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Teaching delivery methods
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Teaching modes
Throughout your academic career, you may be required to teach in a variety of environments and to a range of audiences. These “modes” of teaching are often associated with the spaces in which we teach and the pedagogies we use. On this page, we highlight a range of current teaching modes and how you might use them in your practice.
Lectures are one of the most well-known forms of teaching at university. The lecture can be an extremely useful way of imparting information, particularly to large groups of students. Lectures are designed to give background knowledge and information, and offer an opportunity to engage with students in a different way to other modes. They are also useful to introduce students to the debates and arguments in your subject discipline and to get students to think about and engage with those debates.
Lectures can be used as an introduction to a particular subject area, from which students may then be expected to undertake further reading or activity to improve their understanding. Lectures are often different from seminars and tutorials, but may well be backed up by either one or both of these teaching and learning modes.
Blended learning is a term which describes a course or module where the use of face-to-face (F2F) and online delivery has been considered together for the best overall learning and teaching experience. Blended learning works well when both modes of delivery (F2F and online) are seen as equally important and both are being deployed in a way which plays to their strengths. Blending the learning experience can make the face-to-face time more valuable and the online delivery more purposeful.
Flipped learning is a term that has emerged from the Flipped Classroom work of Bergmann and Sams, in which the traditional use of classroom and homework activities is “flipped.” In Higher Education, the flipped classroom model can be used to deliver information through videos that students access before attending the lecture. Lecture time can then be used to engage students in quizzes and activities that deepen their learning. One of the tools you can use to create videos is the centrally supported Panopto, available on your desktop.
Here is an example from the University of Wolverhampton:
Tutorials
A tutorial provides an opportunity to clarify students’ understanding of a particular issue, theory, book, or argument. Tutorials are also commonly used for engaging students in learning activities such as analysing experimental results or developing technical skills. These sessions may be discursive and can significantly support students’ academic progress. They are usually delivered to smaller groups.
Seminars
In seminars, the focus is generally on the group and the interaction between its members. Individual students or groups may take a leading role by delivering a presentation, presenting a paper, or discussing an idea. Although an academic member of staff is usually present, they do not typically take a leading role; instead, they are there to offer guidance and support.
One of the most important things for students to understand is that they must come prepared for seminars. Typically, you will have provided material in advance for them to read or engage with, and preparation is crucial for ensuring productive discussion. Seminars are highly effective in deepening students’ learning.
Discover ideas for more active teaching by exploring the tabs below. Don’t forget to check back regularly for new resources.
