The Open-Ended Question

The open-ended question cannot be answered in one or two words.

An answer to an open-ended question:

• Gives more information

•May reveal the character of the responder

•May lead to unsought additional information

Open-ended questions give the interviewee more freedom in

responding to questions.

This freedom in responding may result in longer answers that

open new ideas for the interviewer.

What is your favorite band?

What is your favorite sport?

What is your favorite food?

What subject do you like best?

Who did you vote for?

Respond to the following questions:

Explain what it is about Pearl Jam (or whatever band) that makes it your favorite band.

Exactly what aspects of soccer make the sport so attractive to you?

What is it about lasagna that makes it superior to all other foods in your opinion?

Why is drama your favorite subject and how did it become your favorite?

Which campaign promises convinced you to vote for Obama?

Now look at basically the same questions rephrased:

What is the difference between the two sets of questions?

What is your favorite band?

Pearl Jam. (Two word answer)

Let’s look at the same question rephrased.

Explain what it is about Pearl Jam (or whatever band) that makes it your favorite band.

First, I like Eddie Vedder’s voice—the lead singer--because it has so much feeling. It seems as though he’s living the lyrics. And the band punctuates the lyrics and keeps a beat that draws the listener in—the listener experiences the lyrics. The lyrics relate to so many people’s lives, too. Almost every Pearl Jam song stirs my emotions and that’s essentially why it’s my favorite band.

The second question, the open-ended question, required a more in-depth answer. During an interview, more in-depth answers result in more picturesque and descriptive quotations. More in-depth answers may reveal the interviewee’s character during the responses to the questions. Understanding character may allow the writer to give life to a story, making it more appealing to the reader.

Now imagine that you are going to interview a classmate.

Compose at least ten open-ended questions to ask your classmate.

You may also write a few general questions to ask, such a the person’s name, birthplace or any other question that does not require an open-ended question.

You have fifteen minutes.

Now you will all interview one classmate and that classmate, in turn, will interview you.

With the information you gather from your open-ended questions, write a short profile of your subject.

Avoid writing a biography.

Focus on one point that you discover during your questioning.

You do not need to use the responses to all of your questions.

Limit your profile to less than 400 words, typed, double-spaced. This is due at the beginning of class tomorrow.

The second part of this lesson is similar to the first in that you will compose open-ended questions, conduct an interview and write a profile.First select a person at school you know something about.

Your subject may be:

• a teacher •counselor• coach• principal• custodian• librarian

• student athlete• a student council member

• a security guard• or just about anyone else at school

Compose a list of at least fifteen open-ended questions (as well as some general questions) to ask the person you choose to interview. 

Conduct an interview based on your prepared questions and compose a short profile (400 words or less) based on the responses to the open-ended questions.

We will read and discuss all profiles in class.

We will look for the understanding of open-ended questions

The ability to compose open-ended questions

The ability to create a brief profile of a person from answers to open-ended questions

Each student must understand open-ended questions and their relevance to interviewing.

Each student must understand how to use the information gathered during an interview using open-ended questions to compose a short profile. 

If a student has achieved these objectives, then he or she has successfully met the lesson objective.