Socratic Method

[Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>]

At 16:12 03 08 2000 , someone wrote:
> Where on the web can I find out more about the  Socratic
> Method in Physics teaching?-

I look forward to a URL for this; that would be interesting/helpful. What I
mean by the term is that my classes are a discussion; I may ask questions
which lead to a discussion of sorts which lead to student questions which
lead to further discussion.  With any luck and a bit of instructor guidance
and prodding the major points will be covered.  BUT the discussion will
surely NOT follow a linear path -- NOT follow some set of lecture notes.
There are only the mental notes of the instructor -- kept to be sure that
all the points are covered -- then or maybe the next day.  This means that
I never "prepare" lecture notes for class -- I walk in and ask what chapter
we are in currently and if there are any questions -- the questions usually
start that day's discussion.

Now I also am mindful of the download period (which I have determined to be
about the same 7min as the interval between TV ads.  That is every ~7min
the instructor needs to do a mini-demo (or major if needed) or stop to work
a problem (of the student's choice) on the board.  This to allow the
download of the previous information from one part of the brain to
another.  I am not sure that Socrates was careful about this.

The only rule is that the students _must_ arrive at class with questions
from their preparation and hopefully leave with no remaining questions to
be settled -- until the next day's iteration.  If they are not prepared,
they soon learn that they are fall behind -- so they do prepare -- unless
of course they are miserable students -- or are students who are miserable. <g>

This is _my_ "Socratic Method" -- I hope we hear from others.


Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen