Touch Questions: A Diagnostic Coaching Framework

Developed by Dr. James J. Toles

Every instructor has heard a student say, "I just don't understand." It's the most common thing a struggling learner says, and the least useful place to start helping them. Most instructors respond by re-explaining the material, slowing down, going back to the beginning. But often the content isn't the problem. The method is.

Touch Questions is a diagnostic coaching framework I developed to solve this. Instead of responding to confusion with more explanation, a Touch Question redirects the conversation to surface how a person actually learns, not just what they're struggling with in the moment. A single well-placed question, asked in under a minute, can reveal a mismatch between how someone is trying to learn and how they actually absorb information best, something a formal assessment or an extra hour of tutoring often can't do as quickly.

The framework includes a repeatable diagnostic conversation model, a breakdown of the four core learning channels (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic), and a bank of fifteen open-ended questions built for the exact moment a learner says they're stuck.

This method now underpins my 1:1 coaching practice and has informed how I train and support instructors in higher education.