University of Sydney / Faculty of Arts / Department of Italian Studies / Undergraduate / What you Need to Know... / Tutorials and Seminars

Important information about tutorials and group work

Cooperation and group work

Assessment in this department is based very largely on essays and other assignments. We believe that this method is in many cases fairer to students than formal examinations, but it is evident that we rely very heavily on students submitting work for assessment which is an honest indication of their own ability. Therefore, to safeguard the interests of all students, the following principles have been laid down concerning group work. In any case of doubt, consult your unit coordinator.

Discussion

The Department considers that discussion between students of the subject matter of units (including essays and assignments) is wholly desirable and of great educational value.

Cooperation

We regard discussion as a verbal exchange of ideas, to be distinguished, for example, from the borrowing or exchange of written notes on essay subjects, which we call cooperation. The Department's view is that such cooperation is perfectly acceptable if, and only if, all students concerned acknowledge it in writing when the work is handed in. It must clearly be understood that cooperation must stop short of the actual writing of the assignment, and does not, under any circumstances, justify a student in copying from another student's assignment. It is therefore to be expected that the assignments will be clearly distinguishable from one another; it is also assumed that the quality of the assignments (and hence the marks awarded) will differ.

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Group work

Under special circumstances, and only with the prior approval of the lecturer concerned, cooperation might go beyond the stage discussed above and become a group project. In such a case, a single piece of work would be submitted by the members of the group, whom would all get the same mark. It must be stressed that group work is suitable only for certain kinds of assignments and that prior permission is essential. Moreover, the Department considers that it would be reasonable to expect students concerned in a group project to demonstrate in an interview that they had participated actively in the project.

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Oral presentations in class

Giving an oral presentation is not the same as reading aloud an essay: quite different skills are involved. The oral presentation gives you the opportunity to:

  • develop your skills in oral communication in Italian, including use of intonation, gesture and expression;
  • gain confidence by speaking on a subject which you have prepared in advance, leading to greater confidence in discussing and expressing views without prior preparation;
  • develop skills in teaching and communication, including the generic skills involved in the clear exposition of ideas;
  • stimulate class discussion, interaction and debate.
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Effective oral communication

Think about what you appreciate about the way others explain or present information and ideas. What makes for a good presentation? What helps you to understand and remember what has been said? In what ways can other students be encouraged to participate in your presentation (through the use of questions or discussion points raised during or at the end of your talk?).

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Tips for successful presentations

  • The essential points: What do you want the students to be able to understand or remember at the end of your talk. Make sure that these points are repeated and highlighted both orally and through the use of visual supports (see below).
  • The relevance of your paper to the course or section of the course: How does your presentation relate to the main theme/s? Why have you been asked to give this presentation at this stage in the course? How does it relate to the subject of that week's class?
  • Length: It is a common fault for oral presentations to run for too long, exhausting the presenter and the public. Check with your teacher how long your presentation should be and keep to that time. Remember that the ability of your public to absorb material given orally is limited.
  • Summaries and outlines of your presentations are essential: They give your presentation coherence and structure; they provide you with support for your talk, encouraging you to use the summary rather than read from written copy; and they enable the other students to follow more easily, make notes and identify which are the important points. Other visual material can also be very helpful (diagrams, pictures etc) but it is important to give the students time to assimilate both summaries and visual material. Pause, describe what you have put on the OHP and why; if possible, ask the students for their interpretations/reactions etc. Quite often considerable time is spent preparing visual material, which is then not fully exploited in the talk.
  • Delivery: Presenters often speak quickly because they are nervous. It is important to speak clearly and at a pace that allows others to follow and to take occasional notes.
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