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arXiv · 2401.11987

ChatGPT as a tool for honing teachers' Socratic dialogue skills

Bor Gregorcic·Giulia Polverini·Andreja Sarlah
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Abstract

In this proof-of-concept paper, we propose a specific kind of pedagogical use of ChatGPT - to help teachers practice their Socratic dialogue skills. We follow up on the previously published paper "ChatGPT and the frustrated Socrates" by re-examining ChatGPT's ability to engage in Socratic dialogue in the role of a physics student. While in late 2022 its ability to engage in such dialogue was poor, we see significant advancements in the chatbot's ability to respond to leading questions asked by a human teacher. We suggest that ChatGPT now has the potential to be used in teacher training to help pre- or in-service physics teachers hone their Socratic dialogue skills. In the paper and its supplemental material, we provide illustrative examples of Socratic dialogues with ChatGPT and present a report on a pilot activity involving pre-service physics and mathematics teachers conversing with it in a Socratic fashion.

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Bor Gregorcic, Giulia Polverini, Andreja Sarlah. 2024-01-22. ChatGPT as a tool for honing teachers' Socratic dialogue skills. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ad3d21

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