What's wrong with asking "Are there any questions?"

Getting students engaged in the course materials is often (explicitly or implicitly) part of the TA role. Typically, you want to know what your students think about a reading or a concept, and perhaps where they’re struggling. Maybe you start with the question or maybe you use it to wrap up after having explained something—either way, “Are there any questions?” may NOT be the best way of generating discussion or helping students feel comfortable with the material. Asking this question at the beginning of tutorial heightens student anxiety because being able to formulate questions about a concept is often a good indication of at least some understanding of the concept; whereas students may not be sure if they have grasped enough to feel confident admitting where they are in their efforts. Asking this question at the end of tutorial also raises some anxieties, since there may be an expectation that, now that tutorial is over students should understand the subject better. Also, there’s the added time pressure that kicks in for you and for the students, since if they don’t get it, there isn’t much time to do anything about it. However, it IS a good question when doing a short individual or group task while in tutorial. For example, you might break students into groups and ask them to complete a worksheet with questions or problems. This is a good time to ask if there are any questions, since they have a specific task with a specific outcome that you want them to understand. In other words, the “Are there any questions?” question might work best not at the beginning or end of tutorial, but in the middle. Timing is the key!