J.

Todd Ormsbee
Associate Professor of American Studies
San Jose State University, 2016

Getting the Most out of Seminars

Seminars are based on the ancient learning technique of question and answer and discussion between a
small group of students and a teacher. Research shows that, when done well, it can be among the most
effective ways for students to learn new information, understand new concepts, and most importantly, to
develop their abilities to make arguments, organize evidence, and think independently. So our goal is to do
it well.
General Goals for Seminars:
1. Develop and deepen your understanding of theories, issues, and facts in a more detailed and focused
way;
2. Develop your ability to share ideas and make arguments, while maintaining civility;
3. Clarify and hone your own thinking and analytical skills;
4. Practice giving and receiving constructive criticism and correction, both with your peers and with your
teacher.
5. Be exposed to perspectives and experiences different from your own and incorporate those into your own
understanding and knowledge;
6. Confront and understand your own social position and power; develop the ability to be self-reflexive.
7. Note: A seminars goal is not to rehash or go over step by step a reading or lecture; it does not replace
reading the text. Rather, its goal is to clarify in broad terms where necessary, and then to deepen
understanding and to apply the knowledge gained and/or critique and analyze the text (or other experience).
General Guidelines for Preparing for a Seminar:
1. Complete any assignments required to fully participate in a seminar; this is usually a reading or sometimes
an exploring experience (such as watching a film or attending an art exhibition or a public lecture);
2. Prepare possible topics youd like to discuss in advance;
3. Prepare questions youd like to pose to the group in advance.
General Guidelines for a Fulfilling and Successful Seminar Experience (all of these require practice): Lets
Build a Learning Community Together
1. Listen carefully and attentively, especially to experienced different from your own or to ideas and analyses
that contradict your own.
2. Stay engaged by taking notes, writing down your own responses and questions as the seminar develops.
Note that because seminars are discussions, interactive, and dialogic, they do not follow a rational or linear
format like many lectures do. This can make note-taking a challenge, but does not minimize or remove the
need for note taking. Note taking will enable you to more consciously see where your own knowledge is, be
self-reflexive, and develop your understanding and thinking as the discussion progresses.
3. Stay open to being challenged and receiving criticism. This can be difficult, but is well worth practicing.
4. Contribute to the discussion as much as your comfort level allows. Make comments, ask questions, and
give critical feedback to peers and teacher as much as time permits.
5. Share the air with your peers. Be sure as many people have the opportunity to participate. Research
shows that certain demographics are more or less likely to speak out in seminars; we want to make sure that
everyone in the room feels comfortable and has the space to participate. Know when not to speak.
6. Seminars are social by definition, which is what makes them so potentially powerful. So on days when
you are most unsure about the topic or ideas, be courageous, share your struggles with the class, and ask
questions. On days when you feel confident about the topic or ideas, be generous with your peers, offering
support and input and helpful feedback.
7. After the seminar, go over and complete your notes in two stages:

a. Within a few hours, read through your notes and in the margins write key words or phrases (maybe in a
different color), and add in any details that you werent able to get in during class time;
b. After 24 hours, go back and reread your notes, then add at the end of your notes a brief summary of what
you learned or what conclusions you drew about the days topics and ideas (approx. one paragraph).
Roadblocks to a Successful Seminar Experience
Many of us come to a seminar settings with fears and uncertainties, sometimes less background than our
peers, or just an introverted personality, all of which can keep us from getting the most our of seminar.
Believe me, if you feel any of these things, you are not alone.
1. Fear of speaking in a group;
2. Having nothing to say or ask;
3. Fear of being embarrassed by not knowing the answer; fear of being wrong;
4. Fear of being exposed as a fraud or as being stupid.
5. Lack of trust of either the professor or your peers or both.
6. Insult or nervousness when we confront ideas or experiences different from our own.
Overcoming RoadblocksRemember, All of This Takes Practice, Even for the Teacher:
1. Work to get to know your professor (go talk to him in office hours) and your peers (maybe meet for coffee
to discuss readings before or after seminars, for example;
2. Be patient and let the relationships and trust develop over the course of the semester;
3. If you have difficulty speaking in public or if speaking off the cuff makes you nervous, start by writing
down what you want to say, either before the seminar or while taking notes;
4. The ancient technique of deep breathing, found in multiple cultures around the world, can really help
here. Whenever necessary, breathe deeply and relax during seminar.
5. Remind yourself constantly that its okay to be wrong because its how all humans learn (think of it like
learning to play a musical instrument or ride a bike or play a sport or etc.).
6. Remind yourself that everyone misunderstands things or speaks unclearly sometimes. If you say something
that is unclear, your peers will simply ask you for a clarification; and everyone needs to clarify sometimes.
No big deal.
7. When someone says something you disagree with or that is different from your own experience, pause for
a breath. Ask yourself why that idea or experience makes you uncomfortable and what you can learn from
the discomfort? Listen deeply and as openly as possible. Respond with care and generosity. Its often helpful
to begin by asking questions rather than confront a challenging idea.
7. After the seminar, be sure to note to yourself yours successes for the day. If one day, all you could do was
take good notes, thats a success! If one day, you made a comment, even if you dont think it was a good
one, it was a success to participate! If you were able to help your peer understand a difficult concept, it was
a success!
8. Then make note of one thing youd like to do better the following seminar, such as ask a question,
maintain equanimity when someone says something you disagree with, etc.
Note:
Specific seminars will have goals and norms that are specific to the topic of the seminar or course. On the
first day of class, ideally you might take some time as a group to set some specific goals and norms for the
dialogue you hope to develop and to meet the learning goals of the class.