Linking Depth of Knowledge to Wait Time and Student Grouping

by John R. Walkup, Ph.D.

Depth of Knowledge, one of the two components of Cognitive Rigor, has increased in visibility. At this time, however, many are still unsure how to use it in the classroom.

I have authored numerous blog posts on using Depth of Knowledge to develop lesson plans and guide instruction.

In this article, I will focus on how teachers can use Depth of Knowledge as a questioning strategy.

Wait time

Teachers often ask me, "How long should we wait to call on students to answer questions?"  Many professional developers will say "at least three seconds and more if you have special needs kids in your class."

Such simplistic advice fails to take into account the complexity of the question.

If we examine the definitions of Depth of Knowledge and ask ourselves: How should wait time vary as we progress up the Depth of Knowledge chart from DOK-1 to DOK-4?

• DOK-1: Recall of information as well as performing a simple algorithm or applying a formula
• DOK -2: Engagement of mental processing beyond habitual response; requires decision-making
• DOK-3: Reasoning, planning, evidence, and a higher level of thinking than DOK-2; involves complex/abstract cognition
• DOK-4: Complex reasoning, planning, developing, and thinking over extended period of time

Clearly, DOK-4 questions require far more wait time than DOK-1 questions. In fact, Norman Webb has pointed out repeatedly that DOK-4 questions could even span multiple classroom sessions.

Student grouping

Should we form students into groups to answer a question or carry out an activity?  Again, it depends on the cognitive complexity of the question. 

If we examine the definitions of each Depth of Knowledge level above, we see that the higher the Depth of Knowledge of the question, the more peer support students need to discuss strategies, accumulate information, and formulate responses. 

With DOK-1 questions, students may not need support at all.  DOK-2 questions often need just a bit of peer support, so quick peer-shares (talk to your neighbor) often suffice.

Questioning strategy table

With all this mind, I created a table to help guide teachers in establishing effective wait time and grouping strategies.

The symbol "~" means "roughly on the order of."  The symbol ">>" means "much longer than."

Note that this table should serve only as a general guide. Teachers in the classroom are professional decision-makers and should adjust the recommendations to suit their situations. Perhaps a DOK-1 question really needs a peer-share. Or maybe a DOK-3 question only requires a minute to complete. So be it. 

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Seeking training at your school or district centered on Cognitive Rigor or Depth of Knowledge?  Call me at (559) 903-4014 or email me at jwalkup@standardsco.com. 

We will discuss ways in which I can help your teachers boost student engagement and deep thinking in their classrooms. I offer workshops, follow-up classroom observation/coaching, and curriculum analysis to anywhere in the country (and even internationally).

Follow me on Twitter at @jwalkup.