Blending Old and New: Incorporating the Socratic Method into Online Discussion Forums

The Socratic method of questioning is a classic and well-respected teaching method that has existed since, well, the age of Socrates. The method is a highly disciplined process involving focusing on giving students well-crafted questions instead of answers. In this highly digitized age, we have to be ever mindful of not discarding time-tested methods like Socratic questioning. Instead, instructors should incorporate methods like this into their discussion boards, striving to keep the discussion active, focused, inclusive, and intellectually responsible. This presentation will focus on strategies and examples for creating a classic learning environment in the online classroom of the 21st century.

OUTCOMES: Define what it means to be a Socratic questioner * Identify opportunities in the online environment to become a Socratic questioner * Implement Socratic questioning strategies in your own online classrooms