Do you like to be active throughout the lesson and tell everyone your ideas regarding a topic studied? Or do you prefer to stay silent and listen to others who are more experienced in this area? Would you like to try it by your own and tell about the incidents that you had? Here are 6 types of classes that differ according to the students’ role, activity and involvement.
Type: #1. A Lecture
Aim: The professor explains the topic or explicates the certain issue. The lecture is aimed on enlightening the certain subject, which is usually a new piece of material for students.
What students do: The student during this type of class will be, mainly, listening to the professor attentively and writing down notes carefully.
Number of students: the lectures are typically given for a wide audience in big lecture halls.
Type #2. A Section.
Aim: The purpose of the class called “a section” is to discuss the material, which has been given during the lecture. Sometimes sections are named as discussion. In some cases, the section is considered to be the component of the lecture itself.
Student’s task: Sections will require you to think about the questions concerning the material and ask them in the group, discuss the most interesting or questionable points, and complete extra tasks.
Number of students: Discussions are always held within less number of learners than the lecture would involve. Tutors or graduates will usually be leading the group.
Type #3. A Lab. ALT: Experiments
Aim: A laboratory class is taken by students, who are involved in a scientific work. It lets the learners utilize the learned formulas on real life and conduct their own experiments.
Student’s task: You can be asked to practice their knowledge about certain subject. It may be a chemical experiment, computer program creation or a physical testing.
Number of students: The labs are held in not big groups so everyone has enough space, is given an opportunity to communicate with the instructor and is under control.
Type #4. A Seminar.
Aim: seminars are meant for close investigation of the certain issues by small number of students. Typically, those are the topics that deal with the major of the group and are up-to-the-minute and worth discussing.
Student’s role: you must take an active part in the seminar. It is close to a discussion type but also requires the students to get ready and complete the tasks for a seminar. Every person should state their individual point of view, give a presentation, and talk about the project.
Number of students: the groups for seminars are really small as a very close interaction of a teacher with the student is required.
Type #5. Studio
Aim: This class will be familiar to art students only, or for those who decided to take the certain art course. During the studio there will be an opportunity to practice your painting, singing, dancing etc. if you have taken this course.
Student’s role: You have to apply your theoretical knowledge during the studio class and show in practice the way you comprehend the learnt material and can use the theory and different concepts.
Number of students: The size of groups differs: it may be a small group or a big class with a number of students.