Types of tutorials

Tutorials can be defined as small group teaching. Effective tutorials can be one of the best ways for students to learn about a given topic. They also allow you, the tutor, to discover any misconceptions and blocks to learning that the students might have. Tutorials are designed to encourage the exchange of ideas and provide an environment where students have the potential to develop:

analytical skills
team work
skills in cooperative learning and resolving differences
the ability to talk in front of and listen in groups.

Reasons for small group teaching

Interaction: Ideally a tutorial offers a forum that is more conducive to and less threatening for student discussions and interactions. Tutorials can:
- provide a chance for tutors and students to get to know each other
- engage students with specific material and with each other within a learning context
- encourage students to voice and justify an opinion
- offer an opportunity for student-to-student learning to take place and hence show students that they can learn from peers
- extend social groups, which is especially important for first years.
Individualised: Learning is essentially an interactive, interpersonal, and emotional activity. Tutorials can:
- address particular individuals and specific issues in a personal manner
- provide an opportunity for Faculty to get to know students, especially:
Alternative teaching style: Ideally, students need a variety of teaching styles in order to meet their diverse learning styles. Tutorials can:
- offer an opportunity for demonstrations, expansion and elaboration on student understanding
- provide a more effective forum for the giving and getting of feedback for both students and teachers
- allow students to explore the relevance of knowledge within the context of a course, lecture or topic
- provide an opportunity for students to use evidence to substantiate their a commitment to an idea.

This section looks at some different tutorial formats which reflect the different levels of control a tutor may wish to assume, and links them to student's learning outcomes. It offers possible occasion when it might be advisable to use a particular type and when it might be better to avoid them.

Mini-lecture

The tutor assumes control and dominates the tutorial session

When to use	What to avoid
Use when clear explanation of material is needed, specific feedback is to be given or when new material is to be explored Use in conjunction with large problem-solving or exercise-working groups the mini-lecture format gives the tutor the opportunity to explain or demonstrate to the whole class, clear up misconceptions or to draw separate points together When the "lecturer" is a student delivering a tutorial paper. When the tutor has to resume control by rounding off the topic and summarising main points at the end of the session especially if the session was led by a untrained student presenter	Do not use this method when students are silent after a student discussion has been invited, or as a method of filling the silence when students have not prepared prior to a tutorial Propagating the myth that students are "sitting at the feet of the master"

When to use

What to avoid

Use when clear explanation of material is needed, specific feedback is to be given or when new material is to be explored
Use in conjunction with large problem-solving or exercise-working groups the mini-lecture format gives the tutor the opportunity to explain or demonstrate to the whole class, clear up misconceptions or to draw separate points together
When the "lecturer" is a student delivering a tutorial paper.
When the tutor has to resume control by rounding off the topic and summarising main points at the end of the session especially if the session was led by a untrained student presenter

Do not use this method when students are silent after a student discussion has been invited, or as a method of filling the silence when students have not prepared prior to a tutorial
Propagating the myth that students are "sitting at the feet of the master"

Questions and answers

The tutor remains the controlling focus, with questions and answers going through the tutor.

When to use	What to avoid
Use when clear explanation of material is needed, or specific feedback is to be given. Use questions when creating a large group brainstorm technique and points need to be elicited from students fact-finding brainstorms to define an problem idea-finding brainstorms production and development of ideas solution-finding brainstorms selection and evaluation of potential solutions Use when encouraging students to commit to ideas and to justify that commitment Use when you need to draw out existing knowledge/experiences and apply to a particular situation	If the initial intention was to get students to work as a group, there can be a tendency to slip into this type of tutorial, particularly with first years, who are not confident enough to question. Unstructured anecdotes e.g."In my day..." Dialogues that become "wrestling matches" between the tutor and the bright student anxious to impress

When to use

What to avoid

Use when clear explanation of material is needed, or specific feedback is to be given.
Use questions when creating a large group brainstorm technique and points need to be elicited from students

fact-finding brainstorms
to define an problem
idea-finding brainstorms
production and development of ideas
solution-finding brainstorms
selection and evaluation of potential solutions

Use when encouraging students to commit to ideas and to justify that commitment
Use when you need to draw out existing knowledge/experiences and apply to a particular situation

If the initial intention was to get students to work as a group, there can be a tendency to slip into this type of tutorial, particularly with first years, who are not confident enough to question.
Unstructured anecdotes e.g."In my day..."
Dialogues that become "wrestling matches" between the tutor and the bright student anxious to impress

Circular discussion

The tutor acts as facilitator of discussion.

When to use	What to avoid
Use when the outcome is to help students clarify information or opinions for themselves Allows students gain new insights through the process of group discussion Especially useful when the focus of interest is on material for which there are differing interpretations or perspectives When the primary objective is to arrive at a consensus or decision on some matter	Allowing one point of view or one person dominating the discussion. Holding forth and turning the discussion into a mini-lecture

Group work

When to use	What to avoid
Useful for encouraging social interaction for isolated, rural and overseas students With a small group of students exploring a topic in a limited time frame, there are opportunities for their collaborative product of their studies to go to greater depth and breadth Used for real world work on authentic real world projects Use when there is a need to work in multidisciplinary teams When making assessment a central aspect of a topic, large group projects provide a legitimate vehicle. When there is a need to reduce the assessment workload. It can be a more efficient means of assessing. However, although the interpreting a grading aspect may be reduced, the management and guidance demands may well be higher than it is for individual projects or papers.	A group or an individual with no particular task to complete Not checking in with the groups periodically - this allows groups to fall behind Creating overly large teams

When to use

What to avoid

Useful for encouraging social interaction for isolated, rural and overseas students
With a small group of students exploring a topic in a limited time frame, there are opportunities for their collaborative product of their studies to go to greater depth and breadth
Used for real world work on authentic real world projects
Use when there is a need to work in multidisciplinary teams
When making assessment a central aspect of a topic, large group projects provide a legitimate vehicle.
When there is a need to reduce the assessment workload. It can be a more efficient means of assessing. However, although the interpreting a grading aspect may be reduced, the management and guidance demands may well be higher than it is for individual projects or papers.

A group or an individual with no particular task to complete
Not checking in with the groups periodically - this allows groups to fall behind
Creating overly large teams