Seminar is one of the main forms of classroom learning. Along with a lecture, consultation, independent and other types of work, this lesson is developed according to a certain methodology and has specific goals. In the article we will learn about what constitutes a seminar at a university, according to what scheme it is built and how to properly prepare for it.
What is a seminar
This term should be understood as a kind of auditing activities. Seminars belong to the category of practical work. They are designed to systematize, deepen and consolidate the knowledge gained on the topics covered. With active participation in the course of the seminar, the student acquires the skills of practical application of the available information, develops personal qualities and increases his intellectual level. In addition, practical exercises are an integral part of the training of future specialists, since they allow you to gain basic theoretical experience, indispensable forcarrying out professional activities in the future.
The number of seminars and the duration of each lesson is set by the curriculum of each discipline. The content of the work is also noted here. Seminars are an obligatory element of the humanities and socio-economic disciplines, in which the consolidation of knowledge requires familiarization with additional literary sources. This type of classroom lesson is conducted exclusively under the guidance of a teacher, whose duties include preparing all the necessary educational and methodological documentation for the lesson, intermediate or final control.
As a rule, a seminar at a university is held on the most difficult topics and topics covered. The task of the teacher is to form and develop students' skills of research thinking, independence, active participation in thematic discussion. At the seminars, students share their conclusions and conclusions, hone their ability to argue their personal point of view and defend it.
Functions of this type of classroom work
First of all, it is worth noting the control function of the seminars. Being an element of systematic independent work, the results of the classes allow the teacher to draw a conclusion about the richness and depth of the knowledge gained by the student. At the seminars, the teacher has the opportunity to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a separate group, a whole stream or individually for each student. Timely identified gaps in students' knowledge will indicate to the teacheron educational and methodological mistakes made by him in the process of presenting the topic.
Depending on the form of seminar work, the function of accounting and control is reflected to varying degrees. For example, with a detailed conversation and a quiz, the control function plays a more significant role, and with individual reports, speeches with abstracts, it is less significant. At the same time, it is impossible not to mention the cognitive and educational functions, the ratio of which varies depending on the type of seminar.
Purpose
The objectives of the seminar are to develop cognitive skills, striving for independent thinking and creative self-sufficiency of students. If a lecture, as a type of classroom work, is necessary to familiarize yourself with the educational material, then the seminar is designed to deepen, expand, detail and generalize the learned information.
In some cases, the teacher reserves the right to communicate additional knowledge on the topic under study during practical and seminar work. In the process of learning, students practice practical techniques and use effective methods for analyzing the theoretical concept of the discipline, as a result of which they acquire the skills and abilities to use modern scientific approaches.
Educational technology in seminars
To achieve the set goals and solve the required tasks, practical work in most modern higher educational institutions in Russia is carried out using new educational technologies. Don't refuseteachers and from the use of traditional methods of seminars, which allow you to find consistent answers to questions of interest and perform training exercises in order to consolidate the previously outlined theoretical course.
In innovative technologies, the game principle prevails, a modeling scheme is used to hone interpersonal communication skills. Quite interesting and popular methods of seminars, according to teachers, are those in which the principles of partnership are implemented.
The use of relevant educational technologies involves the organization of various training and testing activities:
- business and role-playing games;
- quizzes;
- marathons, implying the expression of one's own ideas, worldview positions, reflections;
- didactic games;
- playing out specific situations.
During the seminars, students have the opportunity to make a report, an abstract, to participate in their discussion. In addition, other educational technologies are used - intellectual and communicative trainings; competitions for mindfulness and intelligence. The seminars are designed to help students move smoothly from theoretical learning to independent practice.
Lesson content
To implement the tasks that face the discipline, the teacher must:
- prepare methodological support for the lesson in advance;
- plan and organize students' independent work;
- stimulate the development of creative abilities and initiative of students through the individualization of the curriculum.
Any of the types of seminars must meet the requirements of the work program approved at the meeting of the subject-methodical commission of the department. The practical task of students is the main content of the seminar. It is formed in such a way that there are no direct repetitions of questions voiced at the lecture. In addition, the practical task should contribute to the search for additional sources of literature, the development of logical thinking and the ability to look for alternative solutions.
On certain topics of the discipline, it is allowed to prepare two reports at once on the most pressing issues. Speakers are appointed in advance. Each speaker is assigned a specific topic. Principles of building practical classes and seminars:
- relevance;
- reasoning;
- relationship with other disciplines.
The material that the student submits to the seminar should include a mention of modern achievements in science or technology in the field of study. The content of the report should be as close as possible to the actual professional activity in the speci alty and be based on the knowledge and skills formed in the process of learning in previous classes.
Varieties of Seminars
Teachers of domestic universities note three types of seminars:
- those thatare carried out in order to deepen the studied thematic section;
- those that help to work out the individual, most important and methodologically typical topics of the course;
- specialized research.
The choice of the type of seminar depends on the theoretical part and the features of the sources and manuals recommended for it. Equally important is the level of preparedness of the group, the organization and efficiency of the student team, its specialization and professional orientation. When choosing the type of seminar, the teacher should also build on the experience of previous classes.
