Running Socratic Seminars Online
By Maddy Dahl
When most people picture a Socratic Seminar, they envision the circle of chairs all facing the center. This physical space allows for students to see each other clearly and creates a sense of collaboration among the students. They are all equally part of the discussion space.
So what does this look like when the physical space is gone? Socratic Seminars online provide students with the same opportunities to explore a text and discuss ideas with their peers. While some small adjustments must be made, any teacher can easily implement a seminar in their online classroom.
Socratic Seminar Overview
Socratic Seminars are discussions that allow students to develop a collaborative understanding of a text, including analysis of the text’s features and evaluation of the relations the texts holds outside of itself.
According to the National Paideia Center’s article on Socratic Seminars, “Good discussions occur when participants study the text closely in advance, listen actively, share their ideas and questions in response to the ideas and questions of others, and search for evidence in the text to support their ideas.”
Students should approach the discussion seeking to deepen their understanding and talk openly about a text with their peers. Socratic Seminars are not debates and there is no winner.
How I Prepare My Class for the Seminar
Before holding a seminar online, it’s important to choose a text that can provide ample opportunity for in-depth analysis. Facing History suggests using a shorter text for a socratic seminar. This is great for the first practice round of a seminar. In my 11th grade American Literature class, I started with a discussion of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence before moving on to seminars on the novel The Great Gatsby.
To prepare students to participate in the discussion, I use the following steps:
Tell them we are having a Socratic Seminar during the specified class period. This seems simple, but the heads up allows them to mentally prepare.
Assign it a grade. In my class, students are graded on participation, including talking on the mic and using their camera, which increases my class participation. In seminars where I assigned having their camera on as 10% of the discussion grade, I had 75% of students in attendance turn on their cameras as opposed to classes where it was simply encouraged, only 20% of students using their cameras.
Provide discussion sentence stems and ground rules for the discussion. Know Atom has a wonderful list of discussion sentence starters.
Give a note taking outline with 3 to 5 guiding questions. I assign prep work which requires students to provide potential evidence they could use to answer the questions to be turned in via Canvas.
Ask students to turn in their notes the day before the discussion. I use this as a check in for the students who are missing their notes. A simple email reminder generally gets at least 2 to 3 stragglers to turn in their notes. This helps me to make sure that as many students as possible come to the discussion prepared.
Allow for 5 minutes before the discussion for microphone and camera testing. Sometimes, technology doesn’t cooperate. Allowing for practice time makes sure that all students can use their mics and cameras with minor hiccups during the discussion.
What the Socratic Seminar Looks Like in Zoom
The circle or square desk arrangement can be substituted by requiring cameras during the discussion. The grid arrangement of cameras in Zoom allows for the viewer to see many faces at once. Seeing the student faces allows for me to assess that students are engaged in the discussion even when they aren’t actively speaking.
I try to speak as little as possible during seminars, so I like to assign a few student roles.
Facilitator: Makes sure the discussion flows smoothly. Asks the provided questions to keep the discussion moving forward. Ensures the ground rules are followed.
Detail Hound: Asks follow-up questions. Makes sure students are providing evidence to support their claims.
Recorder: Records the flow of the conversation. Takes notes on who speaks and how often. Provides occasional summaries of what has been discussed. This is a great role for super shy students, as they can participate without talking often.
Though speaking on mic is the most important aspect, I try to be flexible with the students who are painfully shy and opposed to speaking on mic. I allow for partial credit for participation via the Zoom chat function. As part of the Facilitator’s job, they read aloud any chat participation to keep the conversation flowing on mic as much as possible.
Reflections and Grading
Reflection is key to the Socratic Seminar process according to Socratic Seminars International. They suggest having students reflect not only on the quality of their statements, but also on how well they followed the ground rules of the seminar.
I like to have students write a paragraphs each on the following questions:
How effectively did you participate in the discussion? What did you do well? What do you wish you could have done better?
What is something that someone else said that stood out to you? Why was this?
What are two goals you have for the next seminar? What are some steps you can take to make sure you can achieve these goals?
After having students submit their reflections, I assign a grade that takes into account their participation, whether their camera was on, and their reflection. Students are provided a rubric ahead of time so there are no surprises.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Don’t expect the seminar to be perfect the first time. According to Socratic Seminars International, it takes at an average of six to eight seminars for students to get the hang of it. Learn from any mistakes and make adjustments to best suit your class. Soon, Socratic Seminars can become part of your regular online class routine.
Maddy has been teaching English online for a decade. She has developed curriculum and taught classes ranging from reading and writing intervention to advanced placement courses. As an Instructional Coach for SYS, Maddy helps teachers build online content that is both rigorous and engaging for students.