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Lesson 2 - Evaluative Questions

The document discusses evaluative questions, which are questions used to determine the value, worth, or quality of something. It states that our ability to effectively evaluate situations is determined by the quality of questions we ask. It then provides examples of different types of intellectual standards used to assess reasoning, including clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, and fairness. It gives examples of questions that could be asked to evaluate thinking based on each of these standards.

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nanno manoban
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48 views

Lesson 2 - Evaluative Questions

The document discusses evaluative questions, which are questions used to determine the value, worth, or quality of something. It states that our ability to effectively evaluate situations is determined by the quality of questions we ask. It then provides examples of different types of intellectual standards used to assess reasoning, including clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth, breadth, logicalness, and fairness. It gives examples of questions that could be asked to evaluate thinking based on each of these standards.

Uploaded by

nanno manoban
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Evaluative Questions

Evaluative questions are questions that call on us to determine the value, worth or quality
of something or someone. Assessment is integral to virtually all human experience and
can be done well or poorly. Our ability to effectively evaluate what is going on and how to
act in a situation is directly determined by the quality of the questions we ask in the
situation.

Educated and reasonable thinkers use intellectual standards to assess reasoning. These
standards include, but are not limited to, clarity, precision, accuracy, relevance, depth,
breadth, logicalness, and fairness.

1. Questioning clarity. Thinking is always more or less clear. Questions that focus on
clarity in thinking are:

Could you elaborate on what you are saying?


Could you give me an example or illustration of your point?

2. Questioning precision. Thinking is always more or less precise. Questions that focus on
precision in thinking are:

Could you give me more details about that?


Could you be more specific?

3. Questioning accuracy. Thinking is always more or less accurate. Questions that focus
on accuracy in thinking are:

How could we verify these alleged facts?


Can we trust the accuracy of these data given the source from which they came?

4. Questioning relevance. Thinking is always capable of straying from the task, question,
problem, or issue under consideration. Questions that focus on relevance in thinking are:

Could you explain what you think the connection is between your question and the
question we
have focused on?
Could you show me how your question is relevant to the issue?

5. Questioning depth. Thinking can function either at the surface of things or probe
beneath that surface to deeper matters and issues. To figure out whether a question is
deep, we need to determine whether it involves complexities. Questions that focus on
depth in thinking are:

Is it easy or difficult to answer?


Is this question simple or complex?

6. Questioning fairness. Thinking can be more or less fair? Questions that focus on
fairness are:

Do I have any vested interest in this issue?


Am I representing the viewpoints of others?

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