> Any tips from anyone here for making people feel more inclined to ask questions?

Become more of an asshole.

There are probably more eloquent ways of phrasing that, but I want something that will stick in your mind when you're actually on the spot, and that works.

The idea here is to stop caring quite so much about what others want and what others will think of you.

If you constantly worry that you're interrupting the flow and that you'll be bogging everyone else down, don't. Embrace the asshole side of you to ask the question and damn the consequences.

If you worry that the people around you will think you're dense, fuck them. They don't have the first clue about you, and you're in that class for you, not for them.