Lectures

How are lectures being given this year?

Your lectures will be delivered online this semester but will still be timetabled. Your lecture may be given live in the timetabled slot, and recorded for later use, or pre-recorded and made available for the scheduled time.

You will access your lectures through your module page on Blackboard. For an introduction to using Blackboard, and changing your settings to suit your needs, see the video and pages here [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/apse/digital/mole/studenthelphome].

See this page for more information and tips for studying online [https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/301/study-skills/everyday-skills/remote-study ].

What are lectures used for?

Most new material is presented in lectures, though for certain courses some might be introduced via printed notes or online materials and in practical sessions. Lectures are often used to

  • impart information, concepts and theories;

  • provide an introductory overview of a subject;

  • arouse student interest in a topic;

  • draw together the main ideas about a subject and/or review recent research.

Making the most of your lectures

  • Always arrive at a lecture at least a few minutes before it is due to start - even when it is online.

    • You will need to organise yourself and your study materials regardless of where the lecture takes place.

    • Late arrival at lectures is disruptive and you might also find it difficult to understand a lecture if you miss the beginning.

    • Even if your session is not live, it is best practice to treat it as such and watch a recording at a timetabled slot.

  • After a lecture, study your notes carefully. Work through the details slowly, and annotate your notes, using a different colour to help in later revision.

    • You can pause recorded lectures at key points and work through detail of a calculation that is being shown.

  • Scan through the last lecture’s notes before the next lecture to keep on top of the material.

    • Look at material for the next lecture if it is available so you have some familiarity with what is coming up.

  • Read supporting material from textbooks as necessary.

Missed a lecture?

In most courses learning is sequential, so it is important to have met and understood earlier material in order to follow what is being presented currently. If you have to miss a lecture therefore you should copy up notes borrowed from a friend before the next lecture. Copying rather than photocopying is advisable for this, since it helps focus your attention better.

Five top tips on using Lectures and Recordings effectively

  1. Attend lectures – students who attend tend to get better grades. If a session is at a live timed event, try to attend this even if a recording will be made. If the teaching session is not live, use your first watch as if it was a live lecture and run through the whole recording taking notes as you listen.

  2. Use the captures to supplement your studies. Go back and dip into the parts you need to enhance your knowledge and understanding.

  3. Don’t wait until a few days before the examination to use the captures. Space your learning throughout the semester to enhance your knowledge and understanding.

  4. Don’t binge watch! Again, spacing your learning across the semester is a more effective approach.

  5. Watch at normal speed (if you speed the recording up you might miss key information).

Making notes

Making notes is an important part of active learning when attending a lectures or reading a textbook. Notes are concentrated, personal records of spoken or written information. Note making requires you to select the essential information and to organise it properly. Your notes will be the starting point for exam revision.

Good notes often include headings and subheadings, underlining or highlighting, and clear layout on the page. The more traditional note-making is linear - with one heading after another down the page. It is very useful to leave a wide margin at one side, so that you can add extra points later - references, details from textbooks, notes from discussions. Find what works for you!

Use abbreviations in note-making, but make sure they are clear to you. As soon as possible after a lecture you should read through your notes to make sure they made sense and that you understand them. If you do not understand your notes seek help immediately while the topic is still fresh in your mind.

Lecturers may provide handouts in lectures and on Blackboard and recordings are available. These materials are not intended to be a substitute for making your own notes. It is all too easy to become a passive listener (and a poor learner) if you stop taking notes and rely on a handout or Blackboard. For this reason, it is always better to rely on your own notes, rather than copies of other people's, since you will develop your own patterns of note-making and will know best the points about a lecture (or a book) that interested you.