The article "
Socratic Backfire?" by Kaustuv Basu in the October 31, 2011 issue of Inside Higher Ed
discussed the case of Steven Maranville whose denial of tenure seemed to be based on his use of the Socratic method. Specifically his students objectioned to being asked questions even though they hadn't raised their hands and being required to work in groups.
I would have thought that being business students this would be regarded as training for corporate life. Silly me.
WARNING: this course may make you think. Occasional discomfort or, in rare cases, actual embarrassment, may occur. If thoughtfulness lasts more than four hours, please consult your physician.
Of course there is more to it. The professor is blind. He gave up a tenured position to at the University of Houston to move to Utah Valley University. It seems that department chair and an associate dean approved his teaching style.
We'll see how the plot thickens.
It reminds me of text that faculty have found important to include in their syllabus from the use of electronic devices and deportment to their grading rubrics. More than one instructor felt it necessary to include in the syllabus an advisory that the syllabus was work in progress subject to change or that the syllabus contained material which needed to be mastered, but would not necessarily be covered in class.
On this last point the instructors usually justify not covering material in class by saying that if the student knows the material the student's time will be wasted by having the instructor go through it one more time. A more constructive approach is to assign material with exercises. If the student has difficulty or questions about the exercises it became the student's responsibility to ask the instructor to cover the material or elucidate a problem.
With some of the technology available to us a short video that helps the one student this semester may help half the class two semesters from now.
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