The Right Question Institute

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The Right Question Institute (RQI) is a nonprofit educational organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1][2][3] It is known for developing and sharing teaching methods and skill improvement techniques that focus on questioning, inquiry, self-advocacy, parent involvement, and citizen participation in democracy.[4][3][5][6][7][8][9][10] It collaborates with organizations in areas such as primary, secondary, and higher education,[6][11][12][13] voter engagement,[14][15][16] health care,[17][18][19][20] legal services,[10] and social services[21] to build people's skills for learning, engagement, advocacy, navigating systems, and taking action on their own behalf.[3][5][22][8][10][23] RQI's methods are used in classroom settings to encourage student curiosity and questioning.[13][8] RQI's stated motto is, "A Catalyst for Microdemocracy",[24][25] which RQI describes as "the idea that ordinary encounters with public agencies are opportunities for individual citizens to ‘act democratically’ and participate effectively in decisions that affect them".[25]

History[edit]

The origins of the organization stem from a dropout prevention program, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1990.[26][27][14] During this effort parents reported they struggled to get involved in their children's education because they didn't know what questions to ask.[27] In its early days the organization was known as "the Right Question Project".[28][6][11] The Right Question Institute was co-founded by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, who served as directors of the organization until May 2021. In May 2021, former EqualityMaine director Betsy Smith joined the Right Question Institute as executive director.[29][30][31]

During the 1990s the organization was mostly involved in conducting workshops and seminars for improving parent involvement in schools.[32][33] Additionally, it also was involved in adult education, community organizing, and voter engagement. During this time, the institute coined and started to use the phrase Microdemocracy as a tool for shared decision-making and democratic action.[34][35][36][37] Post 2000, the organization commenced activities in field of mental health. In 2017, The Right Question Institute received a grant from the National Science Foundation, through Brandeis University, for developing "the Question Improvement Model" to improve question formulation skills among students pursuing doctorates.[25][22] In 2019, The Right question Institute received a grant from the National Science Foundation through Northeastern University for organizing a Conference on Question Formulation Technique in Higher Education.[12] In the same year, the organization also received a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program for implementation of "digitized primary sources in K-12 classrooms".[38] In late 2019, the institute initiated the "Why Vote" campaign, an initiative to spread awareness about the necessity to participate in the electoral practice.[15][39] In 2021, the institute collaborated with National Geographic to introduce a course to explore "Geo-Inquiry Questions" as part of National Geographic's Geo-Inquiry Learning Process.[40] In 2022, the Right Question Institute, in partnership with Northeastern University, received grant funding from the National Science Foundation "to increase the ability of academic researchers to formulate research questions and ideas with potentially transformative outcomes."[41]

Question Formulation Technique[edit]

The Question Formulation Technique (QFT) is a method developed by the Right Question Institute that allows and enables a person, typically a student, to ask questions while engaged in a learning process.[42] RQI's co-founders, Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, introduced educators to this method in a 2011 book, Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions, published by Harvard Education Press.[27][23] As of late 2022, the book was fourth on the list of "top 10" bestselling titles in the history of Harvard Education Press.[43] In April 2018, the EBSCO Information Services reported that the Question Formulation Technique has been used by more than 250,000 instructors and educators across diverse disciplines in different educational systems. The model is described as a student-centric approach, rather than the traditional instructor-centric model, where students are encouraged to form questions, categorize them, improve them, use them, and reflect on the experience. The QFT is used by educators across all academic subject areas.[13] Educators often use the QFT in connection to primary source learning, where the instructors select a suitable primary source and present it to students to aid them in formulating relevant questions. In this way, students, guided by the practice of question formulation, learn about the subject.[44][45][46][47][48][49]

The Right Question Institute, in collaboration with The Harvard Graduate School of Education, conducts a course in best practices in Question Formulation Technique.[50][13][51][52][53]

Voice in Decisions Technique[edit]

The Voice in Decisions Technique (VIDT), formerly known as the Framework for Accountable Decision-Making (FADM),[54] is a strategy or method which is used to make someone conscious about the decision-making process. It aims to make a person more effective by providing a method for actively participating in the decision-making process and identifying their roles in the decision-making process.[8][18][55] A major practical application of this strategy has been in building more effective relationships between schools and parents/guardians, where schools enable parents/guardians to become more involved in decisions around their kids’ education.[56][9] The model has also been applied in community health centers and in the domain of mental health, where the model is used to aid and assist patient activation to boost patients’ attendance and retention.[57][20][58][59][60]

