Socratic+Method

In the Socratic method, the teacher asks a series of questions that lead the students to examine the validity of an opinion or belief. This method will usually trigger a lively and entertaining classroom discussion.

"When conducting such discussion, you must have clear vision of the lesson you want your students to take away from it. It is essential to have your endpoint in mind so that you can always be angling toward it. Then, launch the discussion by asking something provocative. This will force the kids to take a position that you can use as a point of departure." "A good hypothetical situation is a powerful springboard for discussion."

In a discussion, if a students sticks to an unethical choice, "The progression of challenges to the student's position will eventually lead the student to a recognition that he initially made a bad choice. But instead of taking the authoritarian approach and saying it was a bad choice, we ask a series of questions designed to bring the student around to that conclusion on his own."

Socratic questioning showcases the importance of questioning in learning, teaches to dig beneath the surgace3 of our ideas, teaches the value of developing question minds in creating and encouraging deep learning.

Wikipedia identifies 6 categories of questions:
 * 1. Getting Students to clarify their thinking** e.g. 'Why do you say that?', 'Could you explain further?'
 * 2.** **Challenging students about assumptions** e.g. 'Is this always the case?', 'Why do you think that this assumption holds here?'
 * 3.** **Evidence as a basis for argument** e.g. 'Why do you say that?', 'Is there reason to doubt this evidence?'
 * 4.** **Alternative viewpoints and perspectives** e.g. 'What is the counter argument for?', 'Can/did anyone see this another way?'
 * 5.** **Implications and consequences** e.g. 'But if what happened, what else would result?', 'How does...affect...?'
 * 6.** **Question the question** e.g.'Why do you think that I asked that question?', 'Why was that question important?', 'Which of your questions turned out to be the most useful?'

Sources: [|Wikipedia - Socratic questioning] [|The Socratic Approach to Character Education]

The Socratic method benefits students by actively engaging students and forces critical thinking and creates active, independent learners.

I would use the Socratic method in Law mostly, probably when talking about certain laws that are sometimes not well understood or controversial. Maybe also in discussions about the outcome of certain cases - do they agree with the verdict? Why or why not? What evidence backs their opinion? Etc.

In terms of evaluation, I would do a couple of things. First is Product Assessments, by getting them to write a journal entry discussing the topic/issue, what their opinion was at the beginning of the discussion, how and if that opinion changed and what questions/comments by myself or the other students changed their mind, or why their original beliefs were verified during the discussion. As well, Interaction/Personal Communiation Assessment can be used since the classroom discussion is a conversation, which can be evaluated. As some students will be more boisterous than others, this cannot be the only form of evaluation.