Faculty Development Seminar –Manila

13-17 July 2009

HANDLING QUESTIONS

Receiving Patterns

 THEORY OF EBBINGHAUS:
 FORGET 50% IN 24 hrs
 FORGET 90% IN ABOUT 6 DAYS

Because :

 TOO MUCH INFORMATION

 MISUSE OF INFORMATION
 NO STIMULUS

ART OF HANDLING QUESTIONS

Listen!
 Discipline yourself to listen till the end
 Provide Opportunities for Questions & Reviews

WHY ANSWER QUESTIONS?

Some participants

 Are really confused and want to know

 Will feel competitive with anyone in the spotlight
 Are classic opposers, needing to find fault with anything new
 Have a thorough way of thinking and will pursue a point relentlessly
 Came to disagree and make a public statement on their own

WHY PEOPLE DON’T ASK?

 “Mine may not be a good question”

 “Why stick my neck out – especially as my peers and seniors are around”.
 “I may not be able to frame my question well.”
 “I’d like to ask but I feel a little shy about confronting someone.”
 My question may not interest other people. Better not ask in public.”

The biggest challenge in your school’s

classroom was:

“Will my question be right or wrong?”

“Will my answer be right or wrong?

These are still the two major issues that still 1

shape how participant’s ask or
IMPORTANCE OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS?

?
 Clarifies
 A chance to add
 Empowers the audience
 Uncovers disagreements

QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES

 Closed Questions
 Leading Questions
 Multiple Questions
 Rambling Questions
 Conflict Questions
 Hypothetical Questions
 Open Questions
 Probing Questions
 Testing Understanding
 Reflections

ASKING AND RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS

Occasionally use Questions
 to arouse interest
 draw on knowledge of the group
 to guide participants to reach answers themselves
 Use Open Questions

WHEN UNABLE TO ANSWER

 Research the answer and report back
 Neither be Offensive nor be Defensive
 Never offend.
 Maintain calm

OPEN/CLOSED QUESTIONS

Closed Questions Open Questions

Do You Understand? > I hope it is clear?

Do you agree? > What do you agree to?
Any thing else you want to know? > What else wish you to know?
Any Questions? > What questions do you have?
Any more Questions? > What other questions do you have?
Could it happen again? > How could it happen again?
Should we continue? > How should we continue?
Will you remember this? > What will you remember about this?
Did it help you? > What was helpful about this?

What if no one asks? Use Humour! “You are thinking I wonder if mine is a
terrific question. It is! Go ahead.”
2