CYBER GUIDE Ever wondered how to get the best out of online discussions? Learn more about Socratic Dialogue.  |
WHAT IS SOCRATIC DIALOGUE? Well the short story is provided by Wikipedia. And Modern Socratic Dialogue provides more information. But basically, Socratic Dialogue is a method of philosophical discussion. Socratic Dialogue encourages participants to think independently and critically, and reflect on their own and others’ opinions. ‘Big questions’ for discussion can focus on any topic from ethics, social issues or politics, to mathematics or psychology. Although Socratic dialogue was begun by ancient Greek philosophers, philosophy training is not necessary. The aim of the group is to reach consensus, but the aim of the activity is to promote deep investigation of the topic. Participants should be briefed on the process. Participants also need to be motivated, willing to share their thought honestly, and to listen to others politely with an open mind. The 'big questions' should be general questions that are of common interest to the group. Why use Socratic Dialogue? Socratic Dialogue is now being used by cyber educators to provide direction and depth to online discussions in, for example, chats and forums. Carol MacKnight (2000) believes that ‘teaching critical thinking through online discussion is an important strategy’. MacKnight provides practical advice for conducting Socratic dialogue. She stresses the importance of asking the right questions and provides a list of Socratic questioning prompts. While ‘in person’ Socratic dialogues are lively and just as valuable, they are ephemeral. In online dialogues, footprints of the students’ philosophical journeys can be captured. And the material gathered from their forums can be used for assessment purposes and to inform curriculum planning. MacKnight warns that effective ‘modeling, coaching, questioning, reflection and careful task construction’ are necessary to lift the standard of online discussions above the ‘superficiality’ of classroom chatter. How can Socratic Dialogue be used in …? Home schooling … The article, Ask Don’t Tell, provides advice to home schoolers. In the Classroom ... The Socratic Method: Teaching by Asking Instead of by Telling by Rick Garlikov gives us some clues. In character education ... Socratic Dialogue's been around for a while. David H. Elkind and Freddy Sweet Ph.D. provided this article, The Socratic Approach to Character Education, in the May 1997 edition of Educational Leadership. They give advice on planning and facilitating a Socratic Dialogue lesson. And check out Socratic Dialogues, on the website of the Society for the Furtherance of Critical Philosophy which ‘aims to promote the Critical Philosophy through the linked activities of education and scholarship’. Looking for examples of Socratic Dialogue? The Online Teaching Activity Index provides a Socratic Dialogue Lesson. And there's this exploration of Authenticity: Is it possible to be authentic, in the Philo Cafe. REFERENCES MacKnight, C. B. (2000). 'Teaching critical thinking through online discussions'. Educause Quarterly, 23(4), 38-41. Accessed April 4, 2009, from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0048.pdf Paraskevas, A., & Wickens, E. (2003, October), Androgogy and the Socratic method: The adult learner perspective. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 2(2), 4-14. Accessed April 4, 2009, from http://www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk/Johlste/vol2no2/academic/0020.html Ross, G.M. (1993). Socrates versus Plato: The Origins and Development of Socratic Thinking, Aspects of Education 49, 9-22; reprinted in Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children 12/4, 1996, 2-8
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