Umm-e-Rooman Yaqoob Roll no. 3 B.S English 3rd Semester

Seminar

Definition:

A seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is requested to actively participate.

A seminar is a type of meeting in which people give views about the topic. It is conducted mainly for the discussion.

At university or college level a small group of students discuss the topic in the presence of a teacher but here the role of the teacher is only to conduct the students.

Purposes of seminar presentation: Following are some of the purposes of seminar:

To deepen and develop students’ understanding of the topics being studied.

To enhance academic skills such as critical evaluation and argument building.

To allow students to practise a wide range of ‘transferable’ or ‘key’ skills, such as communication skills and group working.

To inform.

To present data or result for research and finding.

To introduce a subject for discussion or exchange of ideas.

To create an awareness.

How a seminar should be presented? While presenting a seminar following points should be kept in mind:

Seminar should be as interesting as possible.

Seminar should be as brief as possible.Seminar should be as simple as possible.Seminar should be as memorable as

possible.

What should be included in a seminar?

To present a good and effective seminar following points should be present while presenting a seminar:

1. Abstract2. Introduction3. Methodology4. Results and Discussion5. Conclusion

1. Abstract:

Abstract is the brief summary of the whole presentation of the seminar. It should be designed in such a way that the attention of the audience is attracted. We should open the topic in such a way that it creates interest in audience.

It is further divided into four parts:

i. Justificationii. Objectives

iii. Methodsiv. Significance

2. Introduction:

The subject and object of the research is introduced to the audience. Following points must be discussed in introduction

i. What is the problem?ii. Why is it so important?iii. What is known (from literature)?iv. What does one expect by doing the

research?v. How would your research benefit the

society?

3. Methodology:

Methodology informs the audience about:

i. What important materials were used in your experiment or research?

ii. Where did you get them from?iii. How did you plan your experiments or

research?iv. What methods did you used for the

analysis?v. Any statistical analysis used?

4. Results and discussion: Results and discussion should have the following elements:

i. What did you find? ( may be presented in the form of table or figures )

ii. Any problems in achieving your objectives?

iii. How do your results compare with others?iv. How significant are your results in adding

to the pool of knowledge about the subject?

5. Conclusion:

Conclusion should be very brief and should remind the audience of:

i. What you have been telling them.ii. It should highlight your important findings.iii. It should tell the audience where you think

you should add a new thing.iv. Shouldn`t remain thirsty.

Advantages:

Encourages students to learn actively and to participate in class.

Provides a forum for deeper and more critical engagement with a topic.

Allows the tutor to give feedback and support to individuals.

Requires the students to take responsibility for their own preparation and learning.

Facilitates collaboration and group learning.

Develops many forms of communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Allows a greater amount of interaction between teacher and students – it is the place you get to know your students.

Allows students to explore a topic and, guided by the learning outcomes for the course, take responsibility for their own learning.

Disadvantages:

Requires significant investment of resources, especially tutor time.

Depends on the facilitation skills of the tutor and so may be variable in quality.

Needs to be organized and well managed to allow discussion but to also ensure that the specific learning outcomes for the session are met.

Requires all students to participate (even shy or quiet people) and be encouraged and supported to do so.

This may be a particular issue if some students are non-native English speakers and less confident to speak.

May be less effective if all students do not prepare adequately.

Tips for a good seminar:

To present a good seminar one should follow these tips:

Leave nothing to chance.

Know exactly how to start.Get straight to the point.Talk to your audience.Know what works.Be concise.Speak gently.Know your audience.Treat your audience as equals.Be yourself.Take your time.Don`t make special efforts to be funny.Let your visuals speak for themselves.Develop your own style.Enjoy the experience.Welcome questions from your audience.Finish strongly.

THE END