Book clubs and study groups: anonymous questions deepen learning

The problem of not being able to say "I don't get it"

Have you ever joined a book club or study group, not understood what the presenter explained, and still not asked a question? "Asking something this basic will ruin the mood." "Everyone else gets it, and I'm the only one who doesn't." This way of thinking may be taking away chances to learn.

You're not necessarily the only one who feels "I don't get it." At a study group, other people may be stuck on the same point too. But if nobody speaks up, each person tends to keep assuming "I'm the only one who doesn't get it" until the session ends.

A question box can be a way to break down this wall of silence. People can anonymously send things like "I didn't understand the part about X" or "I don't understand the difference between Y and Z." Being anonymous makes it less embarrassing. And other people with the same question should also benefit from the answer.

Book clubs: collect thoughts and questions about the book anonymously

One simple way to use a question box at a book club is to collect thoughts and questions anonymously after people have read the assigned book.

Open the question box 2-3 days before the book club and let everyone know: "Please anonymously send your thoughts, questions, or points you want to discuss about the assigned book." People send the parts that caught their attention to the question box at their own pace while reading.

On the day of the book club, the organizer leads the discussion based on the questions and thoughts that came in. If you introduce them with "Here's a thought someone sent anonymously" or "Several people said they didn't understand this part," it's easier for everyone to start the discussion with the same points in mind.

Anonymous thoughts include frank opinions that are hard to say face to face. "Honestly, I didn't find this book very interesting." "I can't agree with the author's argument." Critical opinions like these are valuable fuel that gets a book club discussion going. Learning probably goes deeper at a book club where different opinions clash than at one where everyone just tells each other "It was good."

Tech study sessions: collect questions in real time

At tech study sessions and hands-on workshops, a question box is useful for collecting questions in real time.

The presenter shows the question box's QR code on a slide so that people can send questions from their phones at any time. At each break in the talk, the organizer checks the dashboard and tells the presenter "Some questions have come in."

What works especially well at tech study sessions is that you can pick up "beginner questions." People at tech study sessions have different levels of knowledge, and beginners tend to hold back from asking because they feel "It'd be embarrassing to ask something this basic." But beginner questions may be exactly the ones other people have too. An anonymous question box picks up these voices.

For the presenter, real-time questions are also valuable feedback. If a question comes in saying "I didn't understand this explanation," they can add to the explanation right then. A survey after the talk may come too late, but in real time they can respond right away.

As an always-open tool for learning communities

A question box works not only for one-off events but also as an always-open tool for ongoing learning communities.

Keep the question box link posted in your online learning community (a Slack group, a Discord server, and so on), and let people know "You can ask questions anonymously at any time." When you ask a question in the chat, your name shows up, so people may think "I don't want to embarrass myself by asking a beginner question." With a question box, people can send questions anonymously, so this barrier gets lower.

Share the answers to the questions you receive with the whole community. "Someone anonymously asked X. I think this is something many of you are wondering about, so I'll explain it in detail." This format protects the sender's privacy and should also help raise the level of knowledge across the whole community.

While they're public, the Q&A you've answered can also serve as the community's FAQ. When new members join, you can tell them "Read the past Q&A and you'll find answers to common questions." However, questions you receive are automatically deleted a certain period after they're posted, whether or not you've answered them.

Things to keep in mind when using a question box for learning

There are a few things to keep in mind when using a question box in a learning setting.

First, be sure to share the answers to questions with everyone. If you only answer the sender privately, other people with the same question can't benefit. Share the answer with everyone in one of these ways: post it on your question box's public page, answer out loud at the study group, or post it in the community chat.

Second, don't take "no questions" to mean "everyone understands." Even with a question box, some people still feel hesitant about sending questions. If there are only a few questions, the organizer can ask, "Wasn't the part about X a bit hard to follow?" to make it easier for questions to come up.

Third, don't judge the quality of questions. "Good question" may be meant as praise, but it hints that there are "good questions" and "bad questions." Answering every question with the same respect helps keep people feeling psychologically safe.

The value of a question box in a learning setting is that it creates a place where people can safely say "I don't get it." Whether or not this safe place exists should make a difference in how deeply people learn.