Professor uses Socratic method... lessons learned?

Question

My professor uses the cold call technique in class. I can understand it to an extent, to make sure people do their readings. However, it's not only for assignments, it's for any thing throughout the lecture that may come up.

A few times I've been called on and given the wrong answer, in which it's turned into a joke and classmates have laughed.

I learn the answer, but feel down afterwards thinking how can I come back to the same class every week with these peoples lowered opinion of me. I don't feel more educated, I feel the opposite.

Is there some good I should be extracting from this style of teaching?

Again, this is not based on course material all the time. Perhaps it's on something we *should* know, but...

Ok, yes there isn't much in the way of learning in the classroom. Basically, I just feel interrogated & crappy after class.

Answer 1

It sounds to me as if he is doing it not only for the purposes of ensuring that you've done the reading, but also to make sure everyone is paying attention.

As far as your feelings go, it seems as if you're being too self-conscious. First, it doesn't really matter what those people think of you; second, I very much doubt that stumbling over a few answers is going to lower you in their eyes. After all, are these students all rocket scientists and Einsteins?

Lastly, if you feel demoralized, pride (ego) is an issue with you. It seems as though what really bothers you is that making these mistakes and having them revealed in front of the class hurts your pride. This, more than anything else, is something you should address. After all, far more important than educational advancement is the spiritual variety; pursuing the latter is how you grow in wisdom, and wisdom is what enables you to put knowledge to proper use.

Don't take this as gratuitous criticism because we all can fall victim to pride. I myself often have experiences in which someone does something that bothers me, and then I realize that it's only my pride (which is one of the Seven Deadly Sins) that was hurt.

Good luck and God bless

Answer 2

1. The point of the socratic method is not to convince your opponent but to eliminate your opponent's argument. This does not mean that you will change your opponent's mind, just that the record of the argument will reflect to an objective third party that your point is superior to his. Socrates chose to defy the court. He did not try to win his case. That is part and parcel of his story. 2. From what I can understand of the fact pattern you laid out, the reason your tactic did not work with your business deal is that the other guy was lying to you and was just trying to get you to lower your price. Don't blame Socrates if you're in the kind of business where you can't expect honesty. The Socratic method only works if there is sincerity on both sides. Otherwise, it's just another game of one-upsmanship. The guy you're doing business with is just another sleazebag who wants to get the price down. Obviously, your price is no better than others he's gotten somewhere else, so he can afford to blow you off if you don't drop your price. You should have told him that if he can get it at that price, there's nothing you can do to match it, or you should have matched it. Asking him to back up his claim is just bad salesmanship, and not at all an application of the Socratic method.

Answer 3

Usually you don't see this outside of law schools. It's supposed to teach you to be quick on your feet, and is also a tool to teach you to think in the style of whatever subject you're learning.

In law school, it's something of a rite of passage and since we all go through it, we all give the wrong answer now and then and it's no big deal. People really don't remember who said what unless it was a spectacularly good exchange.

If you're not in law school and your professor's using this as an excuse to belittle and/or abuse students, you should take this up with your dean.

Answer 4

You haven't described the Socratic Method.

The Socratic Method is asking a question, and then another, eventually illuminating to the student that their original position was incorrect. It is a method of using questions to cause the student to teach themselves.

There is no ridicule involved in the Socratic Method, no learning by rote, no boring lectures. The instructor just asks questions.