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Learning Online: 3. Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning

Learning Online
3. Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning

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table of contents
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents
  5. Acknowledgements
  6. Welcome to Learning Online
  7. Part 1. Who Am I as an Online Learner?
    1. 1. Identifying Skills for Self-Directed Learning
    2. 2. Applying the Plan-Monitor-Evaluate Model for Assessing Your Learning Progress
    3. 3. Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning
    4. 4. Managing Information for Online Learning
  8. Part 2. Who Am I with on My Learning Journey?
    1. 5. Defining Your Learning Community
    2. 6. Understanding the Principles of Effective Teamwork
    3. 7. Planning for Successful Teamwork
    4. 8. Progressing Through the Stages of Team Development
    5. 9. Making Commitments That Support Teamwork
  9. Part 3. Who Are My Instructors? What Is Their Role?
    1. 10. Describing the Role of an Online Instructor
    2. 11. Developing an Effective Student-Instructor Connection
  10. Part 4. Learning to Manage Your Time
    1. 12. Using Your Course Schedules to Organize Your Learning
    2. 13. Developing a Weekly Schedule That Works for You
    3. 14. Managing Daily Tasks
    4. 15. Making Use of Small Blocks of Time
  11. Part 5. Professional Communication
    1. 16. Communicating by Email in the Online Learning Environment
    2. 17. Communicating in Online Discussion Forums
    3. 18. Giving and Receiving Feedback
  12. Part 6. Analyzing Online Assignments
    1. 19. Identifying Learning Goals for Assignments
    2. 20. Using a Rubric / Marking Guide to Structure Your Work
    3. 21. Creating an Assignment Plan
    4. 22. Using Feedback to Move Forward
  13. Part 7. Strategic Reading
    1. 23. Understanding the Emphasis of Reading in Your Online Learning Journey
    2. 24. Evaluating Your Reading Skills
    3. 25. Strategic Reading with the SQ3R Method
    4. 26. Identifying the Purpose of SQ3R Steps
    5. 27. Applying the SQ3R Method
    6. 28. Reading Journal Articles Strategically
    7. 29. Taking Effective Notes
    8. 30. Reviewing Your Learning
  14. Downloadable Resources
    1. Resource 2.1: Key Questions to Improve Your Learning
    2. Resource 2.2: Planning-Monitoring-Evaluation Cycle Activity
    3. Resource 3.1: Create Study Questions Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy
    4. Resource 11.1: Developing Instructor Relationships Online
    5. Resource 12.1: Master Schedule Template
    6. Resource 13.1: Weekly Schedule Template
    7. Resource 20.1: Use a Rubric / Marking Guide
    8. Resource 21.1: Create an Assignment Planner
    9. Resource 22.1: Use Evaluation to Support Planning
  15. References
  16. Congratulations

3 Using Critical Questioning to Support Your Learning

Learning in an online environment requires you to move beyond simple memorization of course concepts. To gain knowledge that will support you in your growth as a lifelong learner and in your future career, you will want to interact with course concepts deeply and in ways that are personally relevant to you.

One way of picturing deeper learning is Bloom’s taxonomy.

A diagram of an inverted pyramid divided into four layers. The diagram is labelled “Bloom’s Taxonomy” at the top. From bottom to top, the first three layers are labelled: “Remember,” “Understand,” and “Apply.” The top layer is divided into three parts labelled, from left to right: “Analyze,” “Evaluate,” and “Create.” The inverted pyramid demonstrates how the upper layers are dependent on the lower ones.

Figure 3.1: Bloom’s taxonomy. Illustration by Jessica Tang.

The levels of Bloom’s taxonomy build upon each other. While you need to be able to remember key concepts, learning in your courses will also develop your ability to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create using this knowledge. As you encounter new concepts, you will want to use critical questioning to understand the concepts at all levels, moving from surface to deeper knowledge. Table 3.1 includes some questions that might be relevant at each level.

Table 3.1: Levels of Questions for Studying

Level

Question stems

Remember (knowledge recall)—Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory.

• What is the definition of . . . ?

• Who did . . . ?

• When did . . . occur?

• How much/many . . . ?

Understand (comprehension)—Interpreting the meaning of information; being able to “translate” knowledge into one’s own words; linking new information to what you already know.

• What are types of . . . ?

• How does . . . function?

• How does the process occur?

• What are my own examples of . . . ?

Apply—Using what you know to do required tasks.

• What is a case study where this might apply?

• How would I perform __________ task using this information?

• What problems can I use this information to solve?

• What does theory x predict will happen?

• How does . . . affect or apply to . . . ?

Analyze—Taking things apart; dissecting; asking why; seeing relationships and how things work.

• What is the relationship between . . . and . . . ?

• How is . . . similar to / different from . . . ?

• What is the best solution to the problem, conflict, issue?

• How do I distinguish between . . . and . . . ?

• What hypothesis or theory explains this data or given information?

Evaluate—Appraising, judging, and critiquing the outcomes of any of the other levels.

• Is this information . . .

◦ Correct or incorrect? Why?

◦ Effective or ineffective? Why?

◦ Relevant or irrelevant? Why?

◦ Logical or illogical? Why?

◦ Applicable or not applicable? Why?

◦ Proven or not proven? Why?

◦ Ethical or unethical? Why?

• What are the advantages or disadvantages of . . . ? Why?

• What is the best solution to the problem, conflict, or issue? Why is it the best?

Create (synthesis)—Putting things together; building on what you know to create something new; seeing new relationships or making new connections.*,†

• How does this new information change my understanding of . . . ?

• Can I create a paragraph/journal/video/portfolio page that demonstrates how I integrate this information with my other knowledge?

* L. W. Anderson and D. Krathwohl, eds., A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (New York: Longman, 2001).

† F. Salustri, “Four Levels of Questions,” DesignWIKI, 2015, accessed July 4, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20210120092718/http://deseng.ryerson.ca/dokuwiki/design:four_levels_of_questions.

One method for creating study questions or planning active learning activities is to move step by step through each level of Bloom’s taxonomy. Begin with a few questions at the Remembering level. If you don’t yet know the technical language of the subject and what it means, it will be difficult for you to apply, evaluate, analyze, or be creative. Then go deeper into your subject as you move through the levels. Learning at university requires you to learn the basics of your discipline by remembering and understanding; however, you will spend much more of your time applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating.

Figure 3.2 is an example of what this might look like. What questions can you create for your topic?

A diagram of a staircase with six steps that ascend from left to right and are labelled: “Remember,” “Understand,” “Apply,” “Analyze,” “Evaluate,” and “Create.” Above each step is a question illustrating the application of Bloom’s taxonomy to the topic of global warming. For “Remember” the question is “What is the definition of ‘global warming’?” For “Understand” the question is “How does global warming occur?” For “Apply” the question is “What will happen if global temperatures continue to rise?” For “Analyze” the question is “How can governments help to reduce the impacts of global warming?” For “Evaluate” the question is “Has the automobile industry been successful in reducing CO2 emissions?” For “Create” the question is “Can I come up with ways to reduce the impacts of global warming?”

Figure 3.2: Using Bloom’s taxonomy to study. Illustration by Jessica Tang.

Create Study Questions Using Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy

Pick a subject area in which you are working. For each level of Bloom’s taxonomy, do the following:

  • • Develop a question and answer it to show that you can think about the material at that level. Use the example questions in the Levels of Questions for Studying table as a guide.
  • • Think about how your questions would allow you to assess how much you know and what level you are working at.

Download a printable worksheet to complete this activity (https://oer.aupress.ca/oer-202504/dr3.1).

Annotate

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4. Managing Information for Online Learning
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