ChatGPT Can’t Do This: Reclaiming Dialogue Through Structured Socratic Seminars

In-Person

Abstract

Higher education instructors currently face a central challenge: how to preserve deep, human-centered learning in environments that can easily drift toward passive consumption and surface-level engagement. This session explores the intentional use of structured Socratic seminars as a response to this challenge.

Socratic seminars reposition learning as a fundamentally human act that requires student presence, critical thinking, and intellectual risk-taking. In this model, students engage in discussions grounded in course texts, while structured roles ensure engagement with the conversation.

The session will examine how this approach:

  • Promotes critical thinking in an era of easily generated answers
  • Builds student confidence in articulating ideas in real time
  • Creates meaningful peer-to-peer learning experiences that cannot be outsourced to technology
  • Participants will leave with practical strategies for implementing
  • Socratic seminars in their own courses including scaffolding techniques, role design, and adaptations for zoom-based or hybrid environments.

This presentation asks what learning experiences remain distinctly human and how do we intentionally design for them?

Presenters

Jan Thornton

Clinical Associate Professor

Jan Thornton is a Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work at Utah State University Eastern and a licensed clinical social worker with over two decades of practice experience. Her teaching focuses on preparing students for real-world practice through immersive, experiential learning that bridges theory and application. She is known for creating engaging, high-impact learning environments that foster critical thinking, connection, and professional identity development. Jan’s work emphasizes belonging, mentorship, and the human elements of teaching in an evolving educational landscape. She has presented on innovative teaching strategies, trauma-informed education, and student engagement, and is passionate about challenging and supporting students in meaningful ways.

Sean Camp

Clinical Professor

Sean has over 24 years of experience in teaching social work at the University level, including the University of Georgia and Utah State University. Sean’s courses focus on clinical practice, policy, ethics, and self-care. He teaches MSW courses for the USU Tooele Statewide Campus, which includes part-time commuter students from Salt Lake and other areas along the Wasatch Front. In addition, Sean is active in clinical practice, focusing on children & adolescents, the LGBTQ+ community, and religious trauma recovery. Sean has been an active practitioner for over 30 years and recently retired from practice to focus exclusively on his university responsibilities (and to make more time for hiking, backpacking, and exploring!).

Eric Hansen

Clinical Assistant Professor

Eric Hansen is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Utah State University. He earned his Master of Social Work from Utah State University and has extensive experience working with individuals impacted by trauma, substance use, and involvement in the criminal justice system. His clinical work emphasizes evidence-based, trauma-informed care to support student well-being and resilience. In his academic role, he contributes to the education and mentorship of future social workers. Eric is committed to advancing mental health access and improving outcomes for individuals in rural and underserved communities through both clinical practice and teaching.