Discussion: View Thread

friend of mine sent me this thread and I wanted to make a quick comment although I am not part of this group.

I have taught now for 39 years in college but I have used the Socratic Method exclusively since 1991 (every single day).  I was named the 2007 Virginia Professor of the Year by CASE which makes me think that, despite the fact that students do want to be handed answers, it is a method that does work very well if your goal is to get students to prepare, consider, and reason.  The key is, I think, to stretch them a little, question by question, and not throw them into questions that they cannot possibly answer.

As a result, I am in the process (along with C. J. Skender of UNC) of writing an entire textbook in a question and answer (Socratic) format.  It is an intro Financial Accounting textbook and is being published (as a free textbook, no less) by Flat World Knowledge.  The book comes out as an online book in the next 4-6 weeks.  I love the Socratic approach so much that I wanted to see if it could not be used to create a new type of textbook.

Ask those questions!!!!

Joe Hoyle
Robins School of Business
University of Richmond



From: Management Education and Development Discussion [mailto:MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of George Graen
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:18 AM
To: MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: Teaching Methods

Ray,

I find that we cannot improve on the old Greek. I've tried.

George

\In a message dated 11/10/2009 8:03:04 A.M. Central Standard Time, ramon@RAYVENERO.COM writes:
George-
Thank you for your post. I'm on the same page. Even my graduate students want me to "tell" them the "right" answer. There's no better method for developing critical thinking (and for that matter run a business) that by asking questions until all the dots connect.
Ray

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

________________________________
From: George Graen <Lmxlotus@AOL.COM>
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:57:46 -0500
To: <MG-ED-DV@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU>
Subject: Teaching Methods


Jeanie,

I have employed the "Socratic method" of asking successively approximating questions with answers to train my students to think in a functional manner about issues in the management of human talent.  Selected cases work well when properly framed and systematically processed.  I find that this Socratic method is most effective with students who respect the competence of their instructor and classmates, trust the motives of their instructor, and share with the instructor and their classmates a desire for authentic learning.  I think that learning using this process contributes much more than watching film clips of TV shows, playing business games, or lecturing a class.  But that's only me.

George Graen
Professor, Psychology, UIUC (Ret.)
/