Socrates Volokh

My friend and colleague Eugene Volokh opines: "I do think that students' speaking in class tends to help them understand the material better, and get more interested in it. It also helps the professor and the other students, precisely because then class discussions aren't just the usual five or ten talkers." I don't believe it, at least insofar as upperclass law school courses are concerned. And I would very much like somebody to explain to me - with empirical support - how the so-called Socratic method enhances the classroom learning experience (outside of small group seminars, where I think you can get a valuable discussion going). [Of course, I should note that Eugene seems mainly focused on voluntary class participation rather than the traditional Socratic method, but I'm not even sure about the former. In particular, while the student who speaks may benefit from voluntary class participation, I'm not at all sure that the professor and other students derive much benefit.]