From Socrates to Sartre:

The Effectiveness of the Dialectic MethodM. A. Cooksey, Senior Lecturer in Humanities Indiana University East

The Effectiveness of the Dialectic Method• Historical Perspective and Personalities• Past Methods and Current Motivation• Project Snapshot and Attributes of Application• Results and Reflection

Socrates474 – 399 b.c.The grand daddy of the dialectic – but not the originator. That would be Zeno of Elea…

Past methods• Scholastic (esoteric)• Academic (analytic)• Intellectual (rational)• Professional (synthetic)

Logic as Magic Logic as Mystic

Logic as Metaphysical Logic as Analysis

Logic as Critical Thinking

Critical thinking as application of

Logic

Current Motivation

Pursuit of Active Learning • Immersive• Inspirational• Motivational• Transformational

Pursuit of Applicable Learning• Intrusive• Empowering• Enriching• Edifying

Project Snap ShotLogic and the flipped classroom: Instruction in an inverted curriculum

The Dialectic experiment in curricular inversion began with a traditional introduction to Philosophy and specifically, Logic and Critical Thinking .

The experience evolved to be a series of classes full of innovative presentation modes, interactive curricular-based activities, and face to face, individualized learning.

The Researched essay

The Study of LogicThe Final Essay Project

Results and Reflection• Positive Assessment Data• Evidence of growth over

course • Increased probability of

effectiveness of inverted pedagogy to obtain course learning objectives

Average Score

Respondents

Pre-test 12.6 15

Post-test 19.7 10

Gain +7 -5