Encourage your students to read the text material beforehand, and formulate a list of questions they may have regarding the course content. You can ask students to formulate a list of questions while they read their texts and require them to turn in the questions either before or after you cover the material in class. This will help the students take a more active approach to their reading and to class participation. Having a list of questions in front of them before you begin lecturing will help students home in on the parts of the lecture they consider to be most important.
Ask questions while you lecture. If you wish to make a point without having students answer directly, ask rhetorical questions. Such questions get students thinking in question format and familiarize them with the idea that questions are a regular part of classroom activities. When you ask direct questions, take one of two approaches. Ask the entire class and wait for a response. While this is a good strategy, sometimes it may elicit blank stares or responses from only a handful of volunteers. The other approach is asking specific students and making sure to call on everyone from time to time. Students may be uncomfortable with this method at first, but they gradually get used to the idea of active participation. This will also help them pay attention. Using a combination of methods is an effective approach.
Provide feedback to students when they answer and ask questions. The National Academy of Engineering notes several ways to provide feedback. When students answer questions, provide positive feedback in the form praise, noting a correct response. You can provide a more neutral response to affirm a correct answer (for example, by saying "OK") or may ask a follow-up question that probes deeper when you are looking for a more insightful response. When students ask questions, acknowledge and answer them, and let students know when they have asked a particularly insightful question. Avoid negative responses or defensiveness so that students will not feel hesitant about asking questions in the future. Don't be afraid to admit if you cannot provide a ready answer to a question; rather, tell the student querying that you will get back to her after you research the question.