Yes/No, Why?

Effective Questions Lead to Discussion and Debate

It’s important to create thought-provoking prompts for Yes/No, Why? that allow students to debate their opinions. Let’s compare some good and not so good prompts.

Take a look at this question.

When your life is hectic, do you try to establish a routine?

This question is not very effective. When students answer it, they can’t give an opinion. They can only answer with a fact, like “yes I do," or "no I don’t." With answers like these, a discussion is impossible, since the answers can’t be argued.

Here’s another version.

Does establishing a routine make life less hectic?

What do you think? Will it lead students to think hard? Is it conducive to a discussion where students can have different responses?

Yes, on both counts. The question is general, not specific to the person answering it, and it is hypothetical. Students can answer either way and debate their answers.