We live in a world that reveres the questioner. If we learned anything from that crusty old Socrates, it's that learning begins with questions. Even Chinese proverbs venerate inquiry: "One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever." Books have been written on how giving in to curiosity can lead to self-improvement -- Gerald Nadler's "How to Ask the Right Questions" (2004) and Michael Marquardt's "Leading with Questions" (2005) just to name the top two most popular on Amazon.com. The scientific method, and all science for that matter, begins with an interrogative pronoun. My philosophy professor warned our class that, although we might not reach many definitive answers this term, we'd leave knowing how to ask the right questions.
There are times, however, when excessive inquiry is inappropriate. On my DOC Trip, my trippees and I eagerly asked our leaders what the biggest difference was between high school and college classes. The answer? Many introductory classes are taught in a lecture format, which means people ask fewer questions.
This insight into Dartmouth lecture classes has held true. As all of my classes are lecture-style, I've learned pretty quickly from watching upperclassmen what is and is not appropriate. Constantly checking Blitz is the norm. Small snacks may be consumed, but sandwiches and significant sources of protein should not. And, most importantly, questions interrupt the professor's flow and should be left for office hours or the last five minutes of class.
Like many conventions, these rules go unspoken, passed down year-to-year through observation and imitation. But, unfortunately, I have noticed a pronounced trend in my lecture classes: Some of my fellow first-year students have not been very perceptive in recognizing and adhering to lecture-class comportment.
These select individuals are still under the impression that they are in their private high-school class of 10 students with a teacher who gets easily sidetracked. They're the ones asking the questions following every PowerPoint slide, either offering some recondite wisdom they gleaned from the reading or looking for clarification on a point that everyone else understands.
They raise their hands for extended periods of time until the professor is forced to call on them, and then stumble their way through a discussion on what they think the author really meant. A majority of their class comments begin with "now what I found interesting about ..." and conclude with some pseudo-erudite argument that the professor can't even understand but feels obliged to begrudgingly acknowledge.
I came to college hoping to escape the charlatans that plagued my high school -- the ones who'd rather act smart than get smart.
I know we're better than this. I know we can find more appropriate times for questions. Office hours present the most likely venue, but many professors pause at some point during class to invite questions. Write the question down instead of interrupting and save it for a more fitting time. Everyone, I believe, will benefit from more judicious question-asking. Questions slow down the pace of class, and, from a purely GPA-centered standpoint, it is important that the professor get through all the material that will be on the test. Extended hand-raising is distracting and disrespectful to the professor and fellow students alike.
Why do I, a lowly freshman, at the very bottom of Dartmouth's social and academic hierarchy, feel obligated to articulate this unspoken rule of saving questions for another time? For one, a hefty majority of the perpetrators are my classmates. But I also think it is the duty of the students, not the professors, to regulate and denounce excessive and impertinent questions. Professors, as much as they'd probably like to, cannot reprimand these magpies. Can you imagine the consequences of a professor suggesting a student stop asking questions? Healthy class participation, at times when the professor invites questions or asks for an opinion, would cease to exist.
As members of the academic community, it is our duty to be skeptical and inquisitive. But, at the same time, we must be respectful of our professors and allow them to complete a lecture with minimal interruption. We need to respect our classmates' right to attend a lecture and hear that lecture. There are plenty of appropriate venues for critical questions on this campus. The lecture hall, however, is not one of them.
