Socratic method of teaching In Online Tutoring

Key Highlights to Socratic Method of Teaching

• The Socratic method is a highly engaging teaching method.
• It emphasizes asking thought-provoking questions to stimulate critical thinking.
• The educator’s role is to guide the discussion, not to provide ready answers.
• Online tutoring sessions can be an effective platform for implementing this method.
• Active participation and a structured approach are key to successful online Socratic sessions.

Introduction to Socratic Method of Teaching

If your online tutors ask questions and engage you in a dialog, they may be using the Socratic method of teaching. The Socratic Method laid the foundation of the Western pedagogical tradition. Many institutions and teachers still use it, especially in certain fields like law, where critical thinking skills are critical. However, the instructor-led monologue method of classroom instructions is generally the norm now.

Do we have a strong case for its use in the online tutoring environment? If we do, is it only for certain subjects and pedagogical contexts? Also, what is the best way to implement it? Let us examine all these things in this blog.

Understanding the Socratic Method

“I know that I know nothing” – Socrates in Plato’s Apology

Socrates, the great Greek philosopher and the father of Western philosophy, engaged his pupils and other Athenians in a dialogue. He used this method to help them develop their understanding in a way a child develops in the womb. Thus, he compared it to “midwifery in Plato’s dialogue “Theaetetus.”

He questioned others on their commonly held beliefs. Once the dialogue began, he scrutinized those beliefs further in conversational form. His idea was to help them understand if they are internally consistent and coherent with their own. By using this method, he wanted to bring everyone closer to the truth. You can think of it as akin to peeling the layers of an onion.

The Socratic method is a debate-based method aimed at advancing knowledge and the ability to think critically. The aim of the Socratic method is not just to explore what we know, but more importantly, what we don’t know. This helps us test the limits of our current knowledge. Once we have some idea of our own limitations, we can seek to learn more.

My Engineering Buddy make it a point to train all our tutors on Socratic method of teaching. We guide them how to ask the right questions so that students can learn better.

Preparing for a Socratic Session Online

I am not familiar with many places where teachers learn the Socratic method as their primary tool. As a tutor, online or offline, you will first need to get familiar with it if you want to effectively use it in any kind of a setting. Once you’ve done that, here are some steps that you may want to put in place before including it in your online tutoring sessions.

Setting up the virtual environment

If you plan to use the video feature, inform the students in advance so that they are in an appropriate setting.

All the participants must attend the session from a quiet and comfortable spot without distractions. Before you start, set clear protocol including:

• not speaking over each other
• not saying anything rude or personal to other participants
• muting microphones when not speaking
• using the chat feature for questions or comments

You can share a digital document with the students prior to the class so that they have the time to prepare. It can have:

• the learning goals
• key questions
• helpful resources

Essential tools and resources

As with everything done online, information technology and its tools form the backbone of the interaction and the experience. You will need these tools in your virtual Socratic dialogs. The tool must have screen sharing, breakout rooms, and a shared whiteboard to facilitate meaningful interaction.

These features can improve the interactive nature of the online Socratic teaching sessions. Popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams are best suited for this purpose. Additionally, you may want to use an on-screen timer to keep the flow of the session on track. Infact we highly recommend our tutors in My Engineering Buddy to use these timers during sessions.

Implementing the Socratic Method in Online Tutoring

In essence, the Socratic method of teaching in online tutoring isn’t completely different. You still have to prevent it from becoming chaotic without it looking like a silent meditation. To have a successful goal-oriented session, focus on the following goals and methods:

Have an ice-breaker

It is especially important in the online environment if the students are new to you. In fact, can be critical to the level of participation later on. I’ve observed many of my students gradually open up after ice-breaking interventions.

Start with basic but thought-provoking questions

An open-ended question relevant to the topic of discussion will set the ball rolling. If you have more than one student in the student, take turns and give everyone time for them to express themselves. Make it clear to your students that you are not asking for a “right” answer. They must know that the Socratic sessions operate differently from a regular academic lecture.

As the session goes on, ask questions that help them probe deeper into the topic. Challenge their views. It will push them to think critically. Questions like “Why do you think that?” “Do you have enough evidence to back your answer?” or “Can you explain that more?” are vital to take the session forward.

