International Student Orientation Making the Most of Lectures & Tutorials School of Education

 Welcome to the University of Adelaide and this lecture  I’m sure you’ll find university life: ◦ exciting ◦ stimulating ◦ a little challenging  This lecture aims to outline some key aspects of lecture formats and small-group formats, and how you can make the most of every learning opportunity

 Welcome to Adelaide! I would like to get to know you a little more: ◦ Where is home for you? ◦ What are you studying?

 What do you think are the major differences between learning in your home country and learning in Australia? ◦ Role of teacher ◦ Student-centred approach ◦ Critical thinking ◦ Active learning ◦ Independent learning

Watch the following video:

 Contact and interaction with: ◦ The University  Its teachers  Other students  In: ◦ Lectures ◦ Tutorials ◦ Workshops ◦ Labs

 Format – large ◦ In lecture theatres ◦ Often technology is used: microphones, PowerPoint, overheads  Teaching philosophy ◦ Expert model ◦ Passive ◦ Teacher centred ◦ Information-transmission

 Access to expert lecturer (Professors etc.)  Therefore, access to specific knowledge and information  Most efficient way for getting across large amounts of information ◦ Humanities: background information on an author, theory or historical period etc. ◦ Sciences: detailed information on a theory, process or formulae etc.

 Very intensive – takes a lot of attention and focus (don’t fall asleep!) mna.wordpress.com (2014)  Focus on facts and information rather than applications and critiques  Passive – you are not so engaged, can’t usually ask questions and process the information for yourself  Traditional – you are expected to soak up the information and be able to regurgitate it on demand truthdig.com (2014)

 Given that lectures tend to be a passive format, you need to be active! This means: ◦ Preparing: make sure you have done all the readings and come prepared with some questions you hope to have answered ◦ Engaging with the material: identify things you don’t understand and note them down, note questions you want to ask later ?

 Note-taking: take notes of important points and references to books etc. ◦ Don’t write down the details; note things you will want to be reminded of later; note questions and areas for further exploration  Note-making: review your notes within a day or two of the lecture ◦ Make notes which emphasise important points and the relationships between them  Use your own method: use arrows, highlighters, numbers, sections ◦ Represent the ideas visually

 The other main form of contact is small groups: ◦ Tutorials ◦ Laboratories ◦ Workshops ◦ Seminars  As the name suggests, they are smaller – they used to be 8-10 but are now growing to  Small groups are usually linked to lecture material, so you can prepare for both at the same time

 Small groups are very different to large group formats. They are: ◦ Student-centred ◦ Active ◦ Non-expert model ◦ Based on development and learning rather than information transmission

 The student to teacher ratio is much smaller so there is more space for you to ask questions and discuss ideas  You can relate to other students and see how they’re processing the material (you can also make friends!)  You can actually apply the knowledge you have learned in other formats  You can critique ideas, disagree and have more of a say

 Due to funding pressures smaller groups are becoming larger  This means that it is easier to fade into the background and not do any work  It is much more confronting and can be scary – so try to be confident!  Remember – if you have a question, probably half the class is also wondering the same thing, so speak up!  If you are shy, try to make the most of it by being active, taking notes, and reflecting on the class

 Again, prepare! Do the readings, look at the class exercises and have a bit of a think about them, review your lecture notes  Be active and engaged – take notes in class too: write down questions, ideas, comments, things you want to look up later  Most of all, speak up! This is your chance to get the most value for money  Hint: your tutor/teacher/lecturer will like you if you work hard in class and participate

 Tutorials: ◦ Led by a tutor ◦ Focus on discussion (course content, lecture, readings, etc) ◦ Aim: to further develop understanding of and engagement in the course ◦ Students are expected to prepare and participate Usually called tutes

 Laboratories ◦ Science-based ◦ A little larger than most tutorials, and tend to be longer ◦ Focus on processes: using equipment, conducting experiments ◦ Run by demonstrators

 Pay close attention when safety procedures are being specified and always follow them exactly  Treat all equipment, chemicals, samples with care and respect  Don’t take food or beverages into a lab (unless they’re part of your experiment!)  Wear protective clothing when appropriate, and especially wear appropriate shoes (sturdy, closed-in with non-slip sole) Laboratory Health and Safety en.wikipedia.org (2014)

 Workshops: ◦ Like tutorials, but even more active (i.e. you do work) ◦ You will often be asked to complete a piece of work or bring one with you ◦ You will then share it with others in the workshop ◦ Example: creative writing workshop

 Seminars ◦ Focus on one person, who is usually another student ◦ This person will do an oral presentation, and will present a paper that they have usually prepared before ◦ Afterwards they will open the floor for discussion amongst other students ◦ Example: literary analysis – respondents etc.

 Conferences (experts in a field) ◦ Papers: like a seminar – 20-minutes presentation followed by questions ◦ Posters: on display and author is available to answer questions at a specific time  Symposium ◦ Papers made available prior to event for review ◦ Discussion forum (with respondents)

 Any questions?  Writing Centre ◦ Location: Level 3, Hub Central East ◦ Website:

Copyright © 2014 The University of Adelaide International Student Orientation Making the Most of Lectures & Tutorials School of Education