Questions - Knowledge Extraction Tools
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
On the Kokoda Challenge, there was a lengthy discussion regarding the frustration that ensues when dumb/poor/stupid/rude questions are asked in large classes. One of the guys suggested a system for how questions should be asked in large-group learning sessions (n>35) and lectures. I've decided to clarify the rules with the hope of establishing a research grant.
The Question Rules:
Intro: To make this scheme more marketable (and hence more likely to receive research grants), Questions are renamed as Knowledge Extraction Tools, or KETs
1. Every person is allocated one question in each group setting per month - a total of two KETs. One in Pathology tutorials, one in Lectures/Clinical Symposia. Additionally, a single 'follow up' KET is permitted per student, per month.
2. Each KET must have fewer than twenty words, and must obviously use the words "who, what, why, where, when, how".
3. Any sound/voice volume issues should be communicated via hand signals or a polite, timely "Excuse me". Share the burden with your classmates, though, as multiple requests in a month will cost you a KET.
4. KETs will be offered to students in a tactile form as plastic cards. Standard KETs are Pink, 'follow up' KETs are red. These must be surrendered prior to asking the question. The cannot be redeemed if they're not present.
5. KETs can be traded with other students for food, beer, money, whatever is valued. Follow-up questions cannot. No trading of KETs is permitted during an active learning session. Students caught actively trading KETs or discussion of such during this time will forfeit all KETs.
6. Irrespective of the number of KETs held, a maximum of one KET per person per full hour of class time may be redeemed. The 'follow up' KET is not included in this count.
7. If a KET elicits an entirely ambiguous response due to poor wording, all other KETs (granted or obtained) for that month are hence defaulted.
8.A) NLQs (Not Listening Questions) will under no circumstances be answered. Students asking blatant NLQs will forfeit all their KETs for the month. This rule also applies to NEQs and NPQs, that is, No Empathy Questions and No Perspective Questions, respectively.
8.B) NRQs (Not Reading Questions), although sometimes more forgivable, may also be punished as above. An example of this would be asking "What is Parkinson's Disease?" halfway through a lecture on the treatment of Parkinson's. The verdict on these will be voted by 5 PBL members at the next session. If 5 peers were not present at the session in which the KET was redeemed, use of the KET stands.
9. Repeat offenders of rules 7 & 8 may forfeit future months KETs in some circumstances.
10. Students must demonstrate retrospectively that their KET use was both relevant to the class and benefited the learning of at least two people present. These forms must be signed and submitted prior to the allocation of KETs for the following month.
Correct KET use:
Setting: Lecture about autoimmune diseases in the elderly
Incorrect KET use:
Setting: Pathology tutorial on CNS tumors
Use your KETs wisely.
----
Whilst I've heard some excellent questions in Med, I've also heard some absolute freaking shockers. Most of the really bad questions are long, drawn out, and often answer themselves, or they are just plain obvious. But questions like that have nothing on the worst question I've heard. It happened a little like this...
It was Friday in the second week of medical school, and the first clinical symposium with a five doctor panel. One GP was telling us about the huge varying situations he encountered in daily practice. He opened up and mentioned a patient of his, a boy in his late teens, who had leukemia. The GP told us about the patient's rapid decline, and that he'd spent the previous day making arrangements for him to be discharged to be able to die at home. Then, that night after work how the GP had gone out to dinner and drinks with his wife and two close friends. The GP was quite reserved, but most empathic and caring. He told us calmly that he expected the young man to die within the next 48 hours. After this story there was a period of silence, and the discussion moved on.
At the end of the symposium, questions were permitted. A few had been asked when the microphone is passed to a girl in the front row, who asked accusingly;
"I just have a question for the GP. After sending the guy home to die, you went out for a bottle of wine? How can you do that?"
There was complete silence for a solid thirty seconds. The panel looked horrified. Most students shrank into their seats. The GP looked as if he'd been slapped. The symposium coordinator extremely adeptly morphed the question into the typical 'How do we deal with the pressures of the job?' question, and she personally sighted poetry and literature.
No more questions were asked that day.
