The Transformative Power of “UnGoogleable” Questions

5 steps for empowering students to create — and strive to answer — unique and meaningful questions.

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash.

The first time I heard the term “unGoogleable questions” during a professional development seminar, I did what most of us do when we encounter something unfamiliar: I Googled it.

The top search results, unsurprisingly, provided some cursory definitions and examples of “unGoogleable questions” as well as their benefits for students. What was surprising, however, was the lack of specific strategies for teachers to implement the “unGoogleable” process in their classrooms. If “unGoogleable” questions promote critical thinking and problem solving, how can teachers help students pose “unGoogleable” questions and engage in the “unGoogleable” process?

In my own attempt to answer this question throughout the semester, I’ve developed a five-step process for empowering students to create — and strive to answer — their own “unGoogleable” questions.

1. Define “UnGoogleable.”

Socratic Seminar preparation activity developed by the author.

I decided to introduce my students to the concept of “unGoogleable questions” in the context of a Socratic Seminar, an activity that would provide them with the opportunity to create and discuss questions with their peers.

Before students dove into the question-writing process, however, I challenged them to identify the aspects of a question that make it “unGoogleable.” After debriefing with my students, we determined that “unGoogleable questions” are…

• Unique. They spark curiosity and creativity.
• Meaningful. They provide personal and universal value.
• Open-Ended. They foster multiple interpretations and responses.
• Research-Driven. They necessitate exploration and experimentation.

In other words, unGoogleable questions are the antithesis of the recall-reliant questions students usually encounter throughout the school day — questions that require no more than a quick Google search or glance at another student’s worksheet. How can we blame students for feeling “bored” at school when they spend most of their time answering questions that have already been answered?

2. Generate examples.

Once we identified key aspects of unGoogleable questions, I encouraged students to share examples of unGoogleable questions from their own lives. Below are a few highlights from our conversation.

• How is technology changing power dynamics in families? — Dallin
• How can we determine the true intentions behind peoples’ actions? — Emma
• Does practice really make perfect? — Leslie
• How are the social skills we’re learning in school going to impact our future relationships? — Laynee

Although students can Google lists of unGoogleable questions, generating examples from their own lives is not only more authentic, but engaging — after all, how often do we hold space for students to explore their passions? In addition, reflecting on their experiences with unGoogleable questions can help students acknowledge and address concerns about diving into the unGoogleable process — a challenge I’ll discuss in the next section.

3. Gauge reactions.

As students talked about their encounters with unGoogleable questions, I observed a shift in tone: Students who’d greeted me at the door with an upbeat “Hello!” suddenly seemed…glum. Watching students squirm in their seats and even sigh led me to develop the next step in the unGoogleable process: asking students to gauge their emotional reactions to creating unGoogleable questions.

After students shared their feelings in groups, they compiled a list of their most commonly expressed mood words. These included:

• Overwhelmed
• Frustrated
• Anxious
• Curious
• Intrigued
• Confused

Because the majority of my students associated “unGoogleable questions” with negative or neutral emotions, I asked them to brainstorm strategies they could use when they started feeling “stuck” in the unGoogleable question process. By recognizing and normalizing the emotional ups and downs of unGoogleable questioning, students could begin anticipating potential setbacks and developing the resilience necessary to overcome them.

4. Share feedback.

Final draft of unGoogleable questions and responses created by the author’s student.

Although I asked students to individually create unGoogleable questions and responses, I arranged for them sit in groups throughout the unGoogleable question process so that they could easily share feedback and exchange ideas. The driving question for our feedback, which I adapted from Arizona State University and Beagle Learning’s OpenCitizen Gathering, was as follows:

• What does this question assume to be true? Is this assumption true?

By challenging each other to examine the premises underlying their questions, students were encouraged to think critically about implicit biases and the ways in which language can shape thinking. Other questions students could pose to their peers during the feedback process include:

• Are you personally interested in answering this question (and if not, how could you revise it to pique your interest)?
• How could this question be worded differently (and how might that impact the answers)?
• What resources could you leverage to answer this question?
• How might someone else answer this question?

Throughout the feedback process, students began to recognize that the process of generating questions is sometimes more difficult — or even more important — than answering them, a counterintuitive idea in our results-driven educational system.

5. Reflect.

Response to reflection question composed by the author’s student.

One of the most powerful aspects of the unGoogleable questions process is its emphasis on metacognition, or thinking about one’s thinking. At their end of our most recent unGoogleable question journey, I asked students to reflect on the ways in which they’d grown as readers, writers, speakers, and listeners as a result of this undertaking. The following student’s response perfectly encapsulates the need for — and joys of — unGoogleable questioning in the classroom.

I generally don’t like having to think too hard. If you know me at all, you know I’m a very “minimal effort” type of person. I like to have the answer given to me if possible, and if not, I’d like it to be easy to figure out. So when I found out I had to come up with three “un[G]oogleable” questions, I was kind of annoyed. At first, I thought of questions that I could still easily answer, but I decided to think deeper and ask some that were more complex…I realized that these types of questions are more interesting not only because they require more thought, but also because everyone can have a different answer. “Un[G]oogleable” questions allow you to get more perspectives and see things from different points of view.

Ultimately, unGoogleable questions push students to take charge of their own learning and equip themselves with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond — a statement that leaves me asking, How can you incorporate the unGoogleable question process in your own educational context?