Question

When I write an answer, why is the editor split into two sections: answer and explanation?

Answer 1

The answer box is split into two sections to ensure that answers on Socratic have a consistent structure and actually teach students how to get the answer.

Explanation:

The next time you begin to write an answer on Socratic, you’ll notice a change to the answer editor. Now, you’re prompted to split your response into two sections: answer and explanation.

Then, your answer will appear in distinct sections when you post:

I’m excited about this change because when I’m writing an answer, I often just start writing, without thinking much about structure. When I re-read my work, I realize I could’ve explained in a much clearer way.

This answer / explanation split reminds me right away to be much more structured in my approach: first provide the answer, then explain.

Imposing this structure on our answers will hold us all to a higher standard of teaching, and help us create answers that students can learn from more easily. Ultimately, then, Socratic as a resource will level up in a big way.

Added bonus: newer folks will understand much more quickly that writing a one-sentence answer isn’t satisfactory on Socratic. Here, we don’t just give answers. We teach!

We plan to release this feature later today (June 8, 2015). Please play around with it, report bugs here, and let us know what you think!