[Erossycuc]

Massively generalizing, the "Eastern" way is for the instructor to do, demonstrate, and expound at his leisure, and for the student to watch, listen, and internally question. The "Western" way is for the instructor to explain and demonstrate, and for the student to further their understanding with questions, which the instructor answers.

Socratic questioning is a nice bridge between these two extremes. When the student asks "Why is this?", respond, "Why do you think it is?" The teacher then gets an idea of the student's understanding, and the student doesn't feel shut out of the process. It encourages the student to find the answer themselves, something that's simply expected in the traditional "Eastern" way, but may have to be spelled out to Western students.

Interestingly, in public schools the process is reversed: Japanese students, for example, get everything spelled out for them, which they dutifully commit to memory, while Western students (at least in America) are encouraged to think about the "why" and creatively come to their own conclusion. Utimately, in both traditions there is a custom of the teacher giving the student a "koan" for them to chew on.