Using student authored questions to improve learning for student groups with mixed background

Abstract

Many teachers experience learning related problems of students with different background knowledge or different academic or cultural background. This can be the case in international student groups as well as in other groups of students from different academic teaching cultures (Barletta 2007, Biggs 2003) or in different states of conceptual development (Perkins 1999, Perry 1970, Pouliot 2010). Knowing these differences is crucial for planning the teaching and enables making use of the differences rather than seeing them as a problem (Elmgren 2010).
Asking the students to create questions and answer alternatives provide the teacher a tool to evaluate differences among students that may origin from their background knowledge, academic culture or ambition. Furthermore, assigning the students to create student authored questions is one example of course activities that promote constructive learning.