QFT: Question Formulation Technique A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE Materials modified from: www.rightquestion.org

Why QFT? As we discussed yesterday, sometimes questions are more valuable than answers. The key is knowing what questions to ask. But what is the right question? Is there only one right question? How do we find the right question? Quite simply, it depends. Is there a singular right question sitting in the wings waiting to be discovered? Usually not. It takes a lot of question generation to figure out what questions will lead us to our ultimate goal. So how do we even start figuring out what questions to ask?

THE QUESTION FOCUS (QFOCUS) The QFocus is exactly that: a focus around which you will build your questions. The QFocus could be the potential subject of a research paper, the problem that you need to solve or… The foundation of a Socratic discussion!

Your Summer Read QFocus: IF IT ISN’T ILLEGAL, IT ISN’T WRONG. Write the QFocus at the top of your tagboard. Don’t do ANYTHNG else yet!

2 RULES FOR PRODUCING QUESTIONS www.rightquestion.org

RULES FOR PRODUCING QUESTIONS Ask as many questions as you can. Do not stop to answer, judge or to discuss the questions. Write down every question exactly as it is stated. Change any statement into a question. www.rightquestion.org

RULES FOR PRODUCING QUESTIONS Before you start question generation, review the rules. Reflect about one of these questions: What do you think would be difficult about following these rules? Which one of these rules might be difficult to follow? Why? www.rightquestion.org

Joel Pardalis@mrPardalis students using the QFT 3 PRODUCING QUESTIONS Joel Pardalis@mrPardalis students using the QFT www.rightquestion.org

PRODUCING QUESTIONS Once you have discussed the Rules for Producing If you read HeLa, move to table 1. If you read Freakonomics, move to tables 2-6 You should have between 4 and 6 people at your table. Identify a note-taker. www.rightquestion.org

PRODUCING QUESTIONS Review the QFocus: Produce as many questions as you can in the allotted time. You are producing questions about the Qfocus statement, keeping your book in mind to help guide the questions. Follow the Rules for Producing Questions. Number the questions. TIP: The note-taker should also contribute questions. www.rightquestion.org

4 CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS CLOSED-ENDED OPEN-ENDED www.rightquestion.org

CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS Define closed and open-ended questions: Closed-ended Questions can be answered with a “yes’ or “no” or with a one-word answer. Open-ended Questions require more explanation. www.rightquestion.org

CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS Step 1 Look over your list of questions and: mark the questions that are closed-ended with a “C” mark the questions that are open-ended with an “O” www.rightquestion.org

CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS Step 2 Discuss with your group: advantages of closed-ended questions Then, disadvantages of closed-ended questions www.rightquestion.org

CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS Discuss with the group: advantages of open-ended questions Then, disadvantages of open-ended questions Please note that both types of questions are useful. There are times in which open-ended questions are more useful and other times the closed-ended are what you need. www.rightquestion.org

CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS Step 3 Practice changing questions from one type to another. Choose one closed-ended question from your list and change it into an open-ended one. Choose one open-ended question from your list and change it into an closed-ended one. TIP: If you have questions from only one type, for example you only have open-ended questions, change two of those questions to closed-ended. www.rightquestion.org

5 PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS www.rightquestion.org

PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS You will now choose three questions that will be used in the Socratic Seminar on block day this week. Choose three questions that… most interest you. you consider to be the most important. you want/need to answer first. www.rightquestion.org

PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS On the colored 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper I will give you, one person should copy your three top questions, in order, to be given to me. Number them 1, 2 and 3. Be sure to put the name of your book and the names of the members of your table on this sheet of paper. www.rightquestion.org

6 NEXT STEPS www.rightquestion.org

NEXT STEPS These questions can be used for many purposes: We will be using the questions you created today for a Socratic Seminar on our block day this week. Write Papers and Essays Research Independent Projects Group Projects Experiments Presentations/Interviews Debates Socratic Seminars www.rightquestion.org