8th - What are convergent and divergent questions? How can these types of questions help students initiate addressing reasoning as an active process?

In the book, we found that convergent questions are those which have not a difficult answer, in other words, they are just yes/no questions or limited questions. convergent questions are questions with a specific answer. They lead you to an expected result or answer. Questions usually starts with what, where and when. 

Example:

What is your name?

What is in that container?

What animal having 2 legs?

I do not think these kind of questions can help students initiate addressing reasoning as an active process because they limit the student to a simple answer.

On the other hand, we have the divergent questions or we call it opened questions. This type of questions give the students the opportunity to analyze what they are asked, and therefore they have to think outside the box when answering.

A divergent question can result from a convergent one. An example

would be:

Asking the definition of the word “open-minded”. If the one answering

the question has never seen the word, and arrives at the correct

answer through generalization and inductive reasoning by thinking

about the meaning of the words ”open” and “minded”, synthesizing these

two words, and analyzing the meaning through the synthesis, then it is not only, at first, a convergent question and answer but also a divergent question and answer as well.

Both kind of questioning are important, however the covergent questions, I think limit the students too much, but the divergent helps better initiate addressing reasoning as an active process.

"Eliciting questions from students is a noble goal. The ability to generate questions serves as a renewable source of intellectual energy that makes it possible for students to continuously inquire, explore, problem-solve and, indeed, create in setting after setting"

- William F. McComas