Making the most of seminars

The purpose of seminars includes....

for introducing students to sociology
to promote independent learning
to get students involved in discussions
to get students to listen to one another
to foster responsibility for ones own learning
to make students feel like they are part of a group
to promote critical engagement with areas of uncertainty in sociology
to provide an opportunity for arguments
What is most difficult about seminars?
Participation
Speaking in front of a group.
What if everyone knows more than you? (They may seem like they do but
they probably dont!)
Making useful contributions.
Listening
What are the important points? Are the contributions of other students
important?
Note taking
How to talk, listen and take notes at the same time. What should you take
notes on?
Organization of seminars
Seminars are primarily about a specific topic or issue, eg Marxs historical
materialist approach, Domestic violence in the household
Readings and discussion relate to various aspects of the topic
Readings are a starting point for discussing the topic - do the reading
Discussions move around and are open-ended
Part of the goal is to make connections between different aspects of a topic
Participation
Seminars function through discussion and this requires participation
Participation deepens your own understanding of the material and the issues
Participation allows you to test your thinking and get feedback
Participation helps you to own the material
Participation makes it a more fun and rewarding experience and gives you
confidence and practice for later on in life
Other people will learn from and even be impressed by your participation!

Common difficulties with participation

Fear of speaking in front of group
Not being prepared
Unsure of English language fluency
Not understanding the material and the discussion
Uncertain whether what you have to say is relevant
How to work on participation
Speaking in a group becomes more difficult the longer you wait- speak at the
first seminar and speak early on in the seminar - this will give you more
confidence for more contributions
You can prepare questions and comments in advance
Discuss issues with friends or a study group before class - it will make you
more confident about participating
Use the group work in class to speak
Let the lecturer know if you are having difficulty jumping into discussions - if
necessary see him or her outside the class to tell them about this
You can ask the lecturer to direct a question at you to help you get involved
Seminars are not a competition
Some students are confident speakers, but are not necessarily the best
students
Discussions are about multiple points of view and give and take, rather than
being right or wrong
Seminars are designed to be a learning experience you will learn more by
participating
Consider different types of
contributions
Asking a clarifying question
Are you saying?
Do you mean.?
Is the implication that?
Discussions leave many things implicit or unsaid a clarifying question helps to
fill in the gaps
Consider different types of
contributions
Drawing a connection between different material
How would that apply to?
Is that also relevant for?
This seems to follow a different principle than
Seminar discussions often meander over a range of material it is connected, so
it helps to make those connections apparent

Consider different types of

contributions
Suggesting an alternative possibility
Couldnt you also say?
One could also argue that
Wouldnt it be more likely that?
Seminars are an opportunity to practice arguments considering a range of
different arguments develops that skill
Consider different types of
contributions
Expanding on, supporting or countering others points
Davids point seems to apply here as well
I agree with what Lucy says because
I would argue against that position since
The best discussions happen when you genuinely interact with one another the
lecturer wants you to listen and speak to each other
Difficulties with listening in
seminars
Discussion seems to move from one topic to another
Many different points of view and arguments are discussed
Lack of resolution about issues
Difficult to evaluate contributions of other students - ask the tutor to feedback
at some point (maybe at the end) on the key points according to her/him.
Come to class prepared
Before a seminar
Try to prepare for each class, even 5-10 minutes will help:
Look at notes or lecture outlines from the subject website or questions from
your subject guide
Skim the relevant pages of subject readings
Look over your notes from the previous class in the subject
Listen for signposts
For example:
Let me illustrate this... example
Now, youll need to understand this before we start on the... foundational
concept
As a consequence... result
We know this because... evidence
This will be in the exam... highlight this!
This term means... definition

Listen for cues

Lecturers may respond to student comments in ways that indicate the merit of
the comment
Use the cues to gauge the significance of different points in the discussion
Ask if you feel unclear about the merit of some point
Taking notes in seminars
Dont try to write everything down
Listen for the major points
Listen to the discussion, then write down main concepts and keywords
Write summarising things down after a point has been made, rather than
trying to copy it all down
Note your own questions and thoughts
Review your notes
Make time after the class or at the end of the week to review your notes
Fill in blanks with more detail
Notice and highlight issues or concepts that you are unclear about
Integrate seminar notes with reading notes
Write down reflections you may have on the material
Final thoughts
Like all groups, seminars work when everyone is contributing and actively
engaged
Lecturers are looking to students to help make the seminars work
You can take responsibility for the learning experience in seminars
Dont regret after university that you could have made more of participation in
seminars
Remember that some applicants for your place were turned away - make the
most of the opportunity you have.
Adapted from Law Department, University of Melbourne