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The present research investigates the use of different question prompts and the discourse they generate in the SLE:OI, an ACTFL-variant second language oral proficiency interview test. One hundred and fifty-two question prompts used to elicit the test task of 'supporting an opinion,' were transcribed from 27 SLE:OI tests administered between July and November, 2000. From this, 30 categories of question prompts were identified by 6 SLE:OI raters acting as judges. Independently, the researcher and the judges determined task difficulty/complexity to be the predominant feature differentiating the categories. Using the 30 categories as a basis, the Question Prompt Complexity Questionnaire was produced and administered to the 6 judges. Analysis of the questionnaire data indicated a clear consensus for 3 categories into 'easy' and 'difficult' groups. Subsequently, candidate responses to 11 question prompts from the easy group, and 10 from the difficult group were transcribed, and discourse analyses were carried out to ascertain response levels of L2 fluency (by type-token ratio; frequency of silent and filled pauses, repetitions, and self-repairs), accuracy (by verb morphology and lexical use), and complexity (by clause subordination). The results demonstrated that those candidates tested with 'easy' and 'difficult' question prompts showed strong, significant differences in two aspects of their response fluency, but no significant differences in the accuracy or complexity of their responses. Based on these findings, several recommendations and implications for rater training were cited.

By its structure and by the impressive quantity of literary presuppositions that it questions, Le Livre des questions sets itself in the margins of any classical understanding of literature. For Jabes, citation holds a central place in the book: it is one of the main elements which subverts the literary text. It is not an addition, an artifice or a purely stylistic process through which the text is reinforced and given credibility: it is the essence of writing, and the understanding of its importance made it possible for the writer to continue writing in spite of what he perceived as the failure of western culture after Auschwitz. This thesis examines citation in Le Livre des questions and attempts to define Jabes' conception of the book and of writing. Le Livre des Questions encourages us to redefine citation as movement, otherness and memory.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-115).

Imagine living one day without asking a single question. Why not try it. How long before a question surfaces in your mind. How long before you are compelled, by force of necessity or habit, to ask it. Questioning is an integral part of our everyday lives. We use it to learn, to communicate, to express ourselves and to understand our world. Questioning binds us to common goals, allows us to establish common ground and is a vital tool in our daily search for information. What we ask, how we ask and where, when, and who we ask determines a large proportion of what we come to know about our world and the people that we share it with. That’s why questioning matters. Regardless of who we are, questioning occupies a familiar, ubiquitous, and indispensable place in our lives. This thesis examines the nature and value of questioning. It opens in Chapter One with an overview of the history of questioning in the Western philosophical tradition, uncovering divergent roles for questioning in distinct historical contexts, and changing attitudes towards the practice in line with underlying epistemological commitments. In Chapter Two a contemporary context for the epistemology of questioning is offered, providing an indication of the nature and scope of contemporary philosophical inquiry into questioning, and outlining a contemporary epistemological context for the investigation. Chapter Three begins the analytical investigation, presenting a characterisation of questioning as a social epistemic practice, and a characterisation of questions as acts, drawing on the results of a large online survey. Chapter Four investigates the value of questioning, highlighting its role in the acquisition of epistemic goods, such as knowledge and understanding, and in the dissemination of these goods within epistemic communities. Chapter Five examines the nature and practice of good questioning, presenting a component-based account of good questioning, drawing on the results of an original empirical study conducted with schoolchildren. Chapter Six explores the nature of virtuous questioning, offering a characterisation of the intellectual virtue of inquisitiveness and highlighting the distinctive role of inquisitiveness in the intellectually virtuous life. Finally, Chapter Seven investigates the role that questioning plays in education and presents an argument in support of educating for virtuous questioning. The epistemological examination of questioning captures its essential character and significance. Questioning matters because of the purpose that it serves; that of finding things out. We ask questions in order to gather information on the basis of which we form beliefs and decide how to act. Through the information that we gather and the beliefs that we form, we arrive at knowledge and understanding. Questioning matters because it forms the basis of what we know and understand, as individuals and communities. This thesis examines questioning in light of its central epistemological significance. As such, it provides the groundwork for an epistemology of questioning.

Thesis (MTech( Education)) -- Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 1996 / Clinical technology as a profession has been part of the rapid development of modem medical technology in South Africa. From the start the training of clinical technologists consisted of practical in-service training at an academic hospital and a theoretical component completed at a technikon. Questions about the standard of training of clinical technologists have often been raised by members of the profession. An initial opinion pole amongst recently qualified clinical technologists about the evaluation of their theoretical knowledge and practical skills showed that they were not certain what they were tested for in the examinations, or what the practical year mark was awarded for at the end of their experiential training. The question thus arose whether the evaluation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills were really appropriate and relevant. In order to investigate validity of the training process, namely the 'evaluation of clinical technology students, three literature studies were conducted. The first was to determine what acceptable evaluation practice is as regards the evaluation of theoretical content and practical skills. It was apparent from the literature that the inclusion of learning objectives should be the norm for effective goal orientated training and evaluation. The second literature study was conducted to determine the validity of the evaluation of clinical technology students. As a result of this literature study a description was made of the task of professions in the USA similar to clinical technology, the health worker in general and the profession of clinical technology specifically. From this task description it was apparent that the evaluation of clinical technologists' skills should not just include knowledge, comprehension and application, but that one should also test for analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The third literature study conducted was to determine whether Bloom's taxonomy for cognitive objectives could be used to provide a measure of the validity of test items. As a result of this literature study a classification of test items from final year papers was done to determine the cognitive level on which questions were formulated. v This analysis of test items showed that questions were mainly formulated on the knowledge level and did not provide for higher order skills as demanded by the task analysis of the clinical technologist. Referring to the evaluation of practical skills an analysis of the methods used by trainers to award the practical yearmark showed that training and evaluation are not being performed in an effective goal orientated manner. The reason is that trainers do not use training objectives for the development of cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills of students. The conclusion is made that performance evaluation of the theoretical content and practical skills of clinical technology students do not satisfy the criteria of validity. To improve the training and evaluation practice, it is recommended that training objectives for theoretical content and practical skills are formulated, that practical performance tests are designed, and that attention is given to the improvement of the training and evaluation skills of trainers and examiners.

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In this study, I examined how the study guide for A reading class - Practice reading comprehension is used in both theory and in practice, based on the type of questions asked. The aim of the concept is to practice reading comprehension based on five characters: foretell lady, reporter, detective, cowboy and artist. I have studied what type of questions the concept use and categorized these questions as authentic- or non-authentic questions. I have also studied how two teachers in Central Sweden use the concept, what type of questions they ask and then categorized them as authentic- or non-authentic questions. My results shows that the concept of A reading class - Practice reading comprehension use most authentic questions unlike the teachers who use slightly more non-authentic questions. The authentic questions give the students a greater opportunity to speak, unlike the non-authentic questions. When the students speaking space becomes greater the power relationship between the teacher and students becomes more equal.