Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
What is the difference between a lecture and seminar
Hi, I’m Laura, a Public Relations and Brand Communications student at Leeds Beckett. Within this blog, I hope to answer one of the biggest questions a student may have when coming to university, “what is the difference between a lecture and a seminar?” When people used to mention lectures and seminars before I came to Leeds Beckett, I would often feel confused, so let’s talk about it!
Lecturers
Lectures at university are different from classes at school. Lectures are basically where the lecturer gives you the key information on a subject of that module and provides sources from which you can do your own research. They are specifically designed to give you as much information as possible within the hour or two of your timetabled class, and each one is focused on one specific topic for that week. Usually, every weekly lecture will cover a completely different topic yet still relevant to the module. Throughout the term, the lecture topics will all come together to ensure that you have covered all necessary information to be able to form your final assessment of that module.
What do you do in a lecture?
Lectures at university are different from classes at school. At school you would normally interact with your teachers regularly throughout the class, chat to your peers and be provided with a summary of everything you have learnt at the end. Lectures at university work slightly differently. Lectures are basically where the lecturer gives you the key information on a subject of that module and provides sources from which you can do your own research. They are specifically designed to give you as much information as possible within the hour or two of your timetabled class, and each one is focused on one specific topic for that week. Usually, every weekly lecture will cover a completely different topic yet still relevant to the module. Throughout the term, the lecture topics will all come together to ensure that you have covered all necessary information to be able to form your final assessment of that module.
How often are lectures?
Lecture times and frequencies can vary, some are one hour, and some can be up to two, in which case you will have a small break in between, and depending on your course, you will have two to three lectures per week.
What do you do after lectures?
After the lecture you would usually refer to the further reading list suggestion which is presented to you to further support the information the teacher has discussed. These further readings are useful to study outside of the lecture time and do your own research surrounding the topic. This additional research will then help you in your future assignments.
Seminars
Seminars are more like the classrooms which you are used to from school, sixth form or college. They are a lot more interactive, sociable and comfortable in my opinion. Seminars usually follow the previous lecture on the topic, and it is where the lecturer will go more into detail on the topics discussed and will break it down for you to understand the concepts better. Seminars usually last longer than an hour, and you will get a little break in between where you can grab a refreshment or chat to your peers. Depending on your course, you might have two to three seminars per week and they usually fly by.
What do you cover in a seminar?
Usually, it is seminars where you would do some group work, practical tasks, ask the lecturer any questions and raise your concerns if something in the lecture was difficult to understand or unclear. When set further readings in lectures, this will usually be discussed in seminars and the teacher might ask you to reflect on your reading - but don’t worry, you will have time between your lecture and seminar to complete the reading. Seminars are also where the lecturers get to know you more personally and get to know your personality. Making good connections with your lecturers/tutors is really important as having a good relationship with them will benefit you in the long run when working on assignments, asking for help and seeking industry connections.
How many people are in a seminar?
Seminars are usually situated in smaller rooms on campus, with only people specifically on your course. They are usually around 20 people per class but this does vary course to course and is not set. Seminars are nice as you are able to make friends, socialise properly and work with others on your course in a team environment. My seminars usually consist of only around 15 people as we are a small course, but this is great as we are all close and love to work together.
To conclude
I hope that this blog has cleared up the elephant in the room, what is the difference between seminars and lecturers. Lecturers are based on more independent learning, listening to the information and resources available. Seminars are an opportunity to have collaborative discussions about the topic covered in the lecture, debate view points with peers and ask any questions.
Laura G
Hi, I'm Laura, a PR student here at LBU. Outside of university my interests include fitness, socialising with friends and traveling (anything that benefits my wellbeing really). I’m passionate about spreading positivity and enjoy motivating people so that they can become the best version of themselves!
