Creating the space for all students to engage in the learning process is a challenging endeavor most educators tackle on a daily basis. This was true before the current global crisis, and now there are new, emergent challenges to fostering inclusive learning environments. Distance learning has presented different barriers to facilitating authentic, student-driven learning experiences where all learners have multiple access points to the salient topics being discussed in a course.
While there is no antidote, nor silver bullet, the power of teaching students how to ask their own questions is perhaps more valuable than ever before. When students learn how to ask their own questions, they feel more engaged in their learning, are able to make connections between their lives and their topic of study, and it can be a catalyst for a more collaborative, student-driven experience. Whether during a synchronous class meeting or asynchronous assignment, strategies, like the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), can provide opportunities for students to do the rigorous thinking of which they are capable.
During this three-hour online experience, educators will have the opportunity to learn about or revisit what they’ve already learned about the Question Formulation Technique (QFT), explore how it connects to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and will see and experience concrete ways they can integrate the QFT within a distance learning context, including with accessible EdTech tools.