when students multitask with devices in class–taking notes on computers, Facebooking, shopping,
texting–it results in more distraction, less retention, and poorer academic performance.^6
Furthermore, when a student is on a device, she is not only distracting herself, but also those
around her.^7
There are larger issues at play. First, the omnipresence of information technology creates the
impression that“wisdom”is attained through the gathering and spread of information, not through
critical thinking, which is why the online mentality feels that it must always be plugged-in. Second,
the speed at which information technology and social media operate seems to be having an impact
on human consciousness. The online mentality expects things to happen faster and has less patience
for lulls or gaps, feeling compelled to fill every second with information and distraction. The slow,
nuanced, and occasionally boring slog of Socratic reasoning cannot compete with the dynamo of
digital media, which allows a“surfer”to skim the surface of everything without diving deeply into
anything.^8 Third, devices impact our ability to interact face-to-face, which is central to the Socratic
method.^9 With texts and emails, students do not see facial reactions. The Internet also allows a
person to sink into a solipsistic echo chamber (viaa“chat room”or online group), in which his own
opinions and tastes are repeated back to him. In this way, the Internet reinforces silos of like-minded
people, sheltered from actual face-to-face dialog, who become sensitive and outright angry when
they encounter opposing opinions in offline public spaces.
Some educational theorists have argued that truly innovative professors should accept the
“culture of hyper attention”that comes with the predominance of digital media; the only way
students will learn in the new environment is if professors embrace and integrate these technologies
into their pedagogies, providing constant online stimulation and activities in the classroom.^10 But
as Turkle argues, it is doubtful that this approach, even if successfully applied, would result in
anything more than fragmented learning and ill-formed thoughts; when students are simul-
taneously using different electronic gadgets and programs, there is no sustained focus. Students will
only partially digest small bits of information and form“tweet”-sized thoughts rather than fully
coherent arguments. Professors should establish a different approach that students may resist at
first, but which, in the long term, is more conducive to deep learning–one that cultivates what
Turkle calls“unitasking,”encouraging students to focus on one point at a time by listening care-
fully, reading deeply, and responding critically.^11
The true Socratic classroom therefore needs to be, for the most part, a device- and computer-free
environment, with exceptions for in-class written assignments and students who need technology
for accessibility. In such a class, students are encouraged to handwrite notes summarizing class-
room discussion, rather than to transcribe verbatim on a computer. At least one major study
has demonstrated that even when computers are used exclusively for note-taking, it results in
“shallower processing”of class content than if notes are taken longhand.^12 With the decline of
cursive writing, students may be less able to write longhand. Nevertheless, the Socratic classroom
should shift from an environment where students are basically stenographers and toward a space of
face-to-face dialog with minimal note-taking. For example, in small-to-medium sized courses, it
may be possible to conduct what Copeland calls“Socratic Circles,”where a group of three to six
students forms a circle in the center of the class to discuss a specific issue. The remaining students
form an outer circle, listening and assessing. When the inner circle dialog is finished, students in the
outer circle can participate. The professor acts as a moderator, intervening at key points.^13
Obviously, Socratic Circles are easier to conduct in smaller classes, but there are opportunities for
more dialog even in large classes. And because the Socratic method is a“face-to-face”pedagogy, it
cannot be fully practiced in an online course. Though some online courses may be well designed
and allow for dialog through discussion boards and video links, they simply cannot recreate the full
experience of a living Socratic classroom.
Technology can actually assist the Socratic professor who wants to lead a device-free class.
Termed the“flipped classroom,”course materials and pre-taped lectures can be posted on the
140 Paul Corey