"The faster science and technology advance—the more important it is to teach and to learn the basics of math and science and the less important it is to teach and to learn the latest developments." - Harari’s Law of Science Education

It is my basic belief that there has been little, if any, improvement associated with teaching since Socrates. 

His approach, to force students to rigorously define their terms and then follow, and so recognize, the implications of their assumptions, remains the best (and perhaps the only) way for students to recognize and reform their misconceptions and to master complex subjects.

Unfortunately, the expansion of higher education has been a accompanied by the abandonment of the socratic approach because it is too costly both in terms of teacher's time and, in part, because it of necessity confronts students and forces them to re-evaluate their basic, and often previous unanalyzed, assumptions. 

This is an approach that is often uncomfortable for the student.  

Because developing an critical and conceptual understanding is difficult, the criteria for successful teaching have changed. 

Rarely is conceptual understanding assessed, but rather students are judged on the memorization of "fact", definitions and equations.