Lectures & tutorials: what to expect & how to thrive

What you can ask for:

  • Permission to take short sensory breaks or use discrete fidgets.
  • That the academic use the microphone, even in small rooms.
  • If captions aren’t provided, turn on device-level captions where possible. Captions support comprehension and memory for many learners, not only deaf or hard-of-hearing students (Gernsbacher, 2015).
  • A lower-sensory seat (back/aisle/near a door) to reduce overwhelm and allow quick breaks.
  • Early access to slides so you can preview structure and key terms.
  • Use the channels that are offered:
    • Hand-raising in class
    • Polls and quizzes
    • Chat or online discussion forums (you can start one yourself if one isn’t available – but check with your academic first)
    • Anonymous “muddiest point” or question boxes when available
  • If you’re confused but don’t want to ask in front of the class, send a short email after class:
    “Hi [Academic’s name], I was unsure about [term] on slide [X]. Could you please give a quick example or point me to a good resource? Thank you.”
  • If slides lack visual cues (clear headings, signposting of key ideas), add your own signals in your notes, e.g.:

    □ = new term
    → = key point
    ★ = example or case study

    Signalling reliably aids learning in multimedia contexts (Schneider et al., 2018; Alpizar et al., 2020).
  • Ask once for guided notes (a structured outline). If not provided, use a simple three-column template in your notebook or tablet:

    term | example | why it matters

    Guided notes often improve note quality and sometimes performance, depending on how they’re designed and used (Konrad et al., 2009; Larwin & Larwin, 2013).
  • Groupwork can be challenging for everyone, but learning to work well in teams is one of the most important skills for any scientist (actually, this applies to nearly all jobs). The days where major scientific advances are made by individuals toiling alone in dark rooms are long gone – the big advances in science now are most often made by teams that include a diverse range of people – people with different fields of expertise, and people with a range of different perspectives and ways of thinking. That is, the most successful groups include people with different expertise and training, genders, ages, cultural backgrounds and ways of thinking. Your neurodiversity can be a superpower – e.g. if it allows you to think of things in a different way to the rest of your team, or spot errors everyone else overlooked.
  • Your equitable learning plan may allow for you to have an alternative to group work. If you really need this, absolutely use it. However, learning to work as part of a team is a really important skill, so if at all possible, try to get involved. Talk to your lecturer, and tell them what would help you. For example, your lecturer might be willing to help you to join a group or to work with someone you know, to have you work in a smaller group, to help you to find a particular role within a group, to help you to set up a group chat so that you can contribute in a written format, or to have your group sit in a quieter spot outside the classroom during groupwork. If rotating groups is stressful, propose a stable buddy or a predictable pattern (e.g., same pair for two weeks, then rotate).
  • The most important thing is to talk to your groupmates. You don’t need to give them details about yourself if you don’t want to, but if you tell them enough that they understand what is going on for you, they are likely to be much more supportive and accommodating. Telling people what helps you to work at your best is good for you and for the rest of your group. You can write this in an email if that is easier for you.
  • As a group, set clear expectations and roles. Name your preferred role (facilitator/recorder) and explain how it helps you contribute. Make sure that all group members feel valued, included and engaged. If you notice that one of your group members is not participating, don’t assume they are lazy or stupid – ask them what is going on for them, and see if the group can do something address the issue (e.g. group members often stop participating if they find their early contributions are not taken seriously, or if they are dealing with anxiety and feel out of their depth).
  • If your teaching team provides:
    • Exit polls or “minute papers”
    • Group contracts
    • Role charts
    • Slide glossaries or concept maps

      …use them. They’re designed to provide structure and reduce ambiguity.
  • Micro pre-class checklist
    • Open slides
    • Mark 3 unfamiliar terms
    • Note 1 question to listen for
  • Two quick retrieval Q&As before leaving
    • From memory, answer:
      • “What is one key term from today?”
      • “What is one example that illustrates it?”
    • Then check your notes or slides.
  • Body-doubling (studying alongside someone else, face-to-face or online).
  • One-liner follow-up emails when things are unclear.
  • When classes have a predictable structure, clear signposting, and more than one way to participate (speaking, chat, polls, anonymous questions), it becomes easier to:
    • Focus on the core ideas, and
    • Choose how you want to join in.
  • Short pauses, quick “check your understanding” questions, and captions can boost both processing and later recall across many subjects and student groups (CAST UDL Guidelines; Schneider et al., 2018; Alpizar et al., 2020; Ruhl et al., 1987; Ruhl & Suritsky, 1995; Adesope et al., 2017; Gernsbacher, 2015; CESE, 2017, 2020).

References