La Trobe University
Academic Language & Learning Skills
Participating in Tutorials and Seminars
Many new students to university are concerned about how they can participate in tutorials and seminars. If students
have not experienced such discussion classes before they may be unsure about what to expect. Some students worry
about making mistakes and saying something stupid, or they worry that other people will not understand what they say
– even if it is clever. It can help to know something about the purposes of tutorials and seminars, and also how to
prepare for participation.
Tutorials and seminars are like discussion groups led by an academic teacher, speaker, or student who has researched a
particular topic. Often there is a presentation preceding the discussion. Sometimes a student can present their work,
which other students discuss. Sometimes students solve problems, having done preparation or assignments beforehand.
In other cases the purpose is to discuss ideas raised in lectures and reading.
Tutorials can be structured, so that the learning aims are clear from the outset, or they can be more free-flowing giving
students the opportunity to explore ideas. Tutorials and seminars are meant to be interactive, unlike lectures which are
usually a one-way communication where the lecturer does all the talking.
Many people are confused about the difference between tutorials and seminars. Sometimes the terms are
interchangeable and simply refer to a discussion class. There are some commonly accepted differences. Seminars are
usually more formal, and they are more common at postgraduate level. Oral presentations are an important focus of
seminars, and these presentations should demonstrate a depth of research. When you attend a seminar or tutorial you are
expected to be involved in listening to other people’s ideas and then discussing those ideas.
Participation in tutorials and seminars can be included in the assessment for some subjects. When this is the case you
are expected to attend, and the tutor may do a roll call. Sometimes students receive a mark for participation, and
sometimes the presentation of a paper is assessed as part of the final mark
There are some good reasons for having tutorials. Firstly, you get to know other students, and you also get to know the
tutors (who can also be lecturers). Secondly, tutorials are useful for learning.
Why is it useful to get to know the tutor?
 The tutor is someone you can approach when you need to discuss your work.
 The tutor might be the person who marks your assignments.
How can tutorials be useful for learning? In tutorials you will have the opportunity to:
 clarify and exchange ideas
 discuss problems
 work on problems
 solve problems
Author: LAS, La Trobe University
© 2007 This material may be reproduced with acknowledgement for the purpose of teaching. It is available from www.latrobe.edu.au/learning
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La Trobe University
Academic Language & Learning Skills
Having acknowledged that tutorials are good for you, the next step could be to find out what you can do to be a good
tutorial participant. You can follow some old fashioned teacher’s advice and do some preparation before the tutorial.
This will give you a learning base on which to build more knowledge. As a minimum, read any tutorial handouts and
skim the reading. If you are nervous about talking in front of a group, you can use the first tutorial to observe what
happens and in the next tutorial say something. You can prepare a comment or question in advance.
Participation does not mean you must always say something clever. Examples of some ways to participate are:
 stating an opinion with evidence
 asking for clarification
 summarising the discussion
 returning the discussion to the main point
 expressing agreement
 saying why you agree or disagree with someone’s point
 encouraging others to speak
 concentrating on the discussion
 looking interested when someone else is talking
Some tutorials are effective learning forums and the students become stimulated and involved in the subject; in other
tutorials the students are disappointed and feel they are not learning enough. Can students do anything if they feel they
are not learning from a tutorial? Yes, in fact, students (not just the tutors) have a responsibility to make tutorials work.
One problem could be that one or two students dominate, while other students cannot, or do not, contribute. Another
problem could be that students digress from the main point. Sometimes discussions are poor because the students have
not done their preparation.
So what can you do if any of these happen in your tutorial? You could meet with others outside the tutorial to get
support and discuss ideas to improve the tutorial. You could make a time to meet the tutor. At the start of the tutorial,
you could suggest that everyone spend a few minutes talking about the progress of the tutorials. Suggestions such as,
I’m wondering if there are ways in which all of us could be involved in the discussion, will open up discussion. If a
tutorial is not good for you, it is likely that others are also feeling the same way.
What is the tutor’s role in a tutorial? You will find that there is a range of teaching approaches. Some tutors give a lot of
direction and give specific tasks, ensuring that certain issues/problems are discussed. On the other hand, some give little
direction and so discussions are less predictable. Some teaching styles will be more appealing to you than others. Good
tutorials are the responsibility of the tutor and the students, and they depend on students doing the preparation and
demonstrating their involvement through active listening as well being able to speak out.
Author: LAS, La Trobe University
© 2007 This material may be reproduced with acknowledgement for the purpose of teaching. It is available from www.latrobe.edu.au/learning
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