How can you facilitate peer-led discussions with open-ended questions?

2 How to prepare open-ended questions

When facilitating a peer-led discussion, it is beneficial to prepare open-ended questions that are pertinent to the topic, the goals, and the needs of the group. To craft effective open-ended questions, use language that is clear and straightforward, and refrain from asking leading or biased questions that suggest a particular response. Additionally, avoid yes/no questions that can limit the scope of the response and multiple or complicated questions that can be confusing. Additionally, make sure your questions align with the learning objectives and outcomes of the session, as well as take into account the diversity and backgrounds of the participants while respecting their preferences and boundaries.

3 How to ask open-ended questions

Once you have prepared some open-ended questions, you need to know how to ask them in a way that engages and motivates the participants. To do this, you should use a friendly and respectful tone that conveys empathy and trust. Ask one question at a time and give enough time for the participants to think and answer. Utilize active listening skills such as nodding, eye contact, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Additionally, probe or follow-up questions can be used to clarify, expand, or challenge the responses. Positive reinforcement and appreciation can also be used to acknowledge and validate the responses. Lastly, strategically using silence and pauses can create space for reflection and participation.

4 How to avoid common pitfalls

When facilitating peer-led discussions, even if you ask open-ended questions, you may encounter some challenges or difficulties. To avoid common pitfalls, make sure you don't ask too many or too few questions that can overwhelm or bore the participants. Additionally, avoid irrelevant or inappropriate questions that can distract or offend them, as well as closed-ended questions that can shut down or limit the conversation. Furthermore, refrain from asking rhetorical or suggestive questions that can influence or manipulate the participants, and don't interrupt or dominate the conversation to discourage or silence them. Lastly, do not judge or criticize the responses as this can damage or undermine the trust and rapport.

5 How to improve your skills

Asking open-ended questions is a skill that can be improved with practice and feedback. To enhance your skills as a peer support facilitator, you can review and reflect on your own questions and responses after each session, seek and incorporate feedback from the participants and other facilitators, observe and learn from other facilitators who use open-ended questions well, experiment with different types of questions and techniques in different situations, and keep a journal or a record of your questions and responses to track your progress. Open-ended questions are an effective way to facilitate peer-led discussions that are engaging, meaningful, and supportive. By using them correctly, you can help the participants to learn from each other, share their stories, and build their confidence and skills.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?