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Learn by Asking Questions

Asking Questions May Be the Single Most Important Thing You Learn

By , About.com Guide

Effective Course Design

Ask Questions

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In their book, The Adult Student's Guide to Survival & Success, Al Siebert and Mary Karr suggest that the most effective learning technique of all is to study by asking and answering questions.
Develop the habit of reading textbooks, taking lecture notes, and studying by asking and answering questions. When you do this you save many hours of studying and have time to spend with your family...

Dr. Siebert doesn't specify how to go about asking and answering questions, but there are several ways you could do this.

  • When studying on your own, write questions that occur to you while you're reading and then go back and find the answers.
  • If you're part of a study group, make a list of questions to ask the group.
  • In the classroom, participate fully by asking questions and answering the ones posed by your teacher.

Curiosity is one of the cornerstones of learning. Be curious. Ask questions. Learn faster.

Be sure to check out the review of Tony Wagner's book, The Global Achievement Gap. Wagner asserts that the single most important skill employers are looking for today is the ability to ask the right questions. Think about it.

More on the art of asking questions:

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