How to Ask an Open-Ended Question
There are two ways of asking questions: close-ended and open-ended.
Close-ended questions
- Can be answered with either a single word or a short phrase such as "yes" or "no."
- Are easy to answer and provide no details or analysis.
- Do not encourage in-depth or long-range thinking.
Open-ended questions
- Are likely to receive an in-depth, detailed answer.
- Ask the respondent to think and reflect on what he or she has read.
- Encourage critical thinking that leads the respondent to think beyond the reading assignment.
- Usually begin with "how," "why," or "what."
Examples:
|
Close-Ended
|
Open-Ended
|
|
Do you get along well with your supervisor?
|
How do you view your relationship with your supervisor?
|
|
Who will you vote for in this election?
|
What do you think about the two candidates in this election?
|
|
Did you like that story we read for this week?
|
What did you think of the story we read for this week?
|
|
Did the protagonist act unwisely in the story?
|
Why did the protagonist make the choices she did?
|
|
Did you understand Macbeth?
|
What were the consequences of Macbeth's actions?
|
General Open-Ended Question Template
- What do you think about ?
- In what way does the story/poem ?
- How would you interpret the character's ______?
- How did the ending ?
- What was the problem ?
- Why did the story/poem ?
- Why did the character react ?
- What did it mean when ?
- How does the symbolism ?
- What kind of conflict ?
In this discussion, you will reflect on what you learned in the course by practicing the skill of asking an open ended academic question. This exercise will allow you to engage in a discussion you create with your peers. It also helps you to ask your own questions about literature, which can serve as a gateway to initiating critical analysis. Think of an open-ended question about literature that you would like to ask in order to challenge your classmates to reflect more deeply. Also, reflect on your initial response to the Clugston quote "There's a powerful curiosity about human relationships and how to cope in the world in which we find ourselves." How have your feelings about literature changed or remained the same?
- Avoid asking closed end questions that require a "yes" or "no" answer. The question should not be overly broad or too general, but focus on specific literary conflicts, techniques, or themes.
- Discuss your initial response to the Clugston (2014) quote from Week One. Based on what you learned about literature, what has changed? How will these changes impact your perspective on literature?