1. INTRODUCING THE QUESTION FORMULATION TECHNIQUE™ (QFT™)

2. WHAT IS THE QUESTION FORMULATION TECHNIQUE™?
The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) is a simple step-by-step process designed to help students produce, improve and strategize on how to use their questions.
The QFT allows students to practice three thinking abilities in one process: divergent, convergent and metacognitive thinking.

3. 1 THE QUESTION FOCUS (QFOCUS)

4. THE QUESTION FOCUS (Q-FOCUS)
A simple statement, a visual or aural aid; anything to help students generate questions.
You will need to design a QFocus every time you use the QFT.

5. THE QUESTION FOCUS (Q-FOCUS)
The QFocus for “Fixing America’s Broken Prisons”:
Highest prison population in the world.
320,000 inmates in 1980 to 20.4 million in 2015.
As incarceration rate increased, sometimes violent crime decreased.
60 percent of inmates released find themselves back in jail within three years.
Norway’s prison system focuses on rehabilitation, not punishment.

6. 2 RULES FOR PRODUCING QUESTIONS

7. RULES FOR PRODUCING QUESTIONS
Introduce the 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

8. 3 PRODUCING QUESTIONS

9. PRODUCING QUESTIONS Students:
Produce as many questions as you can in allotted time with one person writing exactly as stated.
Follow the Rules for Producing Questions
Number the questions
You have 5 minutes…go!

10. 4 CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS

11. 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.

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

13. CATEGORIZING QUESTIONS
Step 2
Name:
advantages of closed-ended questions
Advantages of open-ended questions
Then,
disadvantages of closed-ended questions
Disadvantages of open-ended questions
Which would be the best types of questions to ask in an interview? Why?

14. 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.”

15. 4 PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS

16. PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS
Choose three questions…
that are most important to interpreting the author’s purpose.
That are most important to answer in order to “solve” the problem.

17. PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS
Review your list of questions and choose three questions (most important; to develop a project, etc.). Mark them with an “X”
Remind students to keep the QFocus in mind while prioritizing.

18. PRIORITIZING QUESTIONS
Ask students to think about their rationale for choosing the priority questions.
For example:
“Why did you choose these three as the most important?”

19. 5 SHARE And REFLECT What was effective about this exercise?