Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of effective questioning (OBACS)?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of effective questioning (OBACS)?

• A. Center on only One idea
• B. Be Brief and concise
• C. Adapt to student ability
• D. Use humor in every question

Answer: (D)

What matters in effective questioning is how it supports student understanding by being focused, concise, and appropriately challenging. Questions should center on a single idea so the learner can clearly connect the question to a specific concept or skill. Keeping questions brief and to the point reduces unnecessary complexity and makes it easier for students to think through the answer. Adapting the difficulty to the learner’s level ensures the question is accessible but still challenging, which helps guide learning and build confidence. Using humor in every question does not fit with effective questioning. Humor can be helpful in moderation or for engagement, but relying on it in every question risks distracting from the learning objective, can be misunderstood, and may be inappropriate in professional or safety-critical contexts. Therefore, this practice is not aligned with effective questioning.

What matters in effective questioning is how it supports student understanding by being focused, concise, and appropriately challenging. Questions should center on a single idea so the learner can clearly connect the question to a specific concept or skill. Keeping questions brief and to the point reduces unnecessary complexity and makes it easier for students to think through the answer. Adapting the difficulty to the learner’s level ensures the question is accessible but still challenging, which helps guide learning and build confidence.

Using humor in every question does not fit with effective questioning. Humor can be helpful in moderation or for engagement, but relying on it in every question risks distracting from the learning objective, can be misunderstood, and may be inappropriate in professional or safety-critical contexts. Therefore, this practice is not aligned with effective questioning.