You could simply say it is a method of teaching at an oval table with enough room to seat twelve students and a teacher…

Or, you could describe its effects and impact as "[t]he empowerment that each student feels for themself and the respect they gain towards one another, grows out of being together and interacting at the Harkness table and extends to every part of students’ lives. Its uniqueness allows each student the opportunity to develop communication skills. Communication is an acquired skill that enables a student to become a successful part of his or her local and global communities. The ability to engage in a discourse in which one can express agreement or disagreement, is all a part of the Harkness experience," Adrian Weissman, Head of School…

And it is more …

The Harkness Method is a way of learning. Students come to class prepared to share, discuss, and discover, whether the subject is a novel by Charles Dickens, a mathematical theorem, or learning the Tanach. There are no lectures. This method creates an environment that allows for interacting with other minds, listening carefully, speaking respectfully, accepting new ideas and questioning old ones, using new knowledge, and enjoying the richness of human interaction.