They really helped. By having to write about a concept, you really had to understand what you just read. Also, by writing about a concept, it helped me remember it. I enjoyed the seminar papers because they forced me to understand the concepts and be able to explain them in my own words and with the use of examples. Extremely helpful in learning and understanding the various sections of the chapters.
Helps create a more intuitive understanding of the concepts discussed.
The seminar papers are probably the best idea of the class. Compared to conventional methods of teaching, for me, this way is much more useful. I started doing something like a seminar in my chemistry class and it helped me understand there also. The seminars were a useful extension of the papers. It is also a whole lot more interesting than listening to a teacher lecture.