Overview:

Socratic learning is based on the idea that human beings have faculties that can be awakened through questioning, exploration, and self- examination. "Anamnesis" in Greek referred to the ability to draw on or recollect, bring to mind, deeper resources within the individual for use in daily life.

Assumptions:

Platonists assumed that the process of culling out lessons from experiences in light of principles such as truth and justice in an ongoing process of self-examination was an essential part of education. Plato via Socrates said that human beings take only their education with them at death which would aid them in future lives.

Practice:

Integrate thought experiments into the curriculum on a regular basis.

Use questioning to promote dialoguing in class, and encourage self-questioning and reflection outside of class. Tie to written exercises and group work.

Provide students with models such as steps in conceptual analysis and synthesis, or the "Elements of Reasoning", as guides as they prepare assignments and engage in class activities.

Engage students in how to investigate possible solutions by examining positive and negative examples. In addition, after taking in all the information and using good reasoning, illustrate how to reformulate the solution or perspective as needed.

Example:

Students might think through an issue, question, or problem to solve, using the "Elements of Reasoning" worksheet, and present their line of reasoning to a small group. Prompts include the following: purpose, issue, question, or problem to solve, assumptions, point of view, information, concepts, interpretation and inference (conclusion), and implications and consequences of the conclusion. The students can use the same vocabulary words to guide small group discussion.

Review of Principles:

1. Assume all students have potentials to learn that can be "drawn out" by thought-provoking questioning. Some people assume Socratic questioning is putting students on the spot to produce an answer, but this, in my opinion, misses the heart of Socratic learning, which is based on a trust and respect between teacher and student. Neither is it a guessing game. The challenge is how to ask a question from the motivation of helping someone draw out inner faculties, which is different both from giving the answer and from perceiving someone as failing if they do not have the "right" answer. Perhaps you have some suggestions about how to do this.

2. Consider a line of questioning in relation to the chosen topic; try to role model how to think in the logic of your discipline by "thinking aloud".

3. Promote the desire to wonder, question and investigate within students, while teaching them how to go about thinking through their questions. Encourage students to make self-reference and to attempt to apply ideas in their lives. A regular discipline of contemplation, self-study and reflection seems to be self-reinforcing.

References:

Arnett, Ronald C. (1992) Dialogic Education: Conversation About Ideas and Between Persons. Carbondale: So. Illinois University Press, .
Iyer, Raghavan. (1979) Parapolitics. London: Oxford University Press.
Paul, Richard. "Elements of Reasoning". SSU's Center for Critical Thinking. <http://www.criticalthinking.org/>