Encouraging active participation

Challenges that you will face in getting the students to participate in an online socratic tutoring session aren’t vastly different. However, the success of the Socratic method of teaching almost entirely depends on student participation. So, you must take extra care to ensure a great interaction. Here are some tools and methods to achieve it:

• Add fun and interactive options like polls, quizzes, or short breakout room activities at regular intervals.
• Call students by their names. They will feels noticed and valued. It will encourage them to participate in the discussion.
• Treat both “right” and “wrong” answers as chances to learn and cheer the student for trying. This technique helps the student open up to critical thinking without having the .fear of being judged.

Techniques for managing online discussions

As you employ the Socratic method of teaching in your online tutoring sessions, you will gain more experience and would likely do it with greater ease. The following tips would also help:

• Set clear guidelines: You must the expectations and guidelines to ensure a polite and smooth discussion.
• Have the students use the chat feature: If you encourage students to type their thoughts, questions, or replies in the chat, they can participate more without feeling scared to speak up.
• Be a guide, not one of the students: Even if you feel tempted to take over the discussion, resist that feeling. Let there be pauses or silence. These moments can help students think and share their ideas.

Overcoming Challenges in Online Socratic Sessions

In my experience, no tutoring session is easy. An online tutoring session following the Socratic method of teaching is no exception. Here are some of the challenges you my face and the methods to overcome them:

Engaging shy and reluctant participants

The most common issue in using the Socratic method is getting shy students to join in. Some of them maybe shy or introverts by nature. Some others may fear fear being wrong, or they may simply not know the format well. Focus on the following things to make it easy for them:

• Let them know every response is welcomed.
• Pay special attention to them without being intimidating or making them conscious
• Display cultural sensitivity to make them feel at home.

Handling dominant voices

On the other end of the spectrum sit the loud and boisterous students. You need to take special care to ensure that day don’t hijack the discussion and make it their own. You may try the following tips:

• Acknowledge these students but be ready to give them only the air time they deserve.
• As discussed earlier, tools like an online timer will help you bring discipline and encourage equal participation.

Ensuring productive dialogue

The tutors’ role is to ensure that students utilize their time productively during the online session. The students must be able to think carefully, back up their ideas with proof, and look at ideas from different angles.

They will also learn to question others and examine the responses. In the process, they will end up analyzing their own arguments. Thus, the productivity of the session can be measured by the quality of arguments.

Where is the Socratic Method Useful in Modern Educational Landscape?

The mode of instruction, whether it’s in-person or online, doesn’t affect the application of the method. However, there are limits to the usefulness of the Socratic method for certain subjects and academic fields. If you are teaching AP Calculus, the syllabus is well defined. So, there isn’t much scope for debate-style learning . Fields like legal studies and philosophy, however, beautifully lend themselves to the Socratic method. Many of the Psychology online tutors at MEB regularly use the Socratic method of teaching in their sessions.

Is the socratic method useful in online teaching environments?

With the digital technology and physical separation between the teacher and students, many students may feel more comfortable expressing themselves in a space that requires question-and-answer way of learning than they do in a physical classroom.

Limitations

• Student, especially those under heavy academic pressure, may not have as much time for debate-style learning
• It may prove expensive for the student as online tutoring is often 1:1
• Many tutors haven’t adapted their classes to incorporate it
• Not all subjects, curriculum, and cultures encourage this method in academics

Conclusion

Though the Socratic method came into being when online tutoring wasn’t around, it is an important way of teaching even today. As a tutor, you need to create a lively virtual environment with the help of the right technology tools.

The onus is on the online tutor to provide the right settings and inclusive environment for the method to be successful. The tutors must take special care to ensure that the students are familiar with how the class will be operated.

Online Socratic sessions encourage critical thinking and interaction. They can, thus, increase student participation and learning. For certain study areas, this argumentative style of teaching adds value. This online tutoring setup can be the platform for focused and engaging learning experiences. If done well, it can be as good as a face-to-face Socratic seminars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I ensure students participate in an online Socratic seminar?

Encourage students to participate by making a safe shared space for questioning and reasoning. Be patient with them. Make the students comfortable with the fact that it is a discussion-based method of learning. This way, everyone can join in the online discussion.

My Engineering Buddy provides Online Tutoring Sessions. We can tailor it to student’s specific needs including Scoratic method of teaching. Please contact us on Whatsapp to get started.