Good Questions in e-Learning Environments

The paper focuses on good questions as originally developed by Clarke, Sullivan and their team for primary mathematics education. In accordance to their work, we understand a good question as an open question that asks for more than recollection of known facts. It has several answers that can all be accepted. When answering it, pupils learn something new and the teacher learns something about their pupils from their answers. Most publications focusing on good questions focus on their use in face-to-face teaching of mathematics. The use of good questions in the e-learning environment has not been studied yet. There are obvious differences between face-to-face and e-learning environments. The work in e-learning offers the access to resources, more time to think about possible answers etc. But are open questions used in the e-learning practice? If yes, to which extent? In the paper, an analysis of good questions from mathematics and natural sciences, developed for home schooling at the elementary school ZS Brezova is presented. The e-learning materials of the 6th and 9th grades (309 pieces in total) were examined. We found 87 good questions in the materials. Usually, however, the educational potential of using good questions was not exploited. The analysis of good questions in the materials resulted in dividing them into categories. The categories are presented with examples, enabling the reader to grasp the specificities of the categories better. Based on the research findings, the e-learning environment at the monitored school will be adjusted.