Seminars and lectures are two of the traditional teaching methods used in most university departments. The extract below is from a guide for first year undergraduates which gives them an introduction to lectures.
General comprehension. Read through the extract quickly and then match the paragraph headings to the correct paragraphs. Click here to do this activity.
(1)
Just like seminars, lectures are usually something new to first-year undergraduates, and students often don’t know how to get the best out of them. The great advantage of lectures is that they are a chance for the lecturer to reach a large number of students in one sitting, giving them an overview of the topic. The lecturer’s talk will deal with the main concepts, and discuss any areas of conflict that might exist between prominent theorists. Ideally, the lecture should give students a good starting point from which to do their own further reading.
(2)
Coming straight from school, many students have misconceptions about the purpose of lectures. Perhaps the most common misunderstanding is that the lectures are the course, and that what’s required for assignments and exam essays is a regurgitation of your lecture notes. In fact, the lecture is only an introduction to the topic. At university level, you are expected to take responsibility for your own study, and this means reading up on the topic before and after you attend the lecture.
You should also remember that the lecturer will not normally be able to answer questions during the talk. He or she will want to cover the important points during the time available, and because of the usually large number of students attending, Q & A sessions just aren’t possible. Make a note of any questions you may have, however, because you’ll have a chance to ask them during a small group seminar. Alternatively, you could arrange a time to discuss them personally with your tutor.
(3)
Depending on the subject and the lecturer’s own preferred style, lectures usually follow a typical pattern. The lecturer sometimes opens with a quick review of material covered previously, helping to put what is to be learned in context. They will then list the points to be covered over the next hour or so, so that you can organise your notes. Most of the rest of the lecture will be a detailed discussion of the key concepts, and the lecturer usually finishes off with a summary of the main points, perhaps looking forward to how they relate to the material of forthcoming lectures.
(4)
There’s not normally a great deal of student participation during a typical lecture, but there are a few things expected of you:
But don’t forget that lectures aren’t like school lessons. If you’re really not getting anything from it, then just collect your things and discreetly leave. After all, even the best of lecturers have their off days.
Detailed comprehension. Read the article again and decide whether these sentences are true or false. Click here to do this activity.
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