Text-based questions are questions that require students to find and use evidence directly from a specific text to form their answers. They are not general knowledge questions, nor are they based solely on opinions or interpretations without textual support. The emphasis is on proving understanding and comprehension of a written text by referencing it directly. These questions are also known as text-dependent questions.
Understanding Text-Based Questions
Text-based questions focus on fostering a deeper engagement with the reading material. Rather than relying on prior knowledge or personal experiences, the answers to these questions must be explicitly found within the text itself. This approach encourages close reading and a thorough understanding of the material presented.
Key Characteristics of Text-Based Questions:
- Require Textual Evidence: Answers must come directly from the text.
- Promote Close Reading: Encourages careful analysis of the material.
- Assess Comprehension: Tests the reader's understanding of the text.
- Specific Focus: Targets specific details or concepts presented in the text.
Examples of Text-Based Questions:
To illustrate, consider a passage about the life cycle of a butterfly. A text-based question could be:
"According to the text, what is the third stage in the life cycle of a butterfly?"
The answer would need to be explicitly found within the text. A question like "Have you seen a butterfly before?" would NOT be a text-based question because it does not require using information directly from the text to form an answer. Another example would be:
"What evidence from the article suggests that the character is feeling anxious?"
Why Use Text-Based Questions?
Using text-based questions has many advantages, especially in educational contexts, as indicated in our reference. They:
- Enhance Critical Thinking: Students learn to analyze and evaluate information directly from the source.
- Improve Reading Comprehension: Encourages a deeper understanding of the text's content.
- Promote Evidence-Based Reasoning: Students learn to support their answers with textual evidence, a skill that is valuable in many disciplines.
- Reduce Guesswork: The focus on concrete evidence makes answers more objective.
- Ensure Teachers are Familiar with the Text: As indicated in our reference, creating text-based questions requires teachers to have pre-read the text. This ensures that the questions and focus are relevant to the content.
How Teachers Can Implement Text-Based Questions:
Teachers should follow some simple steps to create effective text-based questions:
- Pre-Read the Text: Teachers must be familiar with the content to craft relevant questions.
- Identify Key Concepts: Focus on crucial information that students should understand.
- Craft Specific Questions: Design questions that require evidence directly from the text.
- Review and Refine: Ensure questions are clear, concise, and effectively assess understanding.
In conclusion, text-based questions are a valuable assessment tool because they promote close reading, comprehension, and evidence-based reasoning by requiring students to cite direct textual evidence when answering. They are not reliant on general knowledge or personal opinions.
