Once a Student has solved a problem, give the Student a similar question or problem. To continue the flow of understanding, ask the Student questions about the problem.
- If the Student’s answer is correct, then ask the Student to explain how they solved the problem
Tutor: Good answer. Now, explain how you solved the problem, step by step
- If the answer is incorrect, ask the Student what is wrong with how the problem was solved
Tutor: Not quite, but you’re getting the idea. Let’s go over what you did, step by step, and tell me where you think you made an assumption.
The Tutor can also ask:
Tutor: This time, before starting to solve the problem, tell me what you think the outcome will be, or
- predict the outcome, or
- estimate the result.
Prompting the Student to consider the idea or concept behind a problem is important so the Tutor knows how well the Student has understood the problem (or essay question). How well does the Student understand the bigger picture? The Tutor can increase the complexity and ask the Student to break down the discussion into steps.
Tutor can ask for Student’s feedback:
- What is the most important point here?
Tutor: What have you gained from this discussion?
