When used in online nursing education, Socratic questioning enhances learning. The purpose of Socratic questioning in the online course is to engage learners, make discussions come alive, make thinking and learning evident, and help students become more aware of the presence of a learning community. Ask yourself, how can I incorporate Socratic strategies in online courses and use this method to create more dynamic and engaging instruction with my nursing students?
SOCRATIC APPROACH TO QUESTIONING IN LEARNING ONLINE
Using a Socratic approach in teaching and learning leads to rich learning situations, especially online. Socrates used questioning that led his students to deeper insights and understanding. Delic and Becirovic (2016) explained that applying the Socratic method furthers students' interest, curiosity, and passion for learning, stimulating critical thinking. They asserted that, by following Socrates' example, educators can help students become self-regulating learners who explore their thoughts and beliefs and challenge new information. This leads the students to engage in critical thinking as a habit, which is an essential skill for nurses. Thus, engaging in Socratic questioning is an important practice for all online nurse educators.
Guiding students to engage in deeper critical learning, the Socratic method should be combined with other teaching and learning techniques based on the needs of the learners. Krahenbuhl (2016) confirmed that well-intentioned educators recognize that a variety of teaching and learning methods, based on the purpose of the learning needs, are central to successful student achievement. George (2015) explained that the purpose of questioning, rather than explanation, is a gift that promotes interaction - interaction that leads students to examine the conversation and content. Thus, students and educators all become integral contributors to the discussion. Yet, the methods used to teach and nurture curiosity and engagement in learning involve much more than just asking and answering questions. According to George, using a variety of teaching methods and strategies, along with dialogue, promotes and encourages appreciation, thoughtful investigation and analysis, and awareness. The Socratic method is one essential element of effective teaching that directs students toward deeper insight and comprehension.
Using Socratic questioning and dialogue encourages and nurtures insight and comprehension. Purposeful inquiry leads students to examine the literature and research. Students will take a closer look at their preconceived notions to find answers to the educator's questions. Consider the online course room. There is a computer screen with a discussion board filled with students' answers to discussion questions, sometimes viewed as minipapers. Often the course educator will add insight, redirect, answer questions, and engage students by raising additional questions. Imagine the online conversations when Socratic techniques are put into operation. Using the Socratic teaching method, the online learning experience is vibrant and filled with energy, creative ideas, and rich dialogue. Students are engaged, think critically as a community of learners, and cannot wait to get back into the conversation.
THINKING ABOUT THINKING
Questions drive thinking. If a student is given the answers, then this suggests facts and no further thinking is needed. Rather than providing answers, as in the old method of didactic learning, spoon-feeding content to students, questioning keeps the thought process in motion. The Foundation for Critical Thinking (Paul & Elder, 1997) stressed that answers do not drive thinking. Rather, the more profound the question asked, the deeper students will dive below the surface to discover more complex answers.
Specific kinds of questions focus on identifiable ways of thinking. For example, questions related to perspective lead students to reexamine beliefs, values, principles, and standards. Questions related to precision force students to be explicit about the facts and details that support responses. Asking students to explain their reasoning leads to paying attention to what is driving their opinions and thinking, compelling examination of reasoning for soundness. Asking for speculation leads toward reconsideration of what was previously taken as a given fact. Questions related to analysis and understanding compel the pondering of alternative ways of thinking. Inquiries pertaining to reliability and stability drive students to draw attention to inconstancies. Asking for facts creates a push toward the examination of evidence (Paul & Elder, 1997). Thus, using intentional kinds of questions drives students to think in intentional ways.
The purpose of the question drives the type of question asked. Examples of questions related to nursing include the following:
* What do you already know about this topic?
* What are implications of this?
* How does this affect that?
* What are the strengths and weaknesses?
* Can you elaborate?
* How would you summarize this?
* What is your reasoning behind your answer?
* What evidence supports your answer?
* Why?
* What if[horizontal ellipsis]?
The questioning continues well after the student responds, in an on ongoing process of inquiry, thinking, learning, and evaluating. The responses provide the teacher with evidence to reflect upon when an answer is given. For example, did the answer provide relevant information or was there a logical line of thought? Suitably, using Socratic questioning, along with contemporary teaching methods, leads toward developing students who think critically and engage with learning.
Beyond critical thinking is critical reflection and cultural sensitivity. The online learning environment draws students and instructors from a variety of cultures, social classes, and with different life experiences. Koss and Williams (2018) insisted that educators must have the knowledge and skills to recognize and address social issues related to discrimination and oppression. They promoted using the Socratic method as an effective and valuable tool. An exceptional way to teach online includes Socratic forms of questioning and dialogue, rather than explanation, providing students with the ability to examine, evaluate, clarify, and then deconstruct and reconstruct their thinking.
STUDENT READINESS
It is important to note that success when using the Socratic method in online learning depends on the comfort level of students with online learning and their readiness and willingness to go beyond the requisite obligations in the course. Obi et al. (2018) stated that there are five factors that influence online learning readiness: attitudes about learning online, sociodemographic factors, comfort with technology, content readiness, and cultural readiness. Combining the possible unfamiliarity of online learning with purposely posed questions, beyond the expected level of commitment, may be overwhelming to inexperienced students. Based on experience, some students are not willing or ready to delve deeper to learn more.
Students' reactions depend on motivation to learn and time dedication to learning. Furthermore, in online education, students' reactions are not visually viewed. The educator will not be able to see students roll their eyes or hear them complain to friends and family about the extra work the professor is making them do when asking questions that lead to further investigation. For example, in reviewing student evaluations of an online nursing course, some students complained about the time involved in the discussion forum. However, in the same course, most students praised the instructor for making the content more understandable and relevant to their learning needs.
Depending on life circumstances and motivation to learn, some students may find answering questions to be superfluous, even though the questions are purposeful. This may be attributed to the questioning being viewed as unnecessary for passing the course. On the other hand, many students enjoy the challenge and find the coursework more fulfilling. It is important that you take notice of the students' reasons for taking the course, motivation to learn, extenuating circumstances, and readiness to engage in using Socratic questioning in online coursework.
CONCLUSION
Incorporating Socratic questioning enhances learning in online courses when used appropriately. Ask yourself, "How will I incorporate this proven strategy and use this information to create more dynamic and engaging online courses?" Consider using Socratic questioning to promote retention and academic and professional achievement for your students. Questioning provides educators with the tools to diagnose student understanding, emphasize importance, engage learners, and stimulate critical thinking. Questioning and critical thinking are integral qualities that nurses must possess. Modeling Socratic questioning leads your students to success. Just consider what Socrates might do.
REFERENCES