Socratic Method
I wrote before about trying to use the socratic method with paralegal students, and I'm curious what other people have found when using this method in nontraditional classes with adult learners?
Paul,
By providing your students with needed instructional support you will be able to get them to develop their problem solving and reflective thinking skills because you are going to ask them to give you answers that require some mental effort. Good plan and I wish you much teaching success as you use it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As I have yet to teach a class, I can only rely on my experience as a business manager. I was a manager of an automotive repair facility and I can say that this method has real world importance. Many times I would question a technicians diagnoses to make sure they could defend it and had done the proper testing to reach their conclusion. After going through this process we would be more confident in the solution. In a class room setting you would want your students to defend there answers to problems, allowing critical thinking. I plan to use this method in my classroom.
Thanks, that helps. I will try it on my next subject matter.
Hi Gretchen,
The Socratic Method is based upon questioning as a learning tool. Ideally the students would have strong foundation in their field and could work from there. Since your students are experienced and in an advanced medical class they should be able to thrive on the Socratic Method. A good way to start the class is to pose several global questions about the field and have the students start the discussion from there. These questions are a starting point because soon there will be questions and responses flying all over the classroom. Another way of doing this is to break the students up into work groups to work on questions and responses. The key is to ask them questions back and get them to think and expand their knowledge, approaches and understanding of how solutions can be reached. Cognitively it is intense but in an informal and conversational way. You will want to summarize ever so often to make sure the students don't miss the key points you are wanting them to get session. You are the sage of the class leading the students down the path of knowledge through their own discovery. As a result they really retain the information because they have worked hard to acquire it.
Gary
I would like to try this method out. I teach an advanced medical class and all students have passed the entry level of instruction and have licenses to practice. I think this would be excellent for them. Can you give me more ideas?
Hi Michael,
Good point about the Socratic method. It does take work to develop the questioning skills necessary to keep the discussions going. Once you have acquired those skills it is a great way to draw out your students so you can see how they have developed their content skills during the course.
Gary
My observation has been that success in with the socratic style depends on your portfolio of questions. What I mean by this is that you need to have a strong portfolio of the right type of questions to ask for the subject you are teaching. I have also found that these questions will change with current events and cahnges withing the industry or discipline. But most importantly , success depends on the instructors ability to create questions on the fly and stay detached and allow the student to come up with their answer.
Hi David,
Discovery learning is an excellent way for students to use their newly acquired knowledge. They get to see the reasons why they have had to learn certain things as well as how those things can be used as a part of their future. This makes for much higher retention of the course content.
Gary
I mostly teach scripting classes and I have found that my students retain and apply the information more effectively when they are part of the discovery process. Instead of writing a script on the projector and having them copy it down, I ask them a series of guided questions that will help us, as a group, accomplish our objective.
As a result I have fewer students asking questions during the last 2 weeks of class as well as a large percentage of students that produce well designed projects.
I use a modified form of the method to stimulate discussion. With traditional students questions presented are followed by a prolonged (uncomfortable) silence. With adult learners, they seem to appreciate and embrace the method.
I would be interested to know how this method works for others.
Hi Matthew,
I don't teach paralegals, but I am somewhat familiar with the current methods of teaching lawyers. My suggestion would be to use a case and some pointed questions to get them to correctly use vocab and apply the ideas they are learning. Further into the course case studies make more sense to do, once they have a language framework. Good luck!
Carolyn,
As a matter of fact, I found this to be the opposite in my cases. Adult learners that I teach seemed to be ready for class. In other words, I facilitate the course by asking questions; and I continue to ask the question or questions in several different ways until I get the desired result.
I tell them that I am also a student, though I am instructing the course. This puts them at ease and they like to apply the theories and concepts to their experiences.
This has always worked for me; try it like this and see. Good luck!
Hi Carolyn,
The answer for how adult learners function is "it all depends". It all depends on the experiences of the adult learners, their confidence, their skills, their commitment, etc. Some basic courses require that you "hand feed" them until they get back into the swing of being in school, develop the skill based needed and create study strategies for themselves. As they progress in their learning they become more skilled at using the Scratic method.
Gary
Hi Matthew,
Sorry you haven't heard from anyone in the paralegal field about using the Socratic method as of yet. We may not have anyone else currently enrolled in the course that is in the paralegal field.
I use the method a lot in the courses I teach but they are professional development and leadership courses so my experiences would not be reflective of the experiences paralegal teachers might experience. Hope you will hear from someone soon.
Gary
If I understand the method, based on Socrates who taught by leading the student to determine the answers themselves. He felt they learned better and retained more. I currently am teaching the first class ever, and find my students need to be hand fed almost! Any one else feel that way or do I expect too much from adult learners?
