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Guide to tutorials and class discussions

Learn how to make the most of tutorials and reap the rewards of class discussions
How to prepare
Tips for discussion
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Students doing presentations in a classroom on Paddington Campus

Tutorials give you the opportunity to raise topics, ask questions and explore ideas.

Tutorials (also called ‘tutes’) are small discussion-based class groups of students enrolled in a particular course.

Tutorials can take place on campus or online. They are led by a tutor, and can involve particular activities or asking and answering questions related to what you learn in lectures.

  • Tutorials tend to be much more interactive than lectures, so you're expected to do more than just receiving information and taking notes. How you spend your tutorial may differ across different courses and disciplines. For example, a tutorial might:

    • focus on group discussions of key course topics or set reading material
    • have students deliver oral presentations preceding a group discussion
    • get students to work on exercises or activities, such as weekly case studies or a set of prepared questions.

    Successful tutorials depend on students doing the preparation and demonstrating their engagement through active listening and discussion. All students are expected to participate.

Do I have to attend tutorials?

³Û±ð²õ.ÌýAll courses record tutorial attendance and many have a minimum number of tutorials you must attend to pass. Often, tutorials also contain assessable components (e.g. in-class tests, weekly quizzes, class participation marks etc.) which count toward your final grade.

Worried about your ability to attend tutorials? Find support.

See also

Why are tutorials important for your learning?

Finding ‘the right words’ for your thoughts and ideas, and expressing yourself clearly, takes time and practice. Tutorials give you a safe space to practise these academic discussion skills.

In-class discussions are essential for university study.

In the process of improving your discussion skills during tutorials, you will also:

  • Clarify and deepen your understanding of what you're learning
  • Advance your knowledge of the subject by hearing a range of perspectives
  • Build confidence to share your own ideas
  • Improve your critical thinking and language skills.

Actively prepare for, participate in and reflect on your tutorials for the best learning experience.

To get the most out of your tutorials, there's things you can do besides just showing up:
    • Know what the topic for the particular week is. Refer to your course outline. 
    • Complete required readings or other set activities. This is essential; if you haven’t done any preparation then you won’t be able to contribute. 
    • Review the notes from the most recent lecture. 
    • Note down questions to ask. Start by identifying what you do and don’t understand about the topic or the readings. 
    • Plan at least one brief contribution to the discussion - it might be a thought, a definition, a notable piece of information or a comment. This will help you feel prepared and prompt you to contribute during class. 
    • Set up notetaking pages. At the top of each page write the date, week, course name and tutorial topic. If you’re using a laptop, prepare a document template.
    • Arrive before the class starts, find a seat and unpack. 
    • Greet the tutor and, if you don’t know the students next to you, introduce yourself. Geting to know your colleagues and the academic staff helps you set up support networks. 
    • Put your phone away and stay offline if you're using a laptop. Give the group the courtesy of your attention. 
    • Listen to the discussion ³¦²¹°ù±ð´Ú³Ü±ô±ô²â.Ìý
    • Make a contribution. You can take part by: raising a point, with evidence or an example building on an existing discussion asking or answering questions acknowledging someone else’s ideas, either verbally or non-verbally.
    • Be respectful. If you: want to contribute, avoid interrupting anyone while they’re speaking. Raise your hand or otherwise signal to the tutor that you'd like to contribute. agree with a point, express it, verbally or non-verbally (e.g. with a nod and a smile) to support the speaker disagree about something, explore it through discussion. Ask polite questions and seek information and clarification. 
    • Keep contributions relevant. Comments and questions should be on topic. 
    • Take notes. Jot down the main ideas, but focus on filling gaps in your knowledge. Note down what you find interesting, important or confusing.
    • Complete any unfinished reading to stay on track with the content.
    • Revise your tutorial notes. Research any new words or concepts while they are still fresh in your mind.
    • Note any thoughts and questions you have about the tutorial discussion.
    • Identify gaps remaining in your understanding. Work out how you can clarify important points - would further reading help, or should you consult with your tutor?

Support for tutorial attendance

Tip: Always reach out to your lecturer or tutor first if you're concerned about attendance.
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Improve your discussion skills for tutorials and seminars with these strategies.

💡 Goal

Notice how other students discuss during tutorials and seminars.

Ask yourself:

  • How do other students enter into the discussion?
  • How do they ask questions?
  • How do they disagree with or support the topic?
  • How do other students make critical comments?
  • What special phrases do they use to show politeness even when they are voicing disagreement?
  • How do they signal to ask a question or make a point?

