International Student Orientation
Making the Most of
Lectures and Tutorials
Dr Julia Miller
School of Education
• Where is home for you?
• What are you studying?
• Did you go to university in your country?
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
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Lectures
Note taking
Language clues
After the lecture
Seminars and tutorials
Other small-group formats
Practice
Reflection
• Lecture - larger - varying interaction.
• Seminar - smaller - more interaction.
Students may take it in turns to
present.
• Tutorial - even smaller, with more
interaction and discussion.
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Stand up and talk
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Stand up and talk with PowerPoint
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Engage students by questions
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Discuss things with students
Prepare:
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Readings
Revision
Location
Equipment
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Listen
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Consider
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Question
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Think
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Don’t try to write everything down.
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Don’t simply copy the PowerPoint slides.
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Do listen before you start to write.
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Abbreviations (eg abbrs)
Short phrases, not sentences
 symbols
Look for possible exam topics
Choc from Mexico
Media egs – newspaper, mags
Reps of choc in media
Health problems
Oral pres.
More egs?
Signif?
The lecturer is too fast
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Write down questions for later
Try to follow the structure
Prepare before the lecture
You don’t understand
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Write down your question.
Ask
- lecturer
- tutor
- other students
Check - readings
- topic guide
Start of lecture
• Let’s start with . . .
• The first thing . . .
• Today we’ll be looking at . . .
• I’d like to think about . . .
Topic shifters
• So let's turn to . . .
• The next thing . . .
• Now I'd like to consider . . .
• Another important point is . . .
Summarisers
• So now we can see . . .
• Let's round this off . . .
• What have we been looking at this
afternoon?
Exemplifiers
• One example is . . .
• If we look at X we can see that Y . . .
Relators
• This ties in with . . .
• This relates to . . .
• Keep in mind that . . .
• OK (falling intonation, pause) . . .
Evaluators
• No problem with that . . .
• This all looks fine . . .
• This is an important point . . .
Qualifiers
• This is true, but . . .
• That's all very well, but . . .
• Having said that, . . .
• Although . . .
• As far as we know . . .
Asides
• Where were we?
• That reminds me of . . .
(All language clues are from DeCarrico, J & Nattinger, JR 1988, 'Lexical phrases for the comprehension of
academic lectures’, English for Specific Purposes, vol. 7, pp. 91-102.)
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Read
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Highlight
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Summarise
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Discuss
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Look for possible exam questions
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Revise before the next lecture
Lecture
100
80
60
40
20
0
1 hour
24 hours
7 days
1 month
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How could you participate?
o Prepare – do the readings
o Ask questions
o Sit near the front
o Join in group discussions
Laboratories
• Science-based
• Bigger and longer than most tutorials
• Focus on processes: using
equipment, conducting experiments
• Run by demonstrators
Laboratory Health and Safety
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Listen carefully to safety procedures and
always follow them exactly.
Treat all equipment, chemicals and 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).
Workshops:
• Like tutorials, but even more active
(i.e. you do more 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
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Conference (experts in a field)
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Symposium (like a conference but smaller)
Papers: like a seminar – 20 minute
presentation followed by questions
Posters: on display and author is
available to answer questions
Practise taking notes with:
1. a mind map
2. an action column
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
What 2 things will you remember from this
session?
Is anything still unclear?
Writing Centre learning guides:
www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre
Further practice:
http://www.uefap.com/listen/listfram.htm
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
Recorded lectures on My Uni
Radio 5RPH on frequency 1197 (AM) for
readings of The Advertiser and The
Australian
Writing Centre
Location: Level 3, Hub Central East
Website:
www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre