SSPP: Learning and teaching activities

Lectures are formal talks and can involve large student groups. Some lectures include students from other departments. Students on joint or interdisciplinary degrees will take modules in other departments. In most modules, learning is sequential; you need to have met and understood past material to follow the current material. You are strongly advised to attend all classes.

The University uses lecture capture as an aid to studies. Digital recording enables you to review lectures, improve your notes, and allow for more independent study. Be aware that while a lecture is being recorded, any input you provide will be included in the recording.

Seminars are occasions when a teacher or expert in the subject area, along with a group of students, meet to study and discuss a particular subject or topic.

Tutorials may be group tutorials and/or individual tutorials. These are less formal than lectures and seminars and enable you to raise your own questions about course material as they arise from lectures or coursework.

Some classes may be held in labs, which provide controlled conditions for scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurements. You will be supervised during your time in the lab and should be aware of any health and safety rules.

Some modules may involve projects as part of the assessment. Although the majority of your project will be overseen by a supervisor, there may be occasions when you need to attend taught sessions on project work.

Workshops, also referred to as practical classes, involve doing set work under guidance from the module teacher. These hands-on classes are designed to allow you to practise and develop a wide range of discipline-based techniques and personal skills.

A project is a research assignment, given either individually or collaboratively, requiring significant effort and more independent work than a normal essay assignment. You will undertake your own fact-finding and analysis, either from library/internet research or from gathering data empirically. The written report from the project is typically in the form of a dissertation, which will contain sections on the project’s inception, analysis, findings and conclusions.

Some study may be undertaken in a clinical setting, such as a hospital. You will have a mentor during your clinical session to ensure you have relevant support.

Some programmes offer placements as part of the study programme. These opportunities allow you to take your learning into a workplace and complete a defined period of study working in an organisation, with an assessment contributing to your overall credit value.

Internships provide a defined period of work experience offered by an organisation. They help you discover a particular role or profession, or gain specific knowledge, skills and experiences. Internships might be accredited as part of your programme or independently sourced and completed part-time or during vacation periods. All internships should adhere to local employment legislation, which requires payment of a stipend or salary in the UK and many jurisdictions.

The University offers opportunities to study abroad, assisted by a dedicated team. A typical study abroad experience may include a semester or year-long study at a partner university overseas or co-curricular activities such as attending overseas summer school. This gives you the option to gain international educational experience as part of your degree.

Coursework is set for your learning and can include practical work, experimentation, research, and writing (eg essays). Coursework broadens your knowledge, enhances research skills and demonstrates your ability to discuss, reason and construct practical outcomes from learned theoretical knowledge. Coursework is usually set individually but may also be set collaboratively with a group of students.

Workload relates to the volume of work you can expect to undertake during your programme of study. This includes attendance at lectures, seminars, tutorials, and self-directed learning and assessment. The general principle for credits is: 1 credit = 10 notional hours of learning. For a 15 credit module, expect 150 hours of learning and for a 30 credit module, 300 hours of learning. This includes a combination of lectures, seminars, practicals, tutorials, and self-directed learning. In the majority of modules, self-study (see below) is the main workload associated with the module.

Self-study involves independent study without assistance from a lecturer or tutor. Keep on top of each module by reviewing notes before the next class, reading supporting material from textbooks and starting coursework well in advance of the submission date.

Some modules may require field work, conducting research in natural locations or contexts relevant to the subject. You will collect data outside a lab, library, or workplace setting, with methods varying across disciplines.