8.Convergent and Divergent questions

        Questioning in the classroom is an important tool for teachers. Appropriately engaging, challenging and effective questions stimulate peer discussion and encourage students to explore and refine their understanding of key concepts.

        The kinds of questions we as teachers ask in the classroom depend on what they we are testing. There are two main types of questions: convergent and divergent. The form we choose with which to evaluate our students can depend on many factors such as the type of course, the type of assessment, and our teaching style. Of course, we can have a mix of question types on any evaluation.

        Convergent questions ask for specifics information and provide feedback on a child´s ability to recall information. Convergent thinking questions are those which represent the analysis and integrating of given or remembered information. They lead us to an expected end result or answer. Thought processes involved while asking and answering these questions are explaining, stating relationships, and comparing and contrasting.

       

Divergent questions do not have one right answer; they provide an opportunity for creativity, guessing and experimenting. Divergent question refers to a question which encourages students to discover various paths and create numerous changes and alternative answers or scenarios. This type of question encourages students to analyze, evaluate knowledge base and then project results with high degree of accuracy.