I’ve long been teaching about the merits of ‘wait time’ when questioning students. And encouraging clinical teachers to spend more of their time with students exploring more difficult concepts by asking questions at a higher level. Facts can be learned from books I say!
So, I was fascinated to read this study investigating wait time and level of questioning during operative procedures. The average wait time for an answer was 1.75 seconds and, if the trainee didn’t respond, 2.5 seconds before the supervisor answered themselves.
What a missed opportunity for thinking – for the student, and for the surgical supervisor!
A minimal number of questions required for higher order thinking – why aren’t we expecting more in the clinical environment?
And is this true for clinical teachers in other disciplines? Or are others waiting longer and expecting more?
Reference:
Barrett M., Magas, C., Gruppen L., Dedhia P., Snadhu G. Its worth the wait; optimizing questioning methods for effective intraoperative Teaching. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 87 (2017): 541 – 546