Often a course of lectures provides the backbone to the whole unit of study and acts as a stimulus to further reading and research. The tutorial involves a discussion lasting an hour or more between a tutor and one or a small number of students, often focussed on an essay or problem. The seminar consists of a group of five to fifteen students meeting with a tutor, for an hour or often longer, to discuss one or more short presentations usually prepared and delivered by the students. This is a collaborative exercise, demanding active participation from the whole group. All science and some arts and social science modules include an essential element of practical work, which may take the form of laboratory work, field work or computer assignments.
Practical work provides a further opportunity for close personal contact between staff and students.
Studies at British universities, particularly in arts and social science subjects, may involve relatively few formal contact hours each week, since they are intended as a starting point and focus for a great deal of individual study. Students therefore need to be able to take a high degree of responsibility for their studies and to organise their own time effectively. Supervisors and course tutors are always ready to give advice on study methods and general guidance to students in planning their studies. Methods of assessment vary between departments and from course to course. The most common methods are essays written specially for assessment, assignments written during the course and closed examinations.