TRANSCRIPT OF TAPED INTERVIEW
with
DR CHRIS HUGHES
Key:TKTim KELLY
HNHilary NESI
CHDr Chris Hughes
CHWell, if you’re ready, I am.
TKO.K. Let’s get on with it. I’m a young student, who has never attended university. What is a seminar? Can you describe a typical one to me?
CHO.K. A seminar is typically an opportunity for a limited number of students - usually between 10 - 15, maybe up to 20, depending on the size of the student contingent, to interact in a smaller environment with the course tutor. It differs from a lecture. The types of lectures that I’ve given are usually much more formal types of learning environment, whereby the lecturer basically stands at the front of the lecture hall. There may be anything up to 50 - 60 students - even more - and the lecturer really just imparts information, and basic information to the students, in order to give them the sort of grounding in the subject which they need. Whereas a seminar is a chance for much more interactive type of relationship between the tutor and the students. Some seminars can be divided into perhaps the first half of a two hour seminar would be some kind of brief introduction by the tutor - some kind of lecture. And then the second half would be perhaps student presentations, but certainly there would be a lot of scope for the tutor - for what the tutor is saying to - to have - to be some feedback from the students and some questions, and some interactive discussion. And then from the tutor to give feedback to the students about their presentations. So the idea is that there is as much communication as possible between the tutor and the students - which is quite radically different from a lecture. A lecture where the lecturer merely just imparts information and the students - there may be a few questions, but then the students just basically go away and think about it. So I think a seminar, if it works properly, is probably more stimulating for students and for the tutor. Although lectures are important because they can often impart a lot of information, basic information, in a very quick time period.
TKO.K. Do I have to do any preparation before a seminar?
CHYeah. I always insist that students prepare as much as possible for the seminar. I always split the reading list - i.e. into two sections. I would assign essential readings - or core readings, maybe three or four articles, or book chapters, or a book, which I would insist that the students should try and read beforehand. And then I provide supplementary reading for students to add to their knowledge. But that essential reading really is, as far as I am concerned, essential. It provides the foundations of knowledge, which are going to mean that when the students come into the seminar with the tutor, the material to them is not entirely new. In other words, they hit the ground running to some extent. And the tutor can talk freely without having to explain basic concepts, and ideas. And the students very quickly, with the tutor, get on to the same kind of wave length, and can get into the discussion, rather than again it turning into some kind of just tutor imparting information and the student sitting there listening. So I always insist the students do a basic amount of reading. Not a huge amount, but a basic amount of reading, to give them the sort of basic skills and knowledge in order to interact as quickly as possible with the tutor.
The other thing which I would ask students to do is to prepare some kind of presentation quite often. This may be just 10 or 15 minutes to talk about the particular topic which we are talking about that week, or even to talk about a particular topic which they think is interesting, which is related to the course. And again, this is an opportunity for the students to get grounded in the basic knowledge, so that they can discuss, rather than just sit and listen, but there is something to discuss. I mean there’s material that they have in their heads, questions which they come to the seminar with, prepared to ask and prepared to ask other students about, and the tutor about.
TKO.K. Forgive me if we go over certain amounts of the same ground, but what then am I expected to do in the seminar? - during the seminar?
CHWell, again - we can divide it into maybe three types of areas. All students will be expected perhaps to have done the basic reading, and to participate in the discussion. That’s the most important thing before a seminar. There’s nothing worse than teaching a seminar where the students are unresponsive or where they don’t feel willing to participate or to put forward their own opinion, or to comment or discuss in some way. So that the most basic thing which I look for from the students is a willingness to contribute - to talk - in the seminar. It doesn’t have to be at length. It doesn’t have to be a big speech. But at least - you know - a question, or a comment, or, you know, just something to get the discussion going. I expect them to listen and to take part actively in a discussion.
The other thing which I ask students to do, again this will vary from week to week, but I like to give students particular tasks to prepare beforehand. So if we’re talking about a particular topic, like Japanese nationalism I’d ask…. (knock on the door) - Yeah, O.K.
So the other thing I ask students to do, not all students every week, but maybe one or two students; they can work individually or in pairs. I mean I like them to try and prepare something about the topic that week, or a topic which they are interested in which is related to the course, and to give a short presentation - maybe ten, fifteen minutes. I like them to try and make the presentation interesting as well. Not simply by telling us what was in the particular readings that they managed to obtain that week, but also trying to imput into those readings their own opinions, their own criticisms of what’s been said.
