As every student will know a lot of your time at university will be spent attending lectures and seminars. This is where the majority of teaching will take place with students expected to undertake independent learning as well.
Each separate module or course is likely to have at least one lecture and seminar per week. Usually, seminars take place after the lecture to allow students to discuss the topic covered during the lecture.
Here I explain the difference between a lecture and a seminar.
What is a lecture?
A lecture is likely to take place in a lecture theatre with lots of other students (usually between 50-200). Some other lectures may be pre-recorded with a video uploaded for you to watch in your own time.
Usually, a lecturer or professor will give a presentation about a topic for which students are expected to take notes then carry out some independent reading and research.
Lectures do not tend to have much student interaction although some professors may ask questions of the students or invite students to ask questions at the end.
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It is important for students to take good notes during lectures. After all, not all lectures are recorded so you may only have one opportunity to hear what your professor has to say. Have a look at our guide to taking notes during lectures.
What is a seminar?
A seminar involves a smaller group of students (usually 10-20) in a classroom format. Here, students will usually discuss the content covered during lectures. Seminars are usually led by a lecturer or sometimes a doctoral student who is studying the topic.
As a seminar involves a smaller number of students there is likely to be more opportunity for discussion, idea generation or debating theory.
Seminars usually involve a range of different activities such as:
- Group discussions
- Q&A
- Role play
- Debates
- Students preparing answers to questions
- Group presentations
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