Different practical classes and the form of the conduct. There are several of them, and each of them is designed to ensure the implementation of all the functions of the seminar. In Russian universities, seminars are held in the form:
- long conversation;
- dispute;
- discussions of reports and abstracts;
- commented reading;
- exercises for independent thinking;
- written tests;
- colloquium.
Long conversation
This form of lecture and seminar classes is one of the most common. It involves the preparation of all students of the group on planned issues with a single list of recommended literary sources. A detailed conversation at the seminar may contain not only students' speeches, but also the teacher's introductory and concluding remarks. Students' answers are heard on a personal initiative or callleader.
This form of seminar allows you to involve the maximum number of students in the process of discussing problematic issues with a competent, well-thought-out statement and the use of motivational, inducing answers in the form of clearly formulated additional questions to the speaker and other students. The task of the teacher is to maintain a high degree of concentration by focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the performances of classmates, new, previously unspecified moments that have opened up in the process.
Reports and abstracts
Seminar classes in philosophy or history are usually built according to a system of reports prepared in advance, which allows students to instill the ability to think independently, the desire to search for new facts, arguments, examples, ideas. In creative and scientific activities, these skills play a paramount role.
It is advisable to submit 2-3 reports for discussion of the seminar, the duration of each of which should not exceed 15 minutes. In some cases, in addition to the speakers, opponents and co-rapporteurs may be appointed, who are allowed to review the contents of the reports in advance to avoid duplication. The topics of seminars conducted in abstract form can be very different. They may coincide with the wording of the item in the work plan or partially with one of its sides related to the practical relevance of the problem. In addition to the collective, the possibility of holdingindividual work with speakers, which is impossible with a seminar held in the form of a detailed conversation.
It is interesting that the discussion of abstracts by students at seminars allows deviation from the main topic towards related disciplines approved in the curriculum by the subject-cycle commission. An abstract is a written work devoted to a specific historical or theoretical problem, a review of a work of art, a scientific monograph under the guidance of a teacher. Unlike a report of the usual type, the content of the work involves a significant deepening in the research topic, the presence of their own theses, conclusions.
The abstract is read during the seminar by the author himself. To prepare well for this type of work, students need at least two weeks. In pedagogy, seminars conducted with abstract reports are considered appropriate at the final stage of studying a particular section, when its main provisions have already been discussed.
Preparing an abstract is a very effective way to introduce a student to research activities from the first courses. The teacher recommends the topics of the reports to the students himself. At the same time, the participants of the seminar can offer their topics, provided that they are directly related to the specifics of the discipline being studied. Before approving the topic chosen by the student, the teacher must familiarize himself with the plan prepared by him and recommend additional literature.
Discussion Seminar
Unlikeother forms of conducting an audit lesson, this one is considered the most convenient for developing students' skills to cite only confirmed official data as arguments. The debate can be used both as an independent seminar form and as an element of other types of practical exercises.
Seminars-disputes are most interesting when combining several study groups. Students of one of them are preparing reports, and the second is preparing to act as opponents. The distribution of roles is agreed in advance. It is important that the issues brought up for discussion always have significance from a theoretical and practical point of view. The debate can be organized spontaneously by the teacher or planned in advance. Controversy usually flares up quickly, spontaneously. During the discussions, students work out the efficiency of their mental reactions and learn to defend their personal worldview in a dispute.
Conference
This is another model for organizing seminars, which has much in common with practical work built on a report system. For all available points of the lesson plan, the teacher instructs students to prepare short reports. At the beginning of the seminar, the leader takes an introductory word, after which he passes the baton to the first speaker. At the end of the presentation, each listener in the audience should ask at least one question on the topic discussed. Accordingly, questions and answers are the main part of the workshop.
The essence of the seminar conference is the need for in-depth preparation of students. It is knownthat the formulation of the question requires a detailed study of a particular topic. The more thoroughly the preparation was carried out, the more difficult the question the student will be able to ask. If the speaker does not know the answer, the question can be answered by any conference participant who has expressed a desire to express their point of view.
Other forms of seminar
Reading sources with comments is a type of organization of work at the seminar, which aims to meaningfully familiarize students with the recommended literature. Annotated reading of primary sources is rarely the only element of the lesson. As a rule, the work is in many ways reminiscent of a detailed conversation, its duration is no more than 20 minutes. Annotated reading is a great way to teach students how to navigate information sources.
Solving problems for independent thinking can be an independent element of both a detailed conversation and relate to the discussion of reports. The most popular tactic for conducting a lesson looks like this: the seminar leader offers several topical questions related to a specific topic or simulates complex situations that require solution and further analysis. This type of practical work helps to improve the ability of students to delve deeply into the essence of theoretical problems.
In order to clarify or deepen the level of knowledge, some teachers prefer to hold colloquiums-seminars. They are often organized in extra time for those students who do not show much activity atseminars.
