PETER WADE / FREE LEARNING RESOURCE
Ask a better question.
A short worksheet for getting unstuck, before your next study session.
Before asking for help, spend a few minutes turning a broad difficulty into a question that someone can work through with you. Use the prompts below in your notebook or print this page.
1. Name the task.
What are you trying to calculate, explain, compare or decide? Write one sentence rather than the whole assignment.
2. Separate what you know from what you don’t.
List the information you have, including quantities, units, definitions and any assumptions the question gives you. Then identify the missing piece.
3. Show your attempt.
Write the first two or three steps you tried. Mark the exact step at which your reasoning stops feeling clear. An unsuccessful attempt can still be useful.
4. Ask one answerable question.
Complete this sentence: “I understand ______, but I don’t understand why / how ______.”
Instead of: “I don’t understand this model.”
Try: “I can identify the model inputs, but I don’t understand which assumption makes this output change. Can we work through one input at a time?”
5. Decide what understanding would look like.
After getting help, what should you be able to explain or do without looking at someone else’s solution? Choose one small test.
Bring your next question.
These prompts are a starting point for independent study, not a replacement for course guidance or research supervision.
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