Guidelines for asking Questions

The saying “There are no stupid questions except the ones that go unasked” is true.  With that said, not all questions are created equal, nor do they yield equal results.  A well thought out and informed question will better direct the answer so that the question is fully answered.

Students are encouraged to ask questions.  Students are also encouraged to find the answers for their questions.  And students are encouraged to thoughtfully frame their questions.

Below are some guidelines for getting the most out of questions:

Examples

Which question will likely yield the most information and best show the level of student development and help the student progress?

Is this work piece ok?

Or

The work piece is the correct dimension, but the edges are rougher than your demonstration and the slag is more difficult to remove than when you did the demo.  I think the torch may not be set correctly.  I will light the torch.  Will you check the flame setting and guide me to adjusting it correctly?

The plasma cutter isn’t working.

Or

The light is on and I can hear the fan so the plasma cutter power supply is on, the work lead is connected, but nothing happens when I pull the trigger.  Should I inspect the torch?  Is there anything else that might prevent the plasma cutter from working?