Socratic Seminar
Description
What Is It?
The Socratic method of teaching is a form of inquiry-based discourse focused on questioning to spur critical thinking and drive ideation. It is through exploration, dialogue, considering new perspectives, and constant questioning that students develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through Socratic Seminars, students develop confidence in articulating their ideas to others while providing supporting evidence with reasoned thinking.
Why Use It?
Socratic Seminars:
Promote students' critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills through effective questioning techniques
Integrate a collaborative discussion format that supports comprehension
Checklist:
Participants Will:
Before the Seminar:
Analyze the text.
Develop high-level discussion questions.
Make connections between the text and knowledge.
During the Seminar:
Refer to the text and give evidence and examples.
Actively listen and speak clearly.
Open mind to new ideas and possibilities.
After the Seminar:
Reflect on participation and the process.
Reflect on the content of the Socratic Seminar.
Set goals for improvement in the next Socratic Seminar.
Quick Tips
Be prepared with a higher level starter question in case the group questions do not meet the overall goal for the discussion.
Don’t try long texts or long Seminars at first; build gradually.
Take notes during the Seminar (e.g., evaluate students, chronicle main ideas discussed) and use the notes during the debrief to help coach individual students and to help students set goals for the next Seminar.
Note when one conversation thread has runs its course and introduce a new line of inquiry.
Never neglect the debrief. Feedback is vital if the group is going to grow with each Seminar. Request specific, non-judgmental comments to help improve future Seminars.
Over time, use a variety of print and non-print texts: arguments, proofs, fiction, essays, poetry, quotations, artwork, editorial cartoons, multimedia, etc.
Grading for a Socratic Seminar should be based on the quality of student ideas and their ability to connect their inferences to relevant evidence and others' ideas. Grading should not be done quantitatively.
Did you know?
The best Socratic Seminars are those in which something new and unexpected is discovered. This happens when the Socratic Seminar is approached as a collective search for information or exploration of ideas through dialogue, rather than a defense of opinions through debate.
Socratic Seminars are a culturally responsive teaching strategy because they center the student. The student is asked to create their own questions, make their own connections and push the thinking of their peers. When students are driving the learning, they bring their diverse experiences into the classroom.
A similar strategy that promotes discussion is Concentric Circles.