Socrates online? Go classic with a click....

1. CONSTRUCTIVISM MEETS CLASSICISM:
TEN TIPS TO INTERACTIVATE THE
SOCRATIC METHOD
Kkk
Katherine Watson, Coastline Distance Learning
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2. Inquiring minds want to know…
• What is the Socratic method?
• Who has used the Socratic method?
• Why and how is the Socratic method effective?
• Why and how can/should the Socratic method be
used online?
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3. How to interactivate the Socratic method?
• Tip 1: Clarify conversational guidelines
– Netiquette
– Consistency of appellations
– Development of conversational pragmatics
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4. To interactivate the Socratic method…
• Tip 2: Ask questions, and wait quietly for
answers
– Online, cite the name of the person to whom the
question is directed
– Remind people of parallel conversational topics
– Foster an atmosphere of patience
– Foster introspection in search of self-knowledge
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5. To interactivate the Socratic method…
…
• Tip 3: Engender “productive discomfort”
– Provoke self-analysis
– Encourage uncertainty
– Pursue the “how” &
“why” always……
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6. How to interactivate Socrates…
• Tip 4: Use follow-up questions
– Encourage healthy discussion
– Encourage “multi-logue”
– Engage and link
– Ask: How so?
– Ask: Why?
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7. Interactivating Socrates? How?
• Tip 5: Foster openness; reveal that you don’t
know something
– Foster humanity
– Probe, but encourage
– Correct by example
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8. Interactivation tip #6
• Tip 6: Welcome new, “crazy”, alternative views
– Remember: there are no “stupid questions”
– Be not shocked by the new
– Encourage excitement
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9. Interactivation made easy
• Tip 7: KISS
– In explanations
– In questions
– In elements of argument
– In the number of things
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10. Interactivation Socratically
• Tip 8: Discourage deference to authority
– Watch for the argumentum ad verecundiam
– Keep it logical and germane
– Trust personal judgment
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11. Interactivation tips…
• Tip 9: Avoid “hard architecture”
– Retain the notion of flux
– Accept disagreements
– Encourage change
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12. Interactivation tips …
• Tip 10: Shrink to fit
– Big ideas can always be re-packaged into smaller
concepts or modules
– Nothing is too big for the human mind or for
cyberspace to handle
– All conversations begin one on one
– We prefer the magical number 7
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13. Socratic inquirers want to….
• Clarify conversational guidelines
• Ask questions, and wait…
• Engender productive discomfort
• Use follow-up questions
• Foster openness
• Welcome the new
• KISS
• Discourage deference to authority
• Avoid hard architecture
• Shrink to fit
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14. Socrates can be interactivated
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