I found the Questioning Toolkit by Jamie McKenzie fascinating. Out of the seventeen types of questions, I thought the Probing Questions would be most beneficial to my face-to-face students, as well as online students. McKenzie uses two metaphors to describe Probing Questions and I just loved the metaphors! Using the first metaphor, McKenzie describes Probing Questions as tools used by archeologists to clear out grime, dust, and debris to get to the heart of the matter. The second metaphor that McKenzie uses is that of a doctor performing exploratory surgery, never relying on what is seen on the surface, but instead delving deeper into the body.
Applied to the clinical setting (face-to-face), these metaphors are similar to the actions of a dental hygienist who must clear away the plaque and debris to reach the teeth and gingiva in order to determine periodontal status of the patient.
One of the first things that should be determined is the risk for the patient to develop periodontal disease. This may be determined using a periodontal risk assessment. When the teeth and gingiva have been uncovered via debridement, the Probing Questions would include, “Describe the color, texture, and consistency of the gingiva?” “Where do bleeding points exist?”; “Which teeth exhibit mobility?”; “What is the measurement of recession?”; “What are the probe depths?”; “What evidence is there of clinical attachment loss?” “Which additional tests or assessments should be completed to confirm the periodontal status of the patient?”
In an online venue, pictures and much information must be provided so that the student can organize the above questions, arrive at the facts, and apply those facts to determine the periodontal status.
Was there one questioning tool in James McKenzie’s Questioning Toolkit that you found could immediately apply to a concept you teach?
The following URL further explains periodontal risk assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11155181
McKenzie, J. (1997). A Questioning Toolkit. From Now On: The
EducationalTechnology Journal. Vol 7, No 3, November-December.
Cyndy