💡 Goal

Don't just hear what is being said — understand and actively think about it.

Aim to:

  • Be an active listener without letting your attention drift. Keep your focus on what is being said.
  • Identify the main ideas being discussed.
  • Evaluate what is being said. Think about how it relates to the main idea/ theme of the tutorial discussion.
  • Listen with an open mind and be receptive to new ideas and points of view. Think about how they fit in with what you have already learnt.
  • Test your understanding. Mentally paraphrase what other speakers say.
  • Ask yourself questions as you listen. Take notes during class about things which you could respond to.

💡 Goal

Be on top of course content for in-class discussions.

Remember:

  • Being well-prepared let's you contribute to a discussion meaningfully.
  • To be up to date with content, you must attend lectures and complete any assigned readings, tutorial assignments or pre-work.
  • If you don't understand the material or don't feel confident about your ideas, you can contact your tutor or lecturer to ask questions.

💡 Goal

Get comfortable with discussing course content.

Try to:

  • Discuss course topics and materials outside class. Start in an informal setting with another student or with a small group.
  • Ask questions to fellow students about the course material, their opinions on it and any other information or advice about the course.
  • Practise listening and responding to what they say. Try out any discipline-specific vocabulary or concepts.
  • Use your experience discussing outside of class to express your views in the more formal environment of tutorial groups.

💡 Goal

Improve your participation by contributing to discussions.

Make an attempt:

  • If you're not confident with participating yet, simply add to the existing discussion.
    • Agree with what someone has said.
    • Ask someone to expand on their point (e.g. request an example or more information).
    • Prepare a question to ask beforehand.
  • If you're confident contributing to the discussion, challenge yourself.
    • Answer questions put to the group.
    • Provide an example for a point under discussion.
    • Disagree with a point.

How to voice your opinions and discuss effectively and respectfully

The everyday meaning of ‘argument’ suggests a conflict or a confrontation. However, in an academic context, to 'argue' is to put forward a considered opinion through the process of reasoning, supported by evidence.

The aim of academic argument could be to:

  • explore a question, a proposition or an area of knowledge
  • persuade through rational and critical judgement
  • present evidence or research
  • achieve reasoned mutual understanding.

So academic arguments aren't about 'winning' - what matters is the quality of the argument itself. When you engage in academic argument in your tutorials, you're developing your ideas, advancing your knowledge and enaging your critical thinking skills.

Tips for discussing in classes

Voice your opinion effectively in three steps

Expressing your opinion and using effective arguing techniques are valuable skills. Participating in a tutorial discussion can be a bit intimidating, especially when you want to disagree with a point of view and are not sure how to, or don’t know what language to use.

You may have a great idea, but you need to communicate it effectively and support it. The three essential parts to a point of view are:

  1. A valid opinion (a believable point of view)
    • I believe that ...
    • I think that ...
    • From what I understand ...
    • As I understand it ...
  2. A reason why
    • This is due to ...
    • Because ...
    • What I mean by this is ...
  3. Evidence (relevant and up-to-date examples, statistics, explanations and/or expert opinions, with the source)
    • This can be seen by ...
    • For instance ...
    • For example ...
    • An example can be seen ...
    • (Author's name) states that ...
    • (Author's name) suggests...
    • Statistics from (a relevant source) indicate ...

Remember, confidence is the key. If you do your tutorial preparation and think things through, you can speak with confidence and believe that your contribution will be valid.

Disagree respectfully in three steps

When you disprove another speaker's point, it's important to disagree politely, and to keep the discussion moving in a constructive direction. Following the three steps below to use when disagreeing with another speaker:

  1. Acknowledge their thoughts/ideas
    • I can see your point - however ...
    • That's a good point, but ...
    • I see where you're coming from, but ...
    • I see what you mean - however...
  2. Explain why you disagree
    • That's not always the case because ...
    • That's not necessarily true because ...
    • This idea isn't supported by statistics/ evidence ...
    • I thought the author meant that ...
  3. Offer your opinion complete with reason and support
    • From what I've read ...
    • The statistics seem to indicate that ...
    • I think what (author's name) may actually be suggesting is ...
    • Other studies by (author's name) show that ...

Be prepared for counter-argument and further discussion, continuing to use the three steps above to keep the discussion respectful.