Another interesting thing, which can work quite well, is for the students, if there’s two of them, to take countering and opposite positions on a particular issue in the reading that week, and to try and argue in the case either way in order to initiate the debate amongst the students.
TKO.K. I have never actually given a presentation before. Can you give me any more advice on how I should prepare for a presentation?
CHWell obviously, improving your presentation skills is not an easy thing. It takes practice. So everybody, every student, is going to feel when they first start out that it is difficult, and they may feel embarrassed and they may feel that they don’t have enough knowledge. But that’s not really important. What’s important is that they make the effort to participate as actively as possible. And the other thing I really want to see coming through is not just that they can read the information that they are given, or the readings that they are giving, but they can analyse them. And also that they can input in some way their own opinion. So that’s what I’m looking for in a presentation. So I don’t look for any kind of polished presentation skills, but I do try and look for some - the fact they have covered the basic readings, there’s some analysis there, and also that they are willing to input their own opinions. I think one of the most important things really is to - when you do the readings - try to summarise, you know: What are the main arguments? - So don’t go for each reading individually and just say, this person says: “this, this and this”. The thing to do is to try and pull out from various readings that you have the main themes, the main arguments, which exist. And to try and put them in some kind of framework, or organise them in some way. And to show how some of the readings compliment each other, or how they can often be - you know, become very different views on a particular issue. And I think that’s very important.
And the other thing about the presentation is to just try and keep it short. Try not to talk for too long. Sometimes presentations go on for far too long. I usually try and keep people short - to ten or fifteen minutes, which means that even if you can’t convey everything that you want to say, you get across the main points, and it creates enough - if you put forward enough points for discussions, and also there’s enough time left over for the other students to contribute.
TKO.K. Thank you. What exactly is the purpose of the seminar? How am I supposed to benefit? What do I learn, or what am I supposed to take away from the seminar?
CHRight. You get two things I think. One is the seminar, as I’ve said, the idea is to impart some basic information and concepts, and that’s very important. So again, if we’re studying about particular issues - such as Japan’s international relations - I want to - want my students to understand some of the key concepts in the literature. Some of the key arguments that are put forward about Japan. And to go away with that information to think about.
The second thing that I really want students to get from the seminar is not just the basic information, but also the ability to assess, to evaluate, to analyse the worth of those different arguments, and to try and come up with their own particular opinion about these arguments. You know, which do they feel is the most valid? Which do they feel is perhaps possibly the most realistic view? Which do they feel, which kind of views do they feel are unrealistic, and really do not help us to explain what is the essence of the issue which we are discussing.
So two things really - a basic knowledge, but also analysis. So I like the students to read and to criticise, with a critical mind, about what they are studying that week.
TKO.K. So is it O.K. for me to express a wildly different opinion from, you know, the normally accepted one? - or ones that other people seem to be expressing?
CHRight, I mean - right, well, yes, would be my answer. But only if you can do that in a way which is substantiated by some evidence. So you may disagree with the opinions, or the general consensus which exists in the literature which is set that week. You may disagree quite strongly, and I would encourage you as a student to put forward your views and to say, “I don’t agree. I think something is wrong here.” So that is something I would welcome, because it generates debate, and it shows that you are thinking independently and critically about the material. However, at the same time as you criticise you must support those criticisms with a presentation of some evidence. You cannot just simply say, “This is my opinion.” And that’s it. There’s no discussion. Because then you would be accused of being not objective. It’s a purely subjective opinion which, if everybody did that, then everybody could have their own opinion, and there would be no discussion. So in order to discuss your opinion, in order to make it convincing and to make a good argument, you also need to try and pull evidence or arguments from other sources of literature, or from your own observations about the way the world works, and use that to support your argument. And then it becomes much more convincing. And then you can have a genuine debate, where people may differ about how they interpret the particular evidence. But at least there is evidence there to be interpreted.
TKO.K. So I can argue with, you know, to take a critical view on the literature and so forth. Is it O.K. for me to argue with other students, or even to question the tutor, in terms of what he is saying?
