Socratic method to teaching by asking
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Socratic method to teaching by asking
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Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#2If you're interested in pursuing this method consistently with children, see https://www.greatbooks.org/.
The Great Books Foundation is primarily known for developing curriculum material utilizing the so-called great books of Western science and philosophy--mostly curated chapters and excerpts, actually. Perhaps less well known (or at least less appreciated) is that the material is intended to be taught in discussion groups where discussion leaders (aka teachers) utilize the Socratic method. To that end, the discussion guides include example questions to help the leader guide the discussion. Traditional teachers' materials also include questions to ask of students, but the Foundation's material (both the readings and the teachers' aids) is singularly focused on applying the Socratic method and is much more useful to that aim. I believe they also provide guides to help discussion leaders learn how to apply the Socratic method, which can very taxing, especially if you haven't experienced the style as teacher or student.
Law schools in the U.S. have used the Socratic method for the past 100 years, though that's unfortunately beginning to change. It's arguably easier for professors to apply this methodology in law school because failure is still an option--it's still the students responsibility to learn the material, whether or not it was presented in class. I'm not surprised that as law schools have succumbed to grade inflation and sought to minimize attrition rates that the Socratic method is being pushed out. In any event, it's much more taxing for the teacher if you must present every minor detail (however briefly) of a topic in order to test on it later, especially in light of all the mandatory testing; so taxing that the Socratic method simply isn't practical in most school environments. It's a real shame because rigorous Socratic instruction teaches one how to learn, and it pays lifelong dividends. People always say kids need to be taught how to learn. Well, there's a proven, millennia-old methodology for doing that....
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#3There’s a classic book called The Goal[1] which is an outstanding example of teaching using the Socratic method. The basic lessons of the book can also change the way you think about business in general and software engineering in particular, as a bonus. One important concept for example is to liken unreleased software to a big pile of inventory in a warehouse: the inventory doesn’t do the company any good until it is paid for by a customer. Similarly, software doesn’t do any good until it is providing value in production.
Although it is a business book, The entire book is written as a novel. The author talks in the intro about how showing the Socratic method in practice is one of his key goals.
It’s also excellent on Audible. The follow-up book, The Critical Chain, is about project management and is also life-changing with its awesome concepts.
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Goal-Process-Ongoing-Improvement/dp/0...
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#4Seems like this should be the standard.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#5The previous thread: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9362252
A cached copy: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:v36n9t1...
Most schools follow Socrates, sort of. Tests and textbook exercises are a conveyor version of "teaching by asking". Just like grades, they works in a perverse way until someone patiently explains the child what's the real purpose of the whole affair.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#6Seems like this should be the standard.
This was done be a guest teacher. The author was not the classroom teacher. This means that the students were more curious and interested to begin with. To maintain this type of rigorous style throughout the year would be almost impossible. It could be used more, but not exclusively.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#7To counter the positive feedback about this technique, I'd like to point that when the person on the learning side (answering the questions) has not asked to be taught anything, the teacher (asking questions) can come across as a condescending prick. This is especially true if the content is a matter of opinion, not statements of fact. I have become sensitized to this and it makes my blood boil when I notice it happen.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#8Seems like this should be the standard.
This was done be a guest teacher. The author was not the classroom teacher. This means that the students were more curious and interested to begin with. To maintain this type of rigorous style throughout the year would be almost impossible. It could be used more, but not exclusively.
Precisely this. Please don't read this and apply it to every conversation. If the other party is not particularly driven to learn about the topic, you'll turn them off completely.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#9I was a graduate student advised by a dedicated practitioner of the Socratic method. My experience showed me that this method is incredibly powerful, both to teach students to think, and later as an educator in our research lab, as a method for honing my own understanding.
However... there is a lot of effort that must be put into the style of its application. My mentor didn't know when to turn it off, and never seemed to get the timing quite right when explaining that we were involved in this uncommon methodology. This may be less of an issue for certain categories of content being taught, but we were working on low-level kernel concurrency control mechanisms. It was a challenge.
When I started as an educator in our research lab, I realized that I had completely internalized this methodology. And as time went on I realized that the method allowed me to easily fall into a trap where I felt and acted superior to others, didn't inform people about the methodology, and likely came off as an asshole.
I continue to use this method with success. Students generally develop a lot of independence quite quickly, but it has been a challenge knowing when to turn off, and remembering to let everyone involved know that it is a teaching style rather than my own weird behavior.
Re: Socratic method to teaching by asking
#10To counter the positive feedback about this technique, I'd like to point that when the person on the learning side (answering the questions) has not asked to be taught anything, the teacher (asking questions) can come across as a condescending prick. This is especially true if the content is a matter of opinion, not statements of fact. I have become sensitized to this and it makes my blood boil when I notice it happe…
That's true regardless of the teaching technique though, isn't it? Having someone lecture at you because they assume your knowledge is lacking is the part that makes it condescending, IMO.