The Socratic Teaching Style
Calculus&Mathematica at Ohio State uses a teaching style
based on the methods of the great philosopher Socrates. Socrates was
well known for never answering a question in all his years of
teaching. In C&M classes, questions are answered with more
questions, rather than just telling the student the answer. By doing
this, the students are encouraged to discover concepts for themselves,
rather than just accept what they are told. Our Socratic model also
includes several other apsects. Discussions,
lead by a teacher, lab assistant or mentor, are frequent and involved.
Communication and teamwork are stressed. The student is in control of
their learning by participating in the discussions and their learning
group. Our lab is not a place where people take
courses, it is a place where people learn.