Selected publications[edit]

  • Santana, Luz., Rothstein, Dan. Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions. United Kingdom: Harvard Education Press, 2011.
  • Rothstein, Dan., Bain, Agnes., Santana, Luz. Partnering with Parents to Ask the Right Questions: A Powerful Strategy for Strengthening School-family Partnerships. United States: ASCD, 2016.
  • Luz Santana, A Pathway out of Poverty for Students in Low-Income Communities: Learning to Ask Questions, Harvard Education Publishing Group.[61]
  • Santana, Luz., Rothstein, Dan., Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions, Harvard Education Letter - Harvard Education Publishing Group [27]
  • Campbell, N., & Santana, L. (2021). Building Self-Advocacy Skills of Legal Services Clients: Three Principles for Promoting an Innovation in Practice. Social Innovations Journal, 5.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gibbs, Hailey. "Kids may need more help finding answers to their questions in the information age". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  2. ^ Bryan Marquard (July 1, 2017). "Enid Shapiro, 91, 'grande dame' of Boston's Jewish community". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  3. ^ a b c Brodsky, Julia. "Why Questioning Is The Ultimate Learning Skill". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  4. ^ Minigan, Andrew P. (2017-05-24). "The Importance of Curiosity and Questions in 21st-Century Learning (Opinion)". Education Week. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  5. ^ a b Neyfakh, Leon (May 20, 2012). "Are we asking the right questions?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  6. ^ a b c "The Essential School Network and How It Grew | Coalition of Essential Schools". Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  7. ^ "For Students, Why the Question is More Important Than the Answer". KQED. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  8. ^ a b c d "Helping Families Ask Questions Could Be Your Most Powerful Engagement Tool". KQED. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  9. ^ a b Ferlazzo, Larry (2016-08-25). "'Partnering With Parents' by Asking Questions (Opinion)". Education Week. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  10. ^ a b c d Campbell, Naomi; Santana, Luz (2021-03-04). "Building Self-Advocacy Skills of Legal Services Clients: Three Principles for Promoting an Innovation in Practice". Social Innovations Journal. 5. ISSN 2692-2053.
  11. ^ a b "Making Family and Community Connections: Demonstration". www.thirteen.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  12. ^ a b "NSF Award Search: Award # 2010551 - 2020 Conference on Question Formulation Technique in Higher Education". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  13. ^ a b c d "Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions: Best Practices in the Question Formulation Technique". Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  14. ^ a b jenniferbloom. "Better Questions - Better Decisions Voter Engagement". Teaching Civics. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  15. ^ a b "Why Ongoing Power Building Matters and How Every Nonprofit Can Do It". Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  16. ^ "Better Questions, Better Decisions - Voter Engagement Workshop" (PDF).
  17. ^ PhD, Margarita Alegria (2016-06-02). "The Right Question Project-Mental Health: An Intervention to Increase Engagement and Retention in Mental Health Care". Massachusetts General Hospital, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  18. ^ a b Allen, Michele L.; Cook, Benjamin Lê; Carson, Nicholas; Interian, Alejandro; Roche, Martin La; Alegría, Margarita (2017-07-01). "Patient-Provider Therapeutic Alliance Contributes to Patient Activation in Community Mental Health Clinics". Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. 44 (4): 431–440. doi:10.1007/s10488-015-0655-8. ISSN 0894-587X. PMC 5735851. PMID 25964131.
  19. ^ "What Are The Crucial Components of Patient Activation Interventions?" (PDF).
  20. ^ a b Alegría, Margarita; Polo, Antonio; Gao, Shan; Santana, Luz; Rothstein, Dan; Jimenez, Aida; Hunter, Mary Lyons; Mendieta, Frances; Oddo, Vanessa; Normand, Sharon-Lise (2008). "Evaluation of a Patient Activation and Empowerment Intervention in Mental Health Care". Medical Care. 46 (3): 247–256. doi:10.1097/MLR.0b013e318158af52. ISSN 0025-7079. PMC 3580315. PMID 18388839.
