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Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

TEDx Talks

526K views 7 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What does “critical thinking” mean to you in school or at work?
What kinds of questions help you learn best: “what” questions, “why” questions, or “how” questions? Why?
How could asking better questions change a classroom?

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Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

Why question quality matters in classrooms (00:00 – 05:43)

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1. What is one main thing the speaker looks for when observing a class?

How many tests students take each month
How long students spend doing homework
How modern the classroom technology is
The types of questions teachers ask

2. Why does the speaker say question B (“What are three causes of climate change?”) assesses learning better than question A (“Do you know what climate change is?”)?

Because it requires specific knowledge to answer
Because it is easier for everyone to guess
Because it encourages students to tell personal stories
Because it has more than one possible correct answer

3. What did the speaker notice about the questions asked in the classes he observed?

Overwhelmingly, questions were lower-order types
Questions focused mainly on student opinions and feelings
Teachers avoided questions because students were shy
Most questions were higher-order and open-ended

Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

Why schools must build comfort with uncertainty and risk (05:43 – 09:04)

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1. How does the speaker describe real life compared with a multiple-choice test?

Real life is “a bunch of squiggles” with uncertainty
Real life is simpler than school exams
Real life is mostly about memorizing facts
Real life is a clear blueprint from A to B

2. According to the speaker, why can answering “why” questions be difficult for students?

Because students risk being wrong or judged by classmates
Because there is always only one correct answer
Because they always require advanced math
Because teachers never explain the textbook

3. What assumption does the speaker call “dead wrong”?

That exams are required in education
That creativity is not important in school
That students should learn any facts at all
That students can connect what they learn in school to life outside automatically

Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

A practical method: move from what → why → how (09:04 – 17:12)

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1. Why does the speaker say a simple “what” question can be “deceptive”?

Because it is impossible to answer correctly
Because it forces students to argue with each other
Because it makes students forget their notes
Because it can create a false sense of security about understanding

2. What is the purpose of asking “How do you know?”

To let students avoid explaining their answers
To make students memorize longer definitions
To require evidence and defend an answer logically
To test spelling and pronunciation

3. What kind of environment does the speaker say schools should create to support critical thinking?

An environment where only right answers are rewarded
An environment where teachers never challenge students
An environment with no exams and no homework at all
An environment where risk is rewarded and there is no fear of being wrong

Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

Transcript will load here…

1. What is the speaker’s central message about improving learning and creativity?

Students learn best when teachers ask fewer questions
Memorization should replace discussion in most classes
Better questions—especially higher-order ones—help build critical thinking
Technology is the main solution to classroom problems

2. What sequence does the speaker recommend for building deeper thinking?

Start with what, then why, then how
Start with opinions, then facts, then silence
Start with memorization, then stop
Start with how, then what, then why

3. Who does the speaker say shares responsibility for developing students’ critical thinking?

Schools, teachers, students, and parents together
Only teachers
Only parents
Only students

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Encourage critical thinking with 3 questions | Brian Oshiro | TEDxXiguan

Think of a class you took: what percentage of the questions were “what” questions vs. “why/how” questions? How did that affect your learning?
Choose one school subject (science, history, literature, etc.). Write one “what” question, then upgrade it into a deeper “why” question and a “how” question.
Do you agree that students need to experience uncertainty earlier “when the stakes are not as high”? Why or why not?
How can parents or friends ask questions that help someone study without simply giving the answers?