Nik Doran

http://spectatormaths.
wordpress.com

nik.mort@gmail.com

@nik_d_maths
Hinge
Questions
#TMC14
Precursor #1
Bibliography
What students
know?
Hinge vs
Diagnostic
What students
think?
What students
have learnt?
Best guess we
can

http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Precursor #2
Why did you come today?
A. I know nothing about hinge questions
B. I know some about hinge questions and I want to learn
more
C. I want to write some hinge questions with others
D. Ive used hinge questions in the past and I want to make
them better
E. I want to listen to Nik talk for an hour
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
What?
Check for
understanding
Diagnose
misconceptions
Help make
decisions on
moving on
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Discussion
Look at the following sequence:
3, 7, 11, 15, 19, ...
Which is the best rule to describe the sequence?

A. n + 4
B. 3 + n
C. 4n 1
D. 4n + 3
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Discussion vs Diagnostic
Discussion
Kick start classroom
discussion

Powerful in their own right

Require lots of class time

Only those who contribute
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Diagnostic
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Discussion vs Diagnostic
Discussion
Kick start classroom
discussion

Powerful in their own right

Require lots of class time

Only those who contribute
are heard from
Diagnostic
Contribution from every
student

Little classroom time

Predicted answers

Understand (some) thinking
without discussion
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Three Key Features
Time to answer
2mins
Semi Density Ease of
Interpretation
15secs Why did they
answer like
that?
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Response interpretability
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Response Discrimination
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Exhaustive
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Semi Dense
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Rule Discrimination the most common best case
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Semi Dense
Example 1A Example 1B
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Example 2
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Example 3
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Example 4
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Ways to Use #1
Can we move on?
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Ways to Use #2
Groups by answer
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Ways to Use #3
Focus group for a
misconception, others
move on
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Question design
Multiple Choice
Because youre predicting
the answers they will give
Be careful with distracters
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Six and two is better than
four and one
Easier for you to interpret
(key feature #2)
Does eliminate new
information on new
misconceptions
Question Design
Top Down
I have this topic and theres a key point that I need students
to know before I move on

I have this topic that loads of students messed up and I want
a better idea who has what misconception
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Question Design
Bottom Up
I keep seeing the same misconceptions and I want to pre-
empt them

I want to know which students think [this] about a topic
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Question design
Important things to think about
What misconceptions are
there?
What other answers are
there?
What mistakes are often
made?
Can I get my answers another
way?

http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Some Topic Ideas
Rearranging
Stationary
points
Linear
equations
Reverse
percentages
Angle rules
Anything you
think of...?
Integer
arithmetic
http://goo.gl/WssZEE http://goo.gl/0UNz9Y
Nik Doran

http://spectatormaths.
wordpress.com

nik.mort@gmail.com

@nik_d_maths
Hinge
Questions
#TMC14