Welcome to LearnLawBetter.
Wondering what the Socratic method is all about?
Curious as to why professors use it?
Stay to the end, and learn the different ways it is used and how to survive when your professor
calls on you.
Don’t forget to hit the like button if you enjoy this episode, and click the subscribe
button and bell if you don’t want to miss any future episodes.
Hi, this is Beau Baez, and today I want to discuss the Socratic method.
The method is named after Socrates, the Greek Philosopher who lived in Athens in the 5th
Century B.C.
Though Socrates never wrote anything, his student Plato captured his teachings in a
series of books we call the dialogues.
In the dialogues, Socrates asks questions to others in the story, trying to get the
other person to get to the truth of some issue.
His most famous dialogue is called Phaedo, where Socrates asks questions to his students
on the immortality of the soul.
It’s a wonderful short book if you’ve never read it, and it's fairly short.
The Socratic method is a great teaching tool because it helps keep students engaged, which
is in stark contrast to the traditional lecture.
Some questions are designed to elicit lower level thinking answers.
For example: “in what year did the American revolution begin?”
A simple 1776 is all that is needed.
But the Socratic method, used by a seasoned professor, is used to engage the higher level
thinking, as when the professor asks “why did the American colonies revolt in 1776.”
Now let’s examine how professors use it in the classroom.
Approach #1 is the boot camp approach.
The professor’s role is to break the student by asking question after question
until the student can’t answer a question.
This establishes the professor’s dominance, and humbles the student so that the student
is willing to learn.
You'll be glad to hear that this approach isn’t used much today.
Approach #2 is the accountability approach.
The professor starts asking questions to a dozens of students during a class session, but most
of these questions require very little thought.
The professor does this to ensure that students read the material.
Approach #3 is the thinking approach, and most closely resembles how Socrates interacted
with others.
During a class session, the professor will ask questions to a few students, usually no
more than three, four, or five.
Each student will answer questions for 15 to 20 minutes, as the professor tries to get
the student to explain the assigned material.
For example, the professor may ask: “Mr. Smith, why do you believe that the court ruled
in favor of the defendant?”
The professor will also ask hypothetical questions, which requires the student to move beyond
the assigned reading.
For example: “Mr. Smith, that is a correct understanding of the material.
Now, let’ change the facts.
Assume that the victim was holding a gun instead of a baseball.
How does that change your answer?”
Let’s now look at how you can survive and thrive in this type of environment.
One, prepare for class.
If you didn’t read or only skimmed the reading, you're not going to do as well.
Two, as the professor asks questions of others, pretend the professor is asking you the question.
This means you should answer the question in your mind, and jot down a few notes.
If you don’t do this, you won’t engage with the material and miss the main benefit
of the Socratic method.
Third, look at the professor when answering the question.
Often, the answers are no where to be found in your notes or reading, so don’t look
for them.
Stop, think, and answer.
If it’s taking you some time to think of the words you want to use, it’s okay to
tell the professor something like: “Professor, I know the answer, but I just need a few more seconds
to gather my thoughts.”
Fourth, if you don’t understand the question, ask the professor to rephrase.
Fifth, try to answer the question.
This method is not about giving a perfect answer.
In fact, by trying you very well could get to the right answer, and if you don’t,
at least tried.
Also, a skilled professor will help you get to an answer.
What I tell my students is that I would rather see them try and get it completely wrong,
rather than for them to have never tried at all.
Remember, this is a learning experience.
You should learn not only from your successes, but also from your failures.
If you enjoyed this material, hit the like button.
Also, to avoid missing any future episodes, hit the subscribe and bell buttons.
For more resources to help you get ahead, including my blog and newsletter, check out
LearnLawBetter.com.
Thanks for watching.