The Question Rules:
Intro: To make this scheme more marketable (and hence more likely to receive research grants), Questions are renamed as Knowledge Extraction Tools, or KETs
1. Every person is allocated one question in each group setting per month - a total of two KETs. One in Pathology tutorials, one in Lectures/Clinical Symposia. Additionally, a single 'follow up' KET is permitted per student, per month.
2. Each KET must have fewer than twenty words, and must obviously use the words "who, what, why, where, when, how".
3. Any sound/voice volume issues should be communicated via hand signals or a polite, timely "Excuse me". Share the burden with your classmates, though, as multiple requests in a month will cost you a KET.
4. KETs will be offered to students in a tactile form as plastic cards. Standard KETs are Pink, 'follow up' KETs are red. These must be surrendered prior to asking the question. The cannot be redeemed if they're not present.
5. KETs can be traded with other students for food, beer, money, whatever is valued. Follow-up questions cannot. No trading of KETs is permitted during an active learning session. Students caught actively trading KETs or discussion of such during this time will forfeit all KETs.
6. Irrespective of the number of KETs held, a maximum of one KET per person per full hour of class time may be redeemed. The 'follow up' KET is not included in this count.
7. If a KET elicits an entirely ambiguous response due to poor wording, all other KETs (granted or obtained) for that month are hence defaulted.
8.A) NLQs (Not Listening Questions) will under no circumstances be answered. Students asking blatant NLQs will forfeit all their KETs for the month. This rule also applies to NEQs and NPQs, that is, No Empathy Questions and No Perspective Questions, respectively.
8.B) NRQs (Not Reading Questions), although sometimes more forgivable, may also be punished as above. An example of this would be asking "What is Parkinson's Disease?" halfway through a lecture on the treatment of Parkinson's. The verdict on these will be voted by 5 PBL members at the next session. If 5 peers were not present at the session in which the KET was redeemed, use of the KET stands.
9. Repeat offenders of rules 7 & 8 may forfeit future months KETs in some circumstances.
10. Students must demonstrate retrospectively that their KET use was both relevant to the class and benefited the learning of at least two people present. These forms must be signed and submitted prior to the allocation of KETs for the following month.
Correct KET use:
Setting: Lecture about autoimmune diseases in the elderly
"What aspect of Scleroderma causes the most mortality in an elderly population?"
Incorrect KET use:
Setting: Pathology tutorial on CNS tumors
"I was watching A Current Affair last night and the showed this kid with some sort of CNS tumour. It was quite moving. Anyway, I wanted to ask, firstly, did you see the show, and secondly, your thoughts on leukemia in the elderly."
Use your KETs wisely.
----
Whilst I've heard some excellent questions in Med, I've also heard some absolute freaking shockers. Most of the really bad questions are long, drawn out, and often answer themselves, or they are just plain obvious. But questions like that have nothing on the worst question I've heard. It happened a little like this...
It was Friday in the second week of medical school, and the first clinical symposium with a five doctor panel. One GP was telling us about the huge varying situations he encountered in daily practice. He opened up and mentioned a patient of his, a boy in his late teens, who had leukemia. The GP told us about the patient's rapid decline, and that he'd spent the previous day making arrangements for him to be discharged to be able to die at home. Then, that night after work how the GP had gone out to dinner and drinks with his wife and two close friends. The GP was quite reserved, but most empathic and caring. He told us calmly that he expected the young man to die within the next 48 hours. After this story there was a period of silence, and the discussion moved on.
At the end of the symposium, questions were permitted. A few had been asked when the microphone is passed to a girl in the front row, who asked accusingly;
"I just have a question for the GP. After sending the guy home to die, you went out for a bottle of wine? How can you do that?"
There was complete silence for a solid thirty seconds. The panel looked horrified. Most students shrank into their seats. The GP looked as if he'd been slapped. The symposium coordinator extremely adeptly morphed the question into the typical 'How do we deal with the pressures of the job?' question, and she personally sighted poetry and literature.
No more questions were asked that day.
As I was writing this, a great post from The Girl popped up... Check out her Theory!