Instructional Style - Socratic Method
One technique I have always try to incorporate into my teaching style is using questions as a way to lead students to my point. Instead of using queries solely as a review, use them to illustrate reasons why we need to do things in certain ways, or to have them get their heads into a new topic.
So I would be curious on how other instructors use the Socratic Method in their teaching, when is it appropriate and when is it not, and student responses to it.
Also I found this article to be a very interesting test of the Method on younger students. Let me know what you think.
http://www.garlikov.com/Soc_Meth.html
Jeff
Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for the referral on the article. I found it very interesting. That teacher had the student egaged in the learning process from the very beginning.
I like to use the questioning method as a part of my teaching as well. I think it works very well in the career college setting since most of the career fields for which the students are preparing involve problem solving of some sort. By developing an internal form of questioning students can develop a method for them to "trouble shoot" situations in the field.
I use mini-lectures to share content, demonstrations, and then questioning as the students work through their project activities. This way I have the students experiencing change of pace plus application during the learning phases.
Gary
I love using this technique to engage students and to strengthen their knowledge of the concepts covered in class. At first, many students have a hard time with this method because they are so use to just getting the answer. By providing guided questions, more students are able to get involved in the discussion, the students learn how to think and formulate questions, and they learn how to ask themselves and others the same questions when they encounter a problem.
Because students have had problems with this type of method - and I have a reputation for answering questions with a question - I've actually included this the course syllabus and discuss it with the students to set them at ease. Also, I even tell the students that they are not allowed to just give another student an answer because they will get the same question next time and no learning has occurred. By questioning their peers, students develop metacognitive and problem solving skills that they will need when entering the IT field.
There are several methods I utilize when using this technique. First, this methog is introduced only when students have some knowledge of the material they have questions about; otherwise, what can they draw their answers from. Second, the questions are based only on what was asked - do not make inferences or fill in the blanks for them because students need to be able to formulate and state what they really want to ask; many times they already have answered their questions when they asked them. Third, the questions are neither random nor out of the blue. Each question is guiding the students toward the answer and are designed to help draw the answer from the students' knowledge base - they know the answers or they can draw conparisions to other subjects or from life; they just haven't seen the connection yet. Fourth, the answer to their questions are stated within my questions - are the students actually listening and thinking about what is being said?
Sometimes, this technique takes several minutes and the student ends up asking the orginal question again, but slightly different, which may lead to the answer they were looking for. It might drive them crazy and be challenging for you to devise so many questions, but this method gets them thinking, motivates some students and discourages others, and shows the students that you care because you spent the time and energy on them.
Hi Paul,
Great use of the Socratic Method. You explained it very clearly. I hope other instructors will be able to take your information and make questioning a part of their instructional delivery.
Gary
I actually use the Socratic method whenever I can. Anytime a student asks me a question, I try to respond back with a question or two that would help guide the student to the answer. This is a great way for students to work through the problem on their own. It also teaches them to take a problem and anticipate questions that may lead them to their own answer. By the way, I enjoyed the article. I teach IP addressing and often discuss binary math. Good example for using this method! It sure gets people thinking, that's for sure.
Hi Diane,
Good way to get your students involved and thinking about what is being taught. As you know the more they can talk about and question each other on the topic the more they are able to internalize the new content.
Gary