  21. ^ D. and Santana, Rothstein. "Frontline Staff as Social Innovators". Social Innovations Journal. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  22. ^ a b "Library Announces Grant Recipients for Teaching with Primary Sources". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  23. ^ a b "Educators Want Students To Ask The Questions". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  24. ^ "Microdemocracy is the next logical step for the United States". Ars Technica. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  25. ^ a b c "Microdemocracy". Right Question Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  26. ^ "Our History". Right Question Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  27. ^ a b c d "Harvard Education Publishing Group". www.hepg.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  28. ^ PhD, Margarita Alegria (2016-06-02). "The Right Question Project-Mental Health: An Intervention to Increase Engagement and Retention in Mental Health Care". Massachusetts General Hospital, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  29. ^ INSTITUTE, COURTESY OF RIGHT QUESTION. "Betsy Smith joins the Right Question Institute as executive director". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  30. ^ "Betsy Smith joins the Right Question Institute as executive director". Right Question Institute. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  31. ^ "PHOTOS: Cambridge coffee shops create an upbeat atmosphere amid the pandemic". www.wickedlocal.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  32. ^ "Tapping External Supports for Partnerships".
  33. ^ "3 Ways a Company Can Personalize Its Support for Teachers - EdSurge News". EdSurge. 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  34. ^ Rothstein, Dan (2013-11-05). "Microdemocracy: A new starting point for shared decision-making and democratic action". APHA. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  35. ^ "The Necessity of Asking Questions – Project Information Literacy". Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  36. ^ "Question Everything". Colonial Times Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  37. ^ "Microdemocracy is the next logical step for the United States". Ars Technica. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  38. ^ "Library Announces Grant Recipients for Teaching with Primary Sources". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  39. ^ "Overview of the "Why Vote?" Initiative". Right Question Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  40. ^ "Teaching Students to ASK Their Own Geo-Inquiry Questions". nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  41. ^ "NSF Award Search: Award # 2203717 - GERMINATION EXPANSION: Building Question Formulation Capacity through the Research Question Network (rQnet)". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  42. ^ Berger, Warren (2016-06-06). "How Brainstorming Questions, Not Ideas, Sparks Creativity". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  43. ^ Hough, Lory. "Stop the Press". Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  44. ^ "Introduction to the Question Formulation Technique for Primary Source Learning". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  45. ^ "Introduction to the QFT for Primary Source Learning". Students at the Center. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  46. ^ "How Can Student Questions & Curiosity Drive Primary Source Learning?". Right Question Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  47. ^ "How Can Student Questions & Curiosity Drive Primary Source Learning?" (PDF).
  48. ^ "Question Formulation Technique (QFT) | Emerging America". www.emergingamerica.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  49. ^ "Promoting Student Learning Through Primary Source Inquiries" (PDF).
  50. ^ "August News from e3 Consulting". myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  51. ^ "Right Question Institute QFT Seminar". www.bsd.k12.ca.us. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  52. ^ "Harvard University". Habibcv. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  53. ^ "Middle School Students Use QFT for Project-Based Learning". Sanford School. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  54. ^ "Voice in Decisions Technique". Right Question Institute. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  55. ^ "Better Questions, Better Decisions - Voter Engagement Workshop" (PDF).
  56. ^ "What Are The Crucial Components of Patient Activation Interventions?" (PDF).
  57. ^ "Northeasterner Nevada Professional Program" (PDF).
  58. ^ Polo, Antonio J.; Alegría, Margarita; Sirkin, Jenna T. (2012). "Increasing the engagement of Latinos in services through community-derived programs: The Right Question Project–Mental Health". Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 43 (3): 208–216. doi:10.1037/a0027730. ISSN 0735-7028.
  59. ^ "NSF Award Search: Award # 1745919 - EAGER: The Question Improvement Model: A Simple and Scalable Model for Improving the Question Formulation Skills of Ph.D. Students". nsf.gov. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  60. ^ Deen, Darwin; Lu, Wei-Hsin; Rothstein, Dan; Santana, Luz; Gold, Marthe R. (2011-08-01). "Asking questions: The effect of a brief intervention in community health centers on patient activation". Patient Education and Counseling. 84 (2): 257–260. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2010.07.026. ISSN 0738-3991. PMID 20800414.
  61. ^ "A Pathway out of Poverty for Students in Low-Income Communities: Learning to Ask Questions". www.hepg.org. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
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