Commentary on "What-If-Not"

#1. How can you use "What-If-Not" method in your microteaching?

My group’s microteaching is about series and sequence.
First, we could give students a sequence to look at (WIN: Level 0). Then we ask students for any observation about the sequence, tell us anything about the sequence (WIN: Level 1). For example, the sequence is infinity, the sequence increases by the same number every time, the sum of the first nth number is…, the nth of sequence is … etc. After several observations, we ask what-if-not questions (WIN: level 2a), and come up with the questions (WIN: level 2b). For instance, what if the sequence is finite, the sequence is negative instead of positive, the sequence increases by 3 instead of 2, etc.
Then guide students to come up questions about the statements we have for WIN level 2 (WIN: Level 3). For example, if the sequence is negative, what will be new sequence be? And what will the sum change? What will be the nth term? Finally, try to solve the questions we have for WIN: Level 3 (WIN: Level 4). Finally, we link it to our purpose of the lecture, students would be able to find the nth term of the sequence and find the sum of the sequence.


#2. What are the strengths and limitations of "What-If-Not" approach?

STRENGTHS:
New way of thinking
New way of looking at things that we taking for granted
Make students think deeper
Develop critical thinking and creativity

LIMITATIONS:
Time-consuming
Students might be overwhelmed by the number of questions we have
Students might be confused and don’t know what to focus on
Easy to go of the topic, so hard to focus on the main ideas of the lecture