calls for higher-order thinking and more opportunities for discussion. Students must, in response to the latter, give subjective answers regarding their personal ideas on the topic and then explain why they think what they do, even when asked the simplified question. They are given the opportunity to express their ideas in a positive environment and encouraged to actually think about what they are learning and how they feel about the materials rather than simply repeating information taught to them.
While Korinek (2011) is aware of how to effectively question students as he discusses his lesson with Knight, he does not give enough opportunities to his students to encourage their skills in communication and self-expression. The class learns the information and shows that they can understand what they are being taught, but they are given no chance to ascribe personal meaning to the materials or discuss their ideas with their peers. By developing essential questions prior to beginning the lesson, the instructor could support student development in several areas with ease.