What if a learner really pushes me to give them the answer to their problem?
It is so tempting to respond, but resist the temptation! Giving an answering to their question won't help them learn the material, it will only encourage them to keep asking for answers rather than learn the process to arriving at the answer. Additionally, if the you and the learner are discussing via the forum only, refrain from immediately showing the answer in the first response to the learner. (Ex, a learner asks how to find the square root of 144, rather than saying "12x12=144 so the answer is 12," ask "what do you know about square roots so far?")
Take a step back and figure out what main concepts are involved in the problem. Be sure that the learner understands these concepts or else they won't be able to solve the question. Helping to lay out a step by step process can help them learn the process so they can answer a similar question next time.
Regardless of whether you are helping the learner via conversation in the forum, moving to a Zoom room, or have already entered a zoom room, there are a couple of questions/things you can do to clarify confusion:
What information do you have on the problem so far?
Which part of the problem is confusing you?
Which math concepts do you think will help you solve the problem?
Try providing a similar example and go walk through that with them. After successfully solving that problem, have them try the original problem on their own again.
Provide videos of others solving problems with the same concept (ex: Khan Academy & YouTube)
Take a step back and figure out what main concepts are involved in the problem. Be sure that the learner understands these concepts or else they won't be able to solve the question. Helping to lay out a step by step process can help them learn the process so they can answer a similar question next time.
Regardless of whether you are helping the learner via conversation in the forum, moving to a Zoom room, or have already entered a zoom room, there are a couple of questions/things you can do to clarify confusion:
What information do you have on the problem so far?
Which part of the problem is confusing you?
Which math concepts do you think will help you solve the problem?
Try providing a similar example and go walk through that with them. After successfully solving that problem, have them try the original problem on their own again.
Provide videos of others solving problems with the same concept (ex: Khan Academy & YouTube)
Updated on: 24/07/2023
Thank you!