Socratic Seminar - Why are the Greeks Relevant?

SOCRATIC SEMINAR

The Greek philosopher and teacher Socrates (ca. 470-399 BCE) was convinced that the way to gain reliable knowledge was through the practice of disciplined conversation. He called this method dialectic, which means the art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer, so as to determine their validity.

Educators have developed the Socratic seminar as a way of engaging a group of learners in a conversation and series of questions. There are a number of considerations to address when conducting Socratic seminars, including the text, the question, the leader, and the participants.

The text. Socratic seminar texts should be selected for their ability to engage students in discussion. The text should be rich enough to ensure that readers will ask and answer questions for themselves. Both narrative and informational texts can be used in Socratic seminars. The most important thing is that the text can capture the imagination of the group.

The question. A Socratic seminar begins with a question posed by the leader. As students develop their expertise in Socratic seminars, they will begin asking questions themselves. The question should have no right answer. Instead, the question should reflect authentic wonder and interest. A good opening question requires that students return to the text to think, search, evaluate, wonder, or infer. Responses to the opening question should generate new questions, leading to new responses and still more questions. In a Socratic seminar, inquiry is natural and continuous.

The leader. In a Socratic seminar, the leader serves as both participant in and facilitator of the discussion. The seminar leader demonstrates “habits of mind” (see Costa & Kallick, 2000) that lead to a reflective and thoughtful exploration of the ideas presented in the text and referenced in the discussion. In addition to his facilitator role, the leader is also a seminar participant. As such, the leader actively takes part in the group’s examination of the text. Naturally, the leader must know the text well enough to anticipate misconceptions and misunderstandings, various interpretations, reader responses, and issues that may invoke strong emotions. At the same time, the leader must trust the process and allow the group to come to its own understanding of the text and the ideas represented in the text.

The participants. In a Socratic seminar, participants are responsible for the quality of the seminar and discussion. Good seminars result when participants study the text in advance; listen actively; share their ideas; opinions, and questions; and search for evidence in the text to support their ideas. Over time, participants realize that the leader is not expecting “right answers’ to the questions that are asked but instead is hoping to get students to think out loud as they discover the excitement of exploring important issues through shared inquiry. Guidelines for Socratic seminar participants can be found in Figure 3.5.

 

Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar

Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of memory. You are not “learning a subject”; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text. It’s okay to “pass” when asked to contribute. Do not participate if you are nor prepared. A seminar should not be a bull session. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to come back to. Don’t raise hands; take turns speaking. Listen carefully. Speak up so that all can hear you. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher. Discuss ideas rather than each other’s opinions. You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don’t know it or admit it.

 

Socratic Seminar Scoring Rubric