Socratic Problem-Solving Approach
The Socratic Method is a teaching style in which teachers
ask students questions designed to stimulate more com-
plete thinking and deeper insight. It also relates to the
steps of performing scientific research. When the Socratic
approach is applied, students are prompted to look more
closely at your ideas, question your assumptions and ac-
cepted premises, and view your choices through a rigor-
ous lens.
Apply the Socratic approach
Applying the Socratic approach to problem solving helps
you identify gaps and improve your thinking when writing
papers or completing projects. The questions may be
used to spark new insights when responding to discussion
topics and posts.
• Identify the elements of the problem, issue, or ques-
tion Supporting actions:
◦ Break the problem down into pieces, elements,
or components.
◦ Recognize how the pieces or components are re-
lated to each other.
◦ Look for missing information or gaps in what you
know.
◦ Note the information that you do not have, can-
not find, or is unavailable.
◦ Separate symptoms from underlying causes.
◦ Avoid judgments and premature solutions.
◦ Gather information.
• Supporting questions:
◦ What problem am I trying to solve?
◦ What are the key issues in this problem?
◦ What facts do I have? A fact is "something that
actually exists; reality; truth; a truth known by
actual experience or observation; something
known to be true."*
◦ What evidence do I have? Evidence is "that
which tends to prove or disprove something;
grounds for belief; proof."*
◦ Which pieces of information are opinions? Opin-
ion is "a belief or judgment that rests on grounds
insufficient to produce complete certainty; a per-
sonal view, attitude, or appraisal."*
◦ Which pieces of information are inferences? To
infer is "to derive by reasoning; conclude or
judge from premises or evidence."*
◦ Are the inferences well or poorly reasoned? Can
alternative inferences be drawn from the same
facts or observations?
◦ Which pieces of the information are theories? A
theory is "a more or less verified or established
explanation accounting for known facts or phe-
nomena."*
◦ What do I not know?
◦ What information is missing, and is it possible to
get the information I do not have?
◦ What are the possible sources of information?
◦ What must remain unknown for now?
•
• Analyze, define, and frame the problem, issue, or
question Supporting actions:
◦ Gather information that you need to know more
about the context surrounding this problem.
◦ Decide which pieces of information are impor-
tant.
◦ Identify your point of view.
◦ Consider how your cultural values shape your
perception of the problem.
◦ Evaluate conflicting evidence.
◦ Separate symptoms from underlying causes.
◦ Avoid value judgments and premature solutions.
◦ Analyze arguments.
◦ Identify what you do not understand and the
complexities of the problem.
◦ Define a research problem.
• Supporting questions:
◦ What are my goals? What am I trying to accom-
plish?
◦ Which pieces of information are the most impor-
tant in relationship to this problem?
◦ Is the information, or presented evidence, rele-
vant to the problem? Are there other ways to in-
terpret the information?
◦ How does the information relate to:
1. What I already know?
2. My personal and professional experiences?
◦ How does this information support or match my
experiences?
◦ How does it contradict or differ from my experi-
ences?
◦ What information opposes my position?
◦ What theories in my discipline shed light on this
problem?
◦ What are the values, beliefs, and assumptions
(i.e. or the things that are taken for granted and
usually unstated) implied in the problem state-
ment?
◦ What are my values and beliefs in relationship to
this problem?
◦ Am I ignoring evidence that does not fit with my
beliefs?
◦ Am I failing to consider or investigate evidence
that may contradict the theory I support?
◦ What are my assumptions in relationship to this
problem?
◦ What support or evidence do I have to back up
these assumptions?
◦ What are the values, beliefs, and assumptions of
my sources of information and references in re-
lationship to this problem?
◦ How does my culture or my world view shape my
approach to this problem?
◦ How would someone from another culture or
world view approach this problem?
◦ What are the possible causes of this problem?
◦ What blind spots are keeping me from seeing
additional causes?
◦ What evidence supports my assertions? How re-
liable is this evidence?
◦ What evidence supports others' assertions?
◦ How reliable is this evidence?
◦ What other issues relate to this problem?
◦ Am I considering the complexities of this prob-
lem?
◦ How important is the problem relative to other
problems?
•
• Consider solutions, responses, or answers Support-
ing actions:
◦ Consider the evidence for and against:
3. Your theory or viewpoint.
4. Others' theories or viewpoints.
◦ Analyze arguments.
◦ Imagine the implications of each possible solu-
tion.
◦ Formulate research questions or hypotheses.
• Supporting questions:
◦ What theories relate to these solutions?
◦ What are the possible expert views that may be
held on this problem?
◦ Which views are best supported by evidence?
◦ What are all the possible solutions, resources,
and constraints to this problem?
◦ Additional solutions
1. What blind spots are keeping me from see-
ing them?
2. What are the implications of these?
3. What might be the consequences of these?
4. What world view does each imply?
•
• Choose a solution, response, or answer Supporting
actions:
◦ Evaluate your choice from alternative view-
points, or put yourself in someone else's shoes.
◦ Question and consider the problems that may
arise from your choice.
◦ Choose research questions or hypotheses.
• Supporting questions:
◦ What theories in the discipline provide support
for this solution?
◦ How did I reach this conclusion?
◦ Is this solution aligned with my goals? Does this
solution address the problem's most critical as-
pects?
◦ Why do I prefer this solution, response, or an-
swer?
◦ How is this solution, response, or answer sup-
ported by, or dependent upon,:
1. Data, facts, and evidence?
2. Opinions or inferences?
◦ What are the costs of this solution?
◦ What are the possible risks of this solution? How
likely are those risks?
◦ What are the possible benefits of this solution?
How likely are those benefits?
◦ How do my biases affect my choice? What alter-
native biases might be held by others, and how
would these affect their choices?
◦ What assumptions, values, and goals does my
choice imply?
•
• Implement your choice