Most instructors don’t realize they’re doing these two things… and they quietly kill engagement.
- Asking: “Any questions?”
- Shutting down (even subtly) how people respond
“Any questions?” almost always gets silence. That silence doesn’t mean people understood. It means:
- They’re not comfortable speaking up
- They think they understand (but don’t)
- Or they’re just not engaged
So we don’t allow it. We teach instructors to ask real questions instead. Questions that force people to think and respond. “Walk me through what you’d do here.” “What’s the first step?” “What could go wrong?” Now you can actually see what people know.
The second piece is how you respond when someone speaks. Every answer. Every question. Every comment. It gets handled properly. Not brushed off. Not ignored. Not shut down. Because the moment one person feels dismissed… the whole room feels it. And they stop participating.
But when people see that their input is respected, even when it’s not perfect… They lean in. They ask more. They engage more. They actually learn.
That’s it. Better questions. Better responses. Everything else builds from there.
For the nerds only (why this works) This isn’t opinion—it’s aligned with how adults actually learn:
- Retrieval Practice (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006) — Actively recalling information improves retention far more than passive listening
- Dunning-Kruger Effect (Kruger & Dunning, 1999) — People often think they understand when they don’t → “any questions?” is unreliable
- Psychological Safety (Amy Edmondson, 1999) — People only speak up and engage when they feel safe doing so
- Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) — People model behavior based on how others are treated
- Adult Learning Theory / Andragogy (Knowles) — Adults learn best through problem-solving and real-world application
Put simply: If people aren’t thinking… and they don’t feel safe speaking… they’re not learning.