Using Effective Questions To Guide A Tutoring Session

Description  Overview Effective questions are a key building block to learning in a tutoring session. By using questions, the tutor can create an environment that is engaging, collaborative, and productive; basing a tutoring session around questions creates the opportunity for conversation rather than a lecture from the tutor. Questions can be used in various ways, including getting to know the tutee, determining their learning challenges, and developing new understanding. But asking effective questions doesn’t come naturally. It often takes some training and practice to ensure that a new tutor is confident in their question-asking skills. Several approaches to developing and asking questions can help novice tutors in their tutoring sessions. Tutors can focus on questions that encourage discussion and communication, rather than only questions with yes or no answers. Further, understanding Bloom’s taxonomy can allow tutors to ask questions that encourage critical thinking on the part of the tutee. While these techniques are effective in many tutoring situations, there are some challenges to using questions that tutors should be prepared for, including handling incorrect responses and dealing with silence on the part of the tutee. This session will provide new tutors with the questioning strategies they will need to be successful in the wide variety of tutoring sessions they can expect to handle. Objectives Discover the importance of questions in learning and tutoring sessions Identify and understand essential questioning strategies for tutors Learn about Bloom’s taxonomy and questions that promote critical thinking Prepare for communication challenges with tutee responses to questions Who Should Attend New peer tutors: content tutors, writing tutors, peer learning coaches Tutor trainers Tutoring center administrators Any educator interested in learning more about effective questioning in tutoring sessions