Crafting questions that make students think
Teaching is harder than ever. However, one thing still works better than anything else: asking questions that spark deep reflection by making students choose positions or analyze alternatives. At BI Norwegian Business School, Ørjan Flygt Landfald, Senior Adviser at the Learning Center, is helping faculty do just that. By combining AI, pedagogy, and Mentimeter, he helps faculty make their lectures more interactive, insightful, and meaningful.
The problem: Surface-level learning in a deep-learning world
As Ørjan puts it, “Thinking is hard.” Not because we’re lazy, but because our brains are wired to save energy. This makes education tricky. Especially in large lecture halls. If students are given the option to cruise on autopilot or mentally drift off, many often do.
The university’s challenge was a familiar one: how to encourage deep, active learning in a world where it’s all too easy to stay at the surface level. Faculty faced large class sizes and an overwhelming pressure to deliver content, leaving little space for meaningful interaction. The result? Students are exposed to information without being challenged to think, interpret it, or apply it to solve relevant problems - something that is required for deep learning.
The solution: From smarter prompts to better pedagogy
As any educator knows, coming up with great questions that challenge students to think deeply isn’t always easy. Especially not in the middle of a packed semester, or during a lecture where you’re managing both content and class dynamics. Sometimes it’s about time. Other times, it’s about not knowing exactly how to frame a concept in a way that invites reflection instead of repetition.
That’s what inspired Ørjan to support his colleagues - not with more theory, but with practical tools and prompts to make question design easier, faster, and more effective.
He saw an opportunity to use Mentimeter - not just as a polling tool, but as a catalyst for real cognitive engagement. He began coaching the faculty on how to build Mentimeter questions with no definite answer, that invite students to reflect, apply knowledge, and think together.
What made the approach so effective? Ørjan created a prompt guide that combines generative AI with Mentimeter to help teachers craft high-quality, pedagogically sound questions, even if they’re short on time.
But what principles guide the creation of these high-quality questions? According to Ørjan, it’s not about complexity, it’s about depth and purpose.
"Good questions don’t give away the answer. They make students stop, connect ideas, and justify their reasoning. The best ones don’t have one ‘correct’ answer - they invite interpretation and discussion."
This mindset is the core of the prompt guide. Teachers are encouraged to move away from yes/no or recall-based questions and instead use formats that uncover how students think, not just what they know.
You don’t need to change your whole course, just change how you ask questions.
Here are two examples:
📊 Multiple Choice prompt
“Create a multiple-choice question in Mentimeter for your course on [Course Title], focusing on a sub-topic like [Sub-theme]. The goal is to challenge students to evaluate or interpret a concept from different angles, not just pick a correct answer. Ask something that encourages critical thinking and invites reflection. Then, offer four answer options that each represent a valid viewpoint or approach, grounded in relevant theory or real-world reasoning. Avoid definitive right/wrong responses; instead, give students room to justify their thinking.”
📈 Scales prompt
“Design a scale-based question in Mentimeter for your course on [Course Title], focusing on a key concept within [Sub-theme]. Ask students to rate their agreement or confidence across a series of 5–7 statements tied to the theory or topic. Use a 1–5 scale to capture the nuances in how they think, feel, or interpret the subject. These statements should push for reflection on practical applications, ethical angles, or underlying principles, without implying there’s one correct view.”
Each prompt is designed to reduce the mental burden for faculty while increasing the cognitive effort expected from students. However, it is important to highlight that while the prompts might give questions that align with the core principles of the course, you, as a teacher, should adjust the prompts to your needs and context to optimize the output and always evaluate it critically.
This method turns every slide into a moment of dialogue. It gives instructors the insight they need to adjust in real time. And it fosters a classroom environment where learning is no longer a one-way street, but a shared journey.
“You don’t need to change your whole course, just change how you ask questions. That alone can unlock deeper thinking.”
The benefit: From engagement to empowerment
The results were clear. Students felt safer making mistakes. Faculty got real-time insights into learning gaps. And most importantly, the classroom shifted from a one-way monologue into a collaborative space where knowledge was questioned, shaped, and understood together.
Ørjan’s approach proves that technology is only as effective as its pedagogical intention. When used wisely - whether it’s Mentimeter or AI - it doesn’t just spark engagement, it supports the very essence of education: learning that sticks.