Lecture vs Tutorial
The difference between a lecture and a tutorial can be discussed under several factors such as methods of imparting knowledge, number of students, etc. If you are a student of a university, you may be taking both lectures and tutorials. Even if you are not a part of a university, you may have certainly heard the terms lecture and tutorial. These are two types of classes an undergraduate attends when he or she is learning in a university. Both of these programmes are organized to impart knowledge to the students who are following every subject. They offer different levels of interactions with the subject as well as the lecturer.
What is a Lecture?
A lecture is the main form of teaching in a university. As we all know every student is expected to cover their lectures when attending a university to gain knowledge of the subject he or she is following. The easiest way to define a lecture is to say that it is a general introduction to the topic. In a lecture, the lecturer will be using formal language. That is the practice in any university study. You will have to get used to it if you are used to people talking colloquially all the time.
A lecture will introduce a subject to you and cover all the aspects of it briefly. The lecturer will discuss only the main points. Usually, they will tell you what you should read more. Since a lecture has a format, you will find that it is easy to concentrate. Usually, a lecture begins with an introduction of the topic and the purpose of that particular lecture. Then, it will say about the different theories in that subject area. A discussion of those theories comes after this introduction of different theories. Then, you will be introduced to how a theory can be applied practically. Finally, there is a summary. If there are any technical expressions, the lecturer will clarify them.
In a lecture, you only can jot down the main points of the lecture. It is impossible to write every word the lecturer says. Nowadays, lecturers use Power Point presentations for their lectures and after the lecture they post those slides on the university website or somehow let the students have a copy of that. So, you just need to listen to the lecture and note only the most important parts.
What is a Tutorial?
A tutorial follows a lecture to give more in-depth knowledge on the subject the lecture spoke about. It only has about 12 to 30 students. Since the number of students is low, the lecturer gets the opportunity to pay more attention to individual students. Here, you can ask questions about the subject. Also, a tutorial has group activities. In that, your knowledge of the subject and how much you have understood could be tested. You also have to write papers at times. Sometimes, you will have group discussions where each person has to take turns to be the leader. Then, it can also be a discussion based on a paper a member of the group wrote. Whatever method they follow tutorials are there to enhance the knowledge of the student to understand the subject.
What is the difference between Lecture and Tutorial?
• Scope of a Lecture and Tutorial:
• Lecture is the introduction to a topic that covers all aspects of the topic briefly.
• Tutorial is more in-depth than a lecture. Usually, a tutorial follows the lecture to clarify and strengthen the students’ understanding of the subject.
• Number of students:
• A lecture can have about 200 students.
• Tutorial has about 12 to 30 students.
• Format:
• The lecture is very formal.
• The tutorial is not much formal as a lecture.
• Interaction:
• Interaction between student and lecturer is low in a lecture as there is a large number of students.
• In a tutorial, the interaction between the lecturer and student is higher as the number of students is low.
Images Courtesy:
- A lecture hall at Baruch College, New York City, USA by Xbxg32000 (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- A PBL group at Sydney Dental Hospital by CC BY-SA 3.0)
