From D2L Wiki

Discussion Prompts

Question type	Purpose	Example
Exploratory	Probe facts and basic knowledge	What research evidence supports -----?
Challenge	Examine assumptions, conclusion, interpretations	How else might we account for -----?
Relational	Ask for comparison of themes, ideas, issues	How does ----- compare to -----?
Diagnostic	Probe motives or causes	Why did -----?
Action	Call for a conclusion or action	In response to -----, what should ----- do?
Cause and effect	Ask for causal relationships between ideas, actions, events	If ----- occurred, what would happen?
Extension	Expand the discussion	What are additional ways that -----?
Hypothetical	Pose a change in the facts or issues	Suppose ----- had been the case, would the outcome have been the same?
Priority	Seek to identify the most important issue	From all that we have discussed, what is the most important -----?
Summary	Elicit syntheses	What themes or lessons have emerged from -----?
Problem	Challenge students to find solutions to real or hypothetical situations	What if -----? (To be motivating, students should be able to make some progress on finding a solution, and there should be more than one solution.)
Interpretation	Help students to uncover the underlying meaning of things	From whose viewpoint or perspective are we seeing, hearing, reading? What does this mean? or, What may have been intended by -----?
Application	Probe for relationships and ask students to connect theory to practice	How does this apply to that? or Knowing this, how would you -----?
Evaluative	Require students to assess and make judgments	Which of these are better? Why does it matter? So what?
Critical	Require students to examine the validity of statements, arguments, and conclusions, and to analyse their thinking and challenge their own assumptions	How do we know? What's the evidence and how reliable is the evidence?

From Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., and Major, C. H., (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. p 58.