CHYeah! Certainly I would encourage you always to argue with other students and to argue with the tutor. But again, two things to bear in mind. Firstly, when you argue, when you put forward your point of view, you should do it in such a way that it is substantiated by the evidence. So, don’t argue just for argument’s sake. Argue, you know, because you really have a genuine difference in your point of view, and you think there is evidence to support that. So I would encourage that as much as possible, to disagree with other students, and to disagree with the tutor. The tutor doesn’t know everything, and the tutor is there to be questioned. The tutor enjoys discussing things with the students. So it is very very important for you to challenge what other students are saying, and what the tutor is saying. There is no problem with that. The tutor won’t mind. But, as I say, do it based with evidence.
And the second thing you should do, is do it in a civilised manner. Please put across your opinion calmly and rationally, and in a non-provocative way. And then you can have a genuine discussion. Quite often you have got to be careful the discussion does not degenerate into a kind of free for all debate where there are no rules - and other students can feel very intimidated by that. And they can feel they don’t want to contribute to this discussion simply because their language skills aren’t good enough, or because they are just, you know, a much more of a reserved type of character and they like to debate things in a much quieter manner. So two things. Yeah, disagree, but do it in a calm and rational way.
TKO.K. Is my contribution in seminars assessed in any way? - and by this I mean formally and directly in terms of grades, or informally or indirectly in terms of the impression I give, which will affect the way tutors think about me and may ultimately impact upon my grade?
CHRight. In my case we don’t. In the particular courses that I teach we do not ascribe any kind of marks or class participation, or for the quality of class presentations. So you would not be assessed, in my classes, formally on your seminar presentations. However, you know, I would say that it is a good thing to discuss in class, because it will not benefit you when you come to write essays necessarily, in terms of a kind of formal mark. The tutor will mark based on what you have to say in the essay …….TAPE BROKE. - few sentences missing……
CH….. so I recognise that. The first thing that I would say is, you know, the type - we can make this easier for people, and something I actively try to do is to try and create the environment in the classroom, whereby people should not feel, you know, overly-intimidated by what they have to say. So certainly, you know, it can cause anxieties, but I try and create that environment whereby, you know, it’s not going to make people feel entirely comfortable, but it will make them feel better. So I always try to encourage people to - you know, the other students - to listen patiently and quietly to what others have to say, not to talk for too long, to be respectful to other people’s points of views, and just to have this kind of atmosphere where people do feel they can speak to some extent.
The other thing to help you improve your presentations in class, is again, I think, presentation - preparation. If you can prepare carefully, if you can read a text, and if you have a lot of knowledge, then you may feel that - not a huge amount of knowledge - but if you’ve read some of the text and you’ve taken on board some of those ideas I think you’ll find it easier to speak in class, because, again, you’ll have some evidence there which will back up what you have to say. So you don’t - you won’t feel that you have to say extremely controversial things, or things which are going to be overly challenging but you can say things which are supported by others. And this may give confidence to what you have to say.
TKO.K. This is a kind of similar question: I come from overseas; my English is poor; I want to express some ideas that I have but can’t always find the right words in the heat of the moment. Can you give me any advice, or help on this one?
CHAgain, to some extent, this is - it’s very difficult if you’re linguistic - but you don’t feel your linguistic skills are good enough. But two pieces of advice. One again, is preparation. You know, if you read the material beforehand and familiarise yourself with some of the vocabulary, some of the key terms, and you think of some of the questions and key points you want to make beforehand, this to some extent will make it easier to contribute in class. (Bell rings. Mobile?) The other thing you have to do - I’ll have to stop it now.
TKSorry about that.
CHYeah, and the second piece of advice I would give is, again, you know, this is different for every individual, but to some extent you just have to kind of dive in the deep end. You really just have to be prepared to take a risk. It’s not easy to do. But, you know, just - the more you do it, the better you will become. And there’s no easy solution there. You know, it’s part of learning in a different culture, in a slightly different environment. You just have to kind of take the first steps and I think once you’ve done it once, I think you’ll find it gets easier. It’s quite - it makes you nervous, it makes you anxious to start off with, but you will find over time it will get easier and easier. And if you don’t take that first step, then you’ll miss out on a lot valuable experiences when you’re doing your MA in seminars.