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Socratic dialogs foster critical thinking on course content through a series of questions and answers that enable students to explore and develop understanding.
A mutually respectful environment and probing questions are essential elements of an effective dialog. Use of multiple question types increases effectiveness.
Questions of .... Lead to....
Purpose --------> task definition
Information ----> examination of sources and quality of information
Interpretation --> organization of and giving meaning to information
Assumption ----> examination of what we are taking for granted
Implication -----> pondering where our thinking is going
Point of view ---> consideration of other points-of-view.
Relevance -------> discrimination between what does and what
does not bear on a question
Accuracy --------> evaluation and testing for truth and correctness
Precision --------> understating of details and specifics
Consistency -----> examination of our thinking for contradictions
Refocusing ------> turning attention to a related issue (a
summation of the dialog's progress before refocusing can increase
the clarity of the conversation)
Socratic Dialogs with Students of Different Learning Styles
Auditory: The project leaders believe that auditory
learners are a natural fit for this technique.
This learner ....
Verbal: During the dialog the instructor can write key words and phrases on the board. At the end of the dialog it is useful to give the students a few minutes to summarize the concepts discussed in their notebooks.
Visual: Incorporating schematics, photos, illustrations,
demonstrations, and animations as learning aids during the dialog
can help visual learners. However, an instructor must take care
that these learning aids do not distract from a dialog. Some instructors
believe that it is impossible to add visual elements and maintain
the focus of the dialog.
Tactile: Passing around "show and tell" objects
and posing questions using the objects as tools to expand the
dialog, drawing tactile learners into the discussion. However,
an instructor must take care that these learning aids do not distract
from a dialog. Some instructors believe that it is impossible
to add tactile elements and maintain the focus of the dialog.
Kinesthetic: Hands-on activities that are supplements to the dialog can help kinesthetic learners incorporate the conceptual knowledge gained through the dialog.
Appreciating Student Diversity during a Socratic Dialog
Socratic dialogs are dramatically affected by an instructor's personality. Some instructors believe that dialogs are most effective when classroom environments are inviting and students feel comfortable asking questions. Other instructors believe that creating a lively, questioning environment requires challenging students to think deeply during a dialog.
The challenge of encouraging full participation in a dialog
by all students is addressed in dramatically different ways depending
on the instructor's attitudes. Some instructors may:
Since a range of oral comprehension abilities can exist in the classroom, as key concepts enter the dialog they should be emphasized and summarized by the instructor.
The atmosphere of a classroom where Socratic dialogs are used
may be unfamiliar to certain students. Some students may feel
that it is "disrespectful" to engage the instructor
in a dialog. When an instructor develops an awareness of a student's
attitudes, it is easier for her/him to construct questions that
encourage them to join a dialog.
Developing Workplace skills during Socratic Dialogs
Creative
thinking:
Questions drive the creative process. Socratic dialogs are an
excellent way to challenge your students to think deeply and creatively
about the course content. In addition, this type of discourse
prepares students for dialogs in the workplace.
Problem Solving:
With Socratic dialog an instructor can effectively model problem-solving
skills using questioning to walk students through the problem-solving
process. Answering questions of purpose and relevance will help
students understand and define a problem. Answers to information
and interpretation questions will generate possible solutions.
These solutions can be further examined by answering questions
of precision and consistency.
In addition, Socratic dialog can help students overcome obstacles
they have with problem solving. Answering point-of-view questions
will help students realize the validity of multiple perspectives.
Faulty assumptions can be uncovered by answering questions of
assumption.
Decision Making:
Socratic dialog can be used to help students develop decision-making
criteria. Questions of information, interpretation, and implication
can help students identify and weigh the various factors that
comprise their decision-making criteria. Answers to point-of-view,
consistency, and precision questions can help students refine
the criteria.
Textile Related Examples
Since many introductory courses provide cursory knowledge, the depth of knowledge investigated in a Socratic dialog may not be appropriate for many curriculum elements. Some instructors have a lecturing style which consists of "mini-dialogs" where a few thought-provoking questions are asked to help students consider how course concepts relate to their world. For instance, lessons on different fabric forms can be introduced by having students look at the clothing on themselves and the students around them and answering questions such as, "How do pant fabrics differ from shirt fabrics? Why does this difference exist?"
One topic where a lengthier Socratic dialog can be useful is
fabric-finishing processes. A piece of greige goods can be passed
around a classroom while students answer questions such as, "How
does this fabric differ from textiles you see in stores?"
After students brainstorm some differences the goal of the lesson
can be stated to help global learners "Today we will
study the fabric finishing processes which ready these fabrics
for their intended application." A question of purpose such
as, "What are some processes that could be used to convert
the greige goods to a usable form?" can further define the
topic. Questions of implication such as "How do we prevent
these processes from deforming the fabric?" can help students
further their thinking. Questions of interpretation can be used
to help the students determine "Why each process is important?"
and "In what order are the process performed?" The key
concepts learned from the dialog can then be summarized with the
instructor emphasizing key concepts and defining key terms.
Resources:
Knox, David K, Socrates: The First Professor, Innovative Higher
Education, v 23, no2, p. 115-26,Winter 1998. Describes Factors
to consider when developing a series of questions for a Socratic
Dialog. Also contains a comprehensive listing of question types.
G. Ivan Hannel and Lee Hannel,The Seven Steps to Critical Thinking: A Practical Application of Critical Thinking Skills, NASSP Bulletin 82, no598, p. 87-93, May 1998. Illustrates how a series of questions can be used to help students encode concepts as they relate to their experience base.
-http://www.criticalthinking.org/University/socratict.html
Instructor guidelines
-http://www.pathguy.com/socratic.htm
An example of a Socratic Dialog used in a pathology class.
-http://www.nyiteez.org/EDIN777/socratic.htm
Types of questions for a Socratic dialog.
-http://www.livewiremedia.com/socmethod.html
Guidelines for developing a lesson plan using the Socratic
method.