How to schedule a workshop
When preparing for a seminar in philosophy or any other humanitarian discipline, it is important for the teacher not to lose the relationship between the practical task and the lecture. The seminar should not repeat it, but at the same time the leader should maintain a connection between its content and the fundamental provisions of the lecture material.
Sometimes teachers use a different sequence when developing a seminar lesson:
- first, students are introduced to a lecture in 15-20 minutes, which reveals common questions and problems on the topic;
- then given time for independent work;
- the rest of the session is devoted to conducting a seminar and highlighting issues poorly understood by students.
There are other ways to make a plan for a practical lesson. To do this, the lecturer provides the group with a lecture plan and a list of recommended literary sources. Teaching names several issues of theoretical significance and practical interest, but since it is not possible to cover them during the lecture due to lack of time, a detailed discussion on this topic will be planned at the upcoming seminar in psychology, philosophy, sociology, legal and other disciplines. Interest in the topic will awaken student curiosity, sharpen the desire to understand the problems.
First of all, students should understand the proposed task plan and comprehend the issues raised for discussion. When opening a topicseminar, the main role still belongs to the leader.
Preparation for the class of students
Before the survey, students will have to spend a lot of time with the book. Preparation for a seminar requires reference to the literature, one's own reasoning, clarification and mastering of new terms and categories. Faced with unfamiliar or obscure nuances during preparation, the student must find the answers himself or ask his question at the seminar itself. When controversial points appear, teachers usually invite students to reflect on aspects that arouse the interest of the group due to ambiguity and inconsistency, which often becomes the reason for dividing the seminar participants into two opposing groups. Their appearance is exactly what is needed to activate the seminar, the discussion, the search for truth.
Following the guidelines for seminars for students, in the process of preparation, it is necessary to carefully study acute issues. It is enough for the student to determine for himself at least 1-2 subtopics in which he feels confident enough and could discuss as an opponent or consultant to the speaker.
At the next stage of the seminar, the teacher with the group does a complex amount of work, delving into the essence of the aspects discussed. Thanks to active participation in a practical lesson, students learn to speak in public, evaluate the reaction of the audience and correctly express their thoughts, formulate arguments to defend their point of view. ATduring the seminar, each student has the opportunity to self-critically assess their own knowledge, compare the levels of training of classmates and draw conclusions about the need to re-study the material.
In practical classes, students should rely on outlined lectures, their own notes and extracts from textbooks, monographs, research articles. Those who conscientiously approach the educational process strive to improve their notes, make it more informative and better. Thus, from one seminar to another, honing the skills of working on problems, the student approaches a decent professional level corresponding to the chosen speci alty.
Methodological developments of the seminar
A teacher preparing to conduct a survey in the classroom, first of all, needs to think over its structure. Seminars in universities must have:
- name reflecting the theme;
- goals and objectives of the lesson;
- sequential plan;
- knowledge control materials;
- training examples.
The most important part of the seminar is the control of acquired knowledge. It is undesirable to reduce this section or completely exclude it from the lesson plan. In order to control knowledge, they conduct an individual interview with each student, check written assignments, get acquainted with the conclusions, conclusions or other materials of students - all this makes it possible to objectively assess the degree of mastering the theoretical part of the discipline within the framework ofspecific topic.
For the final interview, the teacher should prepare control questions and test exercises in advance. The choice of tasks depends on the purpose of the seminar, its content. Summing up, the leader of the seminar summarizes the positions voiced during the lesson, uses simplified formulas for memorization, answers questions of interest and assigns appropriate grades to students, marking the most active and poorly prepared persons, assigns a topic and date for practicing, announces a task for independent work at home.
When developing seminars, methodological recommendations serve as a certain framework, from which one should build. During the preparation of practical work, the teacher must familiarize himself in detail with the procedure for its preparation, having studied the requirements of the work program of the discipline and formulating the goals and objectives of the lesson. Only then can you start developing an audit seminar plan.
The leader independently models the introductory and final parts of the practical lesson, preliminarily distributes questions and individual tasks to students, including research and creative ones. In addition, the teacher is obliged to instruct the students on how they should prepare for the seminar. To do this, the teacher announces the sources of literature that are most suitable for the topic being studied, and shares with students recommendations for organizing independent work in preparation for the seminar. It should line up sequentially:
- Any seminar begins with an introductory part, in which the goal and objectives are announced, and the main idea of the practical work is outlined.
- The main part of the lesson includes presentations by speakers and co-speakers, organizing a discussion where everyone has the opportunity to reveal their vision of the problem.
- The final stage of the seminar is the synthesis and evaluation of the results of students' work.
For convenience and clarity, the teacher is recommended to draw up a detailed outline of the seminar in advance with the distribution of the points of the plan by time. When organizing practical classes, the principle of joint activity plays an important role. According to studies of various teaching methods, when joint learning activities are aimed at finding answers, the process of thinking and acquiring knowledge is more effective. Seminars are effective when conducted as pre-arranged group discussions. This method of constructing a practical lesson allows you to monitor the dynamics of the development of scientific thinking among students.
