SARDAR PATEL SUBHARTI INSTITUTE OF

LAW

PROJECT ON: -
AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD
OF LEARNING

SUBJECT: LEGAL EDUCATION AND ADVANCE

RESEARCH METHOLOGY

SUBMMITED TO SUBMITTED BY
Dr. REENA BISHNOI RAKESH KUMAR BAROI
(Associate Professor ) (LLM. 1ST YEAR 2nd Semester)

(2022)

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the very outset, I would like to pay thanks to the almighty God. It gives me
immense pleasure to acknowledge and pay thanks to the persons who helped me throughout
the course of my work. I am really thankful to the subject teacher Dr. REENA BISHNOI
ma’am (Associate Professor [LAW])” who has given me this topic (“AN ANALYSIS OF
THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING”) of high relevance under who’s learned and
scholarly guidance the present work has been completed. she helped me in a passive way,
gave me moral support and guided me indifferent matters regarding the topic. she had been
very kind and patient while suggesting me the outlines of this Project and correcting my
doubts.

I thank her for her overall support, constructive suggestions which have always been
soothing and had desired effects, hence it my duty to express my gratitude for her constant
support and encouragement.

I want to pay my sincere thanks to our Dean/Principal “Prof. (Dr.) VAIBHAV

GOEL BHARTIYA” Sir of Sardar Patel Subharti Institute of Law, Swami Vivekananda
Subharti University. Last but not the least, my thanks to all who have helped me directly or
indirectly in the completion of my work.

RAKESH KUMAR BAROI

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING

 Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………4

2. AIMS & OBJECTIVES…………………………………………………………...5

 COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES……………………………………………...5

 AFFECTIVE OBJECTIVES……………………………………………...6

3. PRE- REQUISITES OF A SEMINAR……………………………………………6

4. SALIENT FEATURE OF SEMINAR METHOD………………………………..7

5. TYPES OF SEMINARS………………………………………………………….8

6. SEMINAR COMMITTEE……………………………………………………….9

7. STEPS INVOLVED A SEMINAR………………………………………………10

8. OVERHEAD PROJECTOR, LCD PROJECTOR ETC…………………………11

9. EVALUATION OF SEMINAR…………………………………………………12

10. MERITS OF SEMINAR METHOD……………………………………………12

11. LIMITATIONS OF SEMINAE METHODS……………………………………13

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF
LEARNING
READ BOOKS, LISTEN TO TAPES, ATTEND SEMINARS - THEY ARE DECADES
OF WISDOM REDUCED TO INVALUABLE HOURS

MARK VICTOR HANSEN

INTRODUCTION

A seminar is a group meeting (either face-to-face or online) where a number of students

participate at least as actively as the teacher, although the teacher may be responsible for the
design of the group experience, such as choosing topics and assigning tasks to individual
students.

Seminars can range from six or more students, up to 30 students in the same group. Because
the general perception is that seminars work best when numbers are relatively small, they
tend to be found more at the graduate level or the last year of undergraduate programs.

The seminar method is the most modern and advanced method of teaching. A seminar is an
advanced group technique which is usually used in higher education. It is an instructional
technique it involves generating a situation for a group to have a guided interaction among
themselves on a theme. It refers to a structured group discussion what usually follows a
formal lecture or lectures often in the form of an essay or a paper presentation on a theme.

The seminar, then, has two purposes. The first is to give an acquaintance with some of the
developments, problems, and points of view in legal education. The second is to force the
members, each for himself, to make a useful synthesis of the field and to focus on the detailed
treatment of some phase of it. To accomplish the first purpose, we employ a reading list and
the meetings of the seminar, led by other members of the faculty.

This seminar method is employed to realize the higher objectives of cognitive & affective
domains. The higher learning process requires the interactive and integrated methodologies
based on the psychological principles. The seminar method applies such technique of human
interaction / intervention with the learning and teaching experiences.

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING

The skills such as reading, writing and talking are essential for the personality development
of a man. The seminar method integrates such skills of reading and writing with presentation
skills.

AIMS & OBJECTIVES

This seminar method is employed to realise the higher objectives of cognitive & affective
domains. The higher learning process requires the interactive and integrated methodologies
based on the psychological principles. The seminar method applies such technique of human
interaction /intervention with the learning and teaching experiences.

The main objectives of this unit are as follows; -

 Defining the seminar

 Classifying and listing the objectives of seminar method.
 Understanding the pre-requisites to be included in the seminar
 Listing the advantages and special features of Seminar method
 Distinguishing the types of seminars
 Understanding role and functions of seminar members.
 Acquiring the skills of implementation and organizing the seminar.
 Understanding the evaluation of seminar method of teaching.
 Analysing the limitations and applications of seminar method.

 Seminar Method:

Seminar is a teaching technique for higher learning. A specific subject or topic is delivered as

an article or report in the seminar. The article and its concepts submitted in the seminar are
analysed and discussed through group discussion to arrive a final decision or concept.

 Cognitive objectives:
 To develop higher cognitive abilities.
 To develop the ability of responding in this manner would involve higher cognitive
actions.
 To develop the ability of keen observation of experience, feelings.
 To develop the ability to seek clarification and defend the ideas of others effectively.
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  Affective objectives:
 To develop the feeling of tolerance to the opposite ideas of others.
 To develop the feelings of cooperation with other colleagues and respect of the ideas
and feelings of others.
 To develop the emotional ability among the participants of the seminar.
 To acquire the good manners of putting questions and answering the questions of
others effectively.
 The human interaction under this technique develops the good manners and skills
among the participants. Provide a good learning and scholastic experience to the
participants of the seminar.

