Why Just-in-Time Questions Change Learning

If you have ever talked with Rajen, Kyron’s CEO, you have probably heard him use the phrase ‘just-in-time questions.’ That idea reflects something I believe deeply and something many former educators at Kyron understand well. Learners typically do not know what they do not know.

In higher education, students are often expected to notice gaps in their understanding and ask the right question to resolve them. That expectation ignores how learning actually works. Research on metacognition shows that learners frequently overestimate their understanding and struggle to monitor their own thinking. More recent research on students using AI chatbots reinforces this pattern. When learners are given access to a chatbot and asked to generate their own questions, many do not know what to ask or how to frame a question that meaningfully checks their understanding. Access to information does not automatically translate into insight.

This belief shapes how learning is designed at Kyron. Instead of assuming learners will self diagnose confusion, Kyron modules embed checks for understanding and questions throughout the learning process. These just in time questions are intentionally placed to surface misconceptions while learners are still constructing meaning. They prompt learners to pause, articulate their thinking and reflect before moving on. This makes learning more active and more engaging because learners are cognitively involved at every step rather than passively consuming content.

More importantly, this approach leads to better learning. By embedding questions into instruction, Kyron supports metacognition rather than assuming learners will manage it on their own. Over time, learners begin to recognize what productive questioning looks like and when it matters. The goal is not simply engagement. It is helping learners build the skills they need to monitor their own understanding long after the learning experience ends.

If you want to see what just in time questions look like in practice, try a Kyron Studio lesson and experience how questions guide learning in the moment.

Explore a Kyron Studio lesson here: Great Emu War