Table 1 Definitions of ‘Tutorial’ Across the Top 10 Universities as Ranked by Times Higher Education (THE)
From: Alternatives to the conventional ‘Oxford’ tutorial model: a scoping review
THE Rank | University | Definition of tutorial |
|---|---|---|
1 | University of Oxford | “Tutorials at the University of Oxford usually have between one and three students, and so the format and content can be varied depending on topic and attendees. They are intended as a relaxed forum in which to try out new ideas, and to help you develop confidence” (“Tutorials at Oxford” n.d.) |
2 | California Institute of Technology | No definition provided online |
3 | University of Cambridge | “Supervisions [personal tuitions] provide the opportunity to explore your subject more deeply, discuss your own work and ideas, and receive regular feedback. As they aren’t assessed, supervisions provide the ideal environment for you to test your ideas and interests, while encouraging you to develop your thinking” (“How Will I Be Taught?” 2018) |
4 | Stanford University | “Tutorials present the opportunity to personalize the attention to student learning … tutorials aim to intensify and accelerate freshman learning over the ten weeks of the quarter through individualized instruction. Post-doctoral fellows work with one or with two/three students in 20–30 min sessions and guide each student to reach the highest possible level of achievement in development of critical capacities and other skills targeted by the course” (“Tutorials” n.d.) |
5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | “Recitation [or tutorial] is a complement to lecture. Whereas lectures are filled with far too many students and far too much material to have ample opportunity for individualized engagement and specific questions, recitation holds smaller numbers of students and is aimed to address anything covered during lecture or individualized studying that is unclear. Recitation is a safe space in which asking questions for clarification on big ideas, their applications, and specific problems is encouraged” (“Optimizing Recitations” n.d.) |
6 | Princeton University | Princeton University provides ‘Group Study Halls’ and ‘Individual Peer Tutoring’ Group Study Halls are “… highly interactive tutoring sessions [that] are designed to help students enhance their problem solving skills and strategies so that they can apply them independently and flexibly to tackle the types of challenging problems on Princeton exams. Students develop these skills by working on problem sets together and talking through the concepts underlying them” (“Course-Based Support” n.d.) Individual Peer Tutoring is designed “to help students develop the skills and strategies they need to independently and successfully engage in a course. Peer tutors are undergraduates who have performed well in the courses they support” (“Individual Peer Tutoring” n.d.) |
7 | Harvard University | “In a tutorial, students typically study a topic in depth with a faculty member and a small group of students. Tutorials can be a terrific way to get to know a faculty member well, build relationships between a small group of students, and to deeply engage with a scientific topic and scientific approaches” (“Tutorials” n.d.) |
8 | Yale University | Tutorials are not defined online. But, Yale University’s website specifies that tutoring is offered to students who are experiencing academic difficulty, which means that said student is likely to earn a grade of C or below in the course. In such cases, individual or small group tutoring by an advanced undergraduate with expertise in the discipline is provided to the student for up to 10 h (“Tutoring” n.d.) |
9 | University of Chicago | Tutorials are not defined online. But, the University of Chicago’s website refers to the use of small groups. “Small group work can range from short, informal exercises to formalized problem sets that make up the majority of class. Contrary to popular belief, instructors can incorporate small group work into large lectures as well as seminars and discussion sections” (“Small Group Work” n.d.) |
10 | Imperial College London | “Teaching in tutorials can be less structured, and are often led by the students more than the tutor. Tutorials involve learning in small groups and they allow you to explore topics in more detail, and to discuss, question and challenge the subject with your tutor and your peers … Typically tutorials: [e]ncourage active learning and feedback; [i]mprove self-expression; [and] [a]llow time for some ‘hands on’ practice. Tutorials work best when everyone in the group participates. You may be asked to prepare work in advance, or to read about a lecture topic and discuss it” (“How We Teach” n.d.) |