Ask and answer questions with confidence following oral presentations

Depending on your course, your oral presentations may conclude with a group discussion. If this is the case, prepare a couple of questions that are relevant to your topic. When you start speaking, tell your audience that you'll be asking some questions at the end of your presentation. This can help keep your listeners engaged during your presentation.

Asking questions

  • Speak slowly and clearly. Your group needs to comprehend a question before they can answer it, so it's important to fully articulate your questions. Repeat the question if necessary.
  • Give your audience the option to read your questions. This will support their comprehension. You can put your questions on a PowerPoint slide, write them on a whiteboard or include them on any handouts you give the group.
  • Provide the audience with handouts. Having a summary of your talk or a list of the main points in front of them will help stimulate discussion.

Answering questions

After your presentation, members of your tutorial group may ask you questions. Don’t be afraid of questions; they are a positive sign. Questions show that the audience is listening and interested.

  • Listen carefully to the question. Repeat or paraphrase the question so you are sure you understand it and so everyone in the audience hears it.
  • Break the question up into sections if it's long and answer each section one by one.
  • Be brief when answering questions. Avoid introducing new information.
  • Try to get the group involved by opening responses up to the audience and letting someone else answer.
  • Don't worry if you don’t know the answer to the question. You can’t be expected to know absolutely everything about your topic. You can always offer to find out the answer for them later.

Follow proper etiquette for discussions and academic ‘arguments’

In order to successfully negotiate discussion, courtesy is important. The following are a few ground rules for good conduct.

What to remember

  • Respect the contribution of other speakers. Speak pleasantly and with courtesy to all members of the group.
  • Listen well to the ideas of other speakers; you will learn something.
  • Acknowledge what you find interesting.
  • Respect differing views. Those who hold them are not necessarily wrong.
  • Remember that a discussion is not a fight. Learn to disagree politely.
  • Think about your contribution before you speak. How best can you answer the question/contribute to the topic?
  • Try to stick to the discussion topic. Don't introduce irrelevant information. If the discussion does digress, bring it back on topic by saying something like 'Just a final point about the last topic before we move on' or 'that's an interesting point, can we come back to that later?
  • Speak clearly. Don't whisper; even if you're feeling uncertain about your ideas or language.
  • Be aware of your body language. Keep it open and friendly. Avoid gestures that appear aggressive.

What to be careful of

  • Don't take offence if another speaker disagrees with you. Putting forward different points of view is an important part of any discussion. Others may disagree with your ideas, and they are entitled to do so.
  • Never try to intimidate or insult another speaker or ridicule the contribution of others. Don't use negative comments like "that’s stupid"Ìý´Ç°ù 'you're wrong'. Learn to disagree and argue appropriately.
  • Take care to use a moderate tone of voice. If you sound angry or aggressive others will not want to listen to you.
  • Try not to dominate the discussion, especially if you are a confident speaker. Pause to allow quieter students a chance to contribute.
  • Don't interrupt or talk over another speaker. Let them finish their point before you start. Listening to others earns you the right to be heard.
  • Avoid drawing too much on personal experience or anecdote. Although some tutors encourage students to reflect on their own experience, remember not to generalise too much.

Follow these tips to lead group discussions confidently

You may need to lead a group discussion or lead a discussion after an oral presentation in a tutorial or seminar. To successfully lead a discussion:

  • Introduce yourself and state the purpose of the discussion
  • Ask questions to stimulate the discussion
  • Make sure no one dominates the discussion by inviting contributions from everyone
  • Ensure only one member of the group speaks at a time
  • Ensure the discussion remains relevant and doesn't drift off topic
  • Summarise or rephrase speaker's point where needed for the group
  • Summarise the entire discussion at the very end.

Follow these tips to chair a group discussion fairly

When chairing a group discussion, you must communicate in a positive way to assist the speakers in accomplishing their objective. Make sure to:

  • Introduce the topic and purpose of the discussion
  • Introduce yourself and the other speakers
  • Distribute approximately the same amount of speaking time to each member
  • Thank group members for their contribution
  • Be objective in summarising the group’s discussion and achievements.

Further reading

Ballard, B & Clanchy, J 1984, Study Abroad, Longman, Melbourne.

Brick, J 2006, Academic culture: a student’s guide to studying at university, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Burdess, N 1991,The handbook of student skills for the social sciences and humanities, Prentice Hall, Victoria.

Marshall, L & Rowland, F 2013, A Guide to Learning Independently, 4th edn, Pearson Education, Frenchs Forest.

Northedge, A 1990, The good study guide, Open University, Milton Keynes.

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