Blended Socratic Method of Teaching (BSMT)

Boa, Wattanatorn, & Tagong (2018) emphasize the facts that critical thinking is highly valued in the business community, and, because of this, educators agree that it has top priority: Every educational institution in Thailand should emphasize these skills. Unfortunately, people worldwide continue to struggle in this area. Teaching methods are a significant contributor to the problem: students learn to listen rather than question. Boa et al.’s “study presents an instructional model combining the Socratic method of teaching and information communication technology (ICT) by using the popular social media platform, Facebook. This model is known as the Blended Socratic Method of Teaching (BSMT).”
 
The objective of BSMT is to help students recognize assumptions, evaluate arguments, and draw conclusions. To meet these goals, a group of students write and present a case scenario analysis in class. Everyone is encouraged to ask questions that anyone except the instructor can answer. Displaying name cards to monitor participation adds to the sense of urgency. The case is then posted in a Facebook group where the conversation continues online. The instructor acts a guide-on-the-side and concludes the discussion. The environment tends to be uncomfortable while the discussion is intellectual and productive. Respect for everyone is maintained all the time. New case studies with supporting material about business ethics and social responsibility are assigned each week to help familiarize students with applying course material in real-life situations. The model is valid and considered a breakthrough by experts.
 
I am not surprised by these findings. Other than group versus individual analysis of case scenarios, this is almost exactly the format that I learned to employ from my mentoring professor at UCF while teaching Legal Studies online in WebCT in 1999. I have been doing something similar in Facebook since returning from Africa in 2011. The differences being that I will analyze current events and present my discoveries as a series of status posts, usually at the beginning of the week. I then watch my news feed over the following few days, reacting to other people’s shares on the subject. At that point, I write a closing statement(s) and watch for feedback. This typically happens mid-week, allowing the reggae industry enough time to include the dialog in their weekend shows. Many Jamaicans produce new songs every week. Occasionally, I see or hear my words or some derivative of them on TV satire shows, in entertainment media or even as an inspirational quote on a tech giant’s login window. When we started this, I gave everyone permission to use anything I say without asking permission. I prefer privacy. As a retired educator and social activist, I am most interested in hearing how the reggae industry summarizes everyone’s views in their recorded shows.
 
Boa, E. A., Wattanatorn, A., Tagong, K. (2018). The development and validation of the Blended Socratic Method of Teaching (BSMT): An instructional model to enhance critical thinking skills of undergraduate business students. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences. 39(1). Pgs. 81-89. Retrieved October 2, 2018, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452315117307087