Teaching method helps integrate non-traditional students.(In Her Own Words)

The increasing number of non-traditional students is changing classroom demographics in higher education. In 2002 women earned about 700,000 bachelor's degrees in the United States, while males earned about 520,000. Women account for more black and Hispanic students, and older, returning students.

Despite the increased number of non-traditional students, bias still exists toward female students in classroom communication patterns, according to Stewart et al. in 2003. Professors have been slow to change their teaching styles to serve the new student population, due either to inertia or lack of knowledge of more appropriate styles.

A teaching method

One way to integrate non-traditional students is to modify the dialectic teaching method of Socrates, made popular in the 1970s TV series The Paper Chase.

"Many law school professors rely on the Socratic method of instruction rather than on more team-like and less-adversarial approaches. Professors call on students and ask them to analyze case problems in front of their peers, often numbering over 100. Teachers grill the students, sometimes embarrassing them if they fail to answer thoroughly or correctly. Teachers either call on students at random or ask for volunteers. While many men and women are uncomfortable with such an approach, the sad fact is that too many women never volunteer." (Gamble & Gamble, 2002)

Because the dialectic method alienates some students who see the professor as being dictatorial, modifying this method to assure a dialog between student and professor may improve its effectiveness.

Each student or group leader is questioned on her/his stated position while standing in front of peers; the professor works each student or group leader through questions with follow-up questions, and students are not questioned a second time until all students have been integrated via participation.