It is important to be aware of some of the differences between oral questioning and written questioning.
This is so that teachers can achieve the most effective outcomes when using both. Here, we will look at the two types of questioning in turn, drawing out what is unique to each.
Oral Questioning
Oral questions are accompanied by gesture, intonation and inflexion.
All of these contain information which helps students to unpack and unpick what it is they are being asked.
Further, when a teacher poses a question in speech, they can use these various cues to make their meaning clearer.
In these situations, meaning does not stop at the literal meaning of the question.
It also extends to the meaning of the question in context.
So, for example, one might ask a question to a class, with the tone of voice softening markedly towards the end of the sentence. This would be a contextual cue indicating that the class should quieten down and reflect individually on the question.
A second point to note concerning oral questions is that speech is immediately editable.
If a teacher asks a question and receives a quizzical look from a student, they can respond by instantly restating, rephrasing or reshaping the question.
The underlying point here is that speech, as a technology, lends itself to communication more simply and more immediately than writing does.
This is in part because of our greater experience in using speech but it is also a function of the structure of speech.
The final point to note concerning oral questions is that they do not need to be as formal as written prose.
The conventions which order writing do not order speech.
The latter is more malleable, more open-ended and more contingent on the situation in which it is being used.
Of course, writing is also malleable, open-ended and contingent, but not to the same extent and not in the same manner.
As an example, compare a letter or email written by a friend with a conversation you had with that same friend.
Even in written communication between two people who are close, there are likely to be a greater number of inhibitions at work than in a spoken communication.
As an aside, one of the reasons for this is because of the isolated position in which writing finds itself.
It is accompanied by nothing other than itself, save for a possible image, diagram or graph of some kind.
Scan back over what you have just read. It is simply words arranged on a screen. The shape and structure of those words gives them meaning but there is nothing supplemental.
If I spoke the same words to you, even if you could not see me, you would have more to go on. This is one of the reasons why writing must adhere to stricter conventions than speech.
By keeping to these conventions, writers are trying to ensure that ambiguity is minimised in the communication between their mind and the reader’s mind.
Written Questioning
Written questions are fixed. One of the great advantages of this is that they remain the same across time and space.
Imagine the potential for error if examination questions were spoken by exam boards to schools and then by teachers to students.
A further advantage of fixed questions is that they can be continually referred to and do not need to be remembered.
This means that they maintain their exact form for the entirety of their physical existence and that they do not take up space in a student’s working memory.
Students who are working with written questions know that they have a stable point of reference. This means they can turn their minds completely to the answer they are being asked to formulate.
Much of the work students do in class, and even more of the work they do in examinations, involves responding to written questions.
There are two points we need to be aware of as a result.
First, it is incumbent on teachers who have exam classes to give their students the opportunity to practise answering exam-style questions.
This does not mean teaching to the test, but it does mean ensuring students are able to familiarise themselves with what it is they will be asked to do in any test they have to take.
If this does not happen, pupils may enter examinations and find themselves viewing questions through a prism of ambiguity.
It will not necessarily be the case that the questions will be ambiguous (though they might be). Rather, it is that students will not have experienced these types of questions before and therefore may find themselves at a loss as to how to respond.
Second, all writing, however clear, still carries within it the potential of being interpreted. Consider the following:
‘The box is not to be used.’
OK. The box is not to be used.
But what happens if I could use the box to save a life? Would I then be able to use it? Why exactly is the box not to be used?
If someone I dislike begs me to help them by using the box, can I refuse on the grounds that it is clearly stated that the box is not to be used?
Also, when is the box not to be used? Forever? If so, what then is the point of the box?
And why is it the case that the box cannot be used for a certain period of time? Can things inside the box be used? How exactly are we defining ‘used’? If I dance around the box and use it as a totem – but don’t touch it or move it – does that count as me using the box?
Should I throw the box away? That could hardly be said to be using it – and it would prevent other people from using it, therefore fulfilling the sentence’s message.
All writing is open to interpretation. In the context of the classroom, there are two points to which this gives rise.
First, it is of benefit to all involved if written questions make clear what type of response is being requested.
This is because it helps students to answer in the desired manner and it helps teachers to ensure they get the responses they want.
If you collect in work and find that it does not match expectations, it is worthwhile spending a few minutes thinking about whether this was a result of the questions which you set.
Second, it is important to teach students how to interpret questions.
This will ensure they can analyse those put in front of them and will lead to a generally higher standard of responses.
There are many ways to approach the issue.
One example is to teach students the meaning of command words such as ‘assess’ and ‘outline’. Another is to spend time imagining different responses before assessing these in accordance with some success criteria. A further method involves looking at questions and mark-schemes at the same time.