PRE-REQUISITES OF A SEMINAR

 Pre-requisites (Basic Principles) to be included in the seminar:

 This seminar method depends with the lingual, social and emotional instances and its
maturity level.
 The complex and undefined concept or article must be read and discussed for the
meaningful learning experiences and new concept.
 Group discussion is emphasised. The kernel of seminar is stressed. The value and
success of the seminar depends on the path of the learner and their learning
experiences through the discussion. The learner can advocate and interact in group
discussion with his experiences and concept derived. Both the group and learner can
transform their ideas and to derive a new conclusion also be anticipated.
 In the lower level of learning experiences, the concepts are explanatory but in this
higher level of learning experience the theme or concept centred and need more
evidences and explanations through the discussion.
 The interactions in this method develop observation and questioning skills, evaluation
skills using their own learning experience.

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 SALIENT FEATURE OF SEMINAR METHOD:

 This seminar method gives good motivation and learning experience.

 Help to evaluate the learning ability of learners.
 Regulate the creating and organising of facts and information.
 Dissemination and retrieval of information is scientifically managed.
 Develop the self-reliance and self-confidence.
 Also inculcates the responsibility and cooperative nature.
 This method is the best for socialisation/networking.
 Students’ interaction is possible in participation and production of teaching learning
process.
 Traditional monotony is abolished in this method.
 Ensures the understandability and enhances the capability of the students learning.
 Seminar is always subject / theme specific, so that sufficient knowledge about the
concerned subject can be developed.
 The presenter or the reader of the article can get further clarifications in his subject.
 Develop the questioning skills.
 The data processing and analysis also play a vital role in this method.
 This makes teaching and learning process lively.
 The student receives good information from his teacher and fellow students.
 A seminar does not end in the premises after the completion of discussion, the group
in smaller groups carries on the discussion in informal settings in off campus. This is
certainly a strong advantage of using seminar method

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 TYPES OF SEMINARS

Seminars are conducted in various stages. Based on the size and organizational aspects the
seminars can be classified into four types. viz.

 Mini seminar:

Its coverage and scope are small and simple. A small population is enough to hold this
seminar. A discussion held over the topic taught or to be taught with the students is known as
topic for Group discussion. Such group discussions are held in an organized way within a
class room, it is called mini seminar. This mini seminar gives the students training in
questioning skills, organizing the information and presentation skills seminar. A mini seminar
is felt necessary because it gives good experience to conduct a major seminar at Institutional
level.

 Major seminar:

The seminar conducted at an institutional or departmental level for a specific topic or subject
is known as Major seminar. Usually, students and teachers are participating in this type of
seminar. This major seminar can be organized at the department level for every month. A
specific topic or subject is selected for the theme of the seminar.

 National seminar:

An association of any kind, particularly

with academic or professional interest or an organization (Government, Firm, etc.,) conducts

the seminar at national level is called National seminar. The subject experts are invited to the
seminar for discussion. The Secretary of the seminar prepares the schedule and functionaries
for seminar.

 International seminar:

Usually, the seminar conducted by an international organisation or agency is known as

international seminar. Theme of this seminar has wider aspects. Globalisation, Renovation,
Atomic energy agreements, Policies implementation and modification etc. are some examples

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for themes of international seminars. A Nation or its body can conduct or organize the
international seminar.

SEMINAR COMMITTEE:

Seminar is conducted or organized by the committee proposed for this purpose only. This
committee constitutes a chairperson, Organizing Secretary and subject experts who are
expertise in the theme proposed for seminar. The organizing committee guides and helps with
the functions of Chairperson and organizing secretary. Usually, a seminar has been conducted
with the following team of organizing body.

1. Chairperson or President / Convenor of Seminar

Naturally, S/he may be the apex person of the Institution / Department / Government / Firm /
Policy maker of the concerned body or agency.

2. Organizing Secretary of Seminar

Usually, he is nominated by the Chair person or President of the Seminar committee. S/he
must be a good administrator and subject expert in the field proposed theme of the seminar.
He must be the person of tolerance and capable of doing things in right time with right
persons.

3. Chairperson of the Technical Session of seminar

S/he must be the person with expertise in the theme proposed for the seminar. S/he would
have a good experience to perform all the activities of technical session which is vital to the
seminar.

4. Speaker of Seminar

S/he is the active participant of seminar presenting his / her paper among the other
participants in the presence of Chair Person of Technical session of seminar.

5. Participants / Paper presenters of seminar

The people who are presenting papers and observing the paper presentation by participating
in the seminar are termed as Paper presenters and Participants of the seminar.

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AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEMINAR METHOD OF LEARNING

 STEPS INVOLVED IN A SEMINAR

The seminar is a process which allows the people to discuss a theme in a peer group with
subject experts in an objective method. The steps of the seminar method are classified into
the following three steps:

 Activities involved in the preliminary stage of seminar (pre seminar

phase):
 -Selection of seminar theme and its sub-themes.
 -Venue (availability of physical facilities, etc.,), Date(s), and Time (duration of each
session) are must be finalised well in advance.
 -The panel of specialists, subject experts, Chief Guests, observers for seminar must be
prepared and obtaining the concurrence from the President or Convenor of the seminar.
 -The permission must be requested from the persons listed in the panel and from their
head offices to utilise their services for seminar.
 -A circular regarding the seminar and its information must be prepared without
ambiguity.
 -The seminar circular must be circulated well in advance to the people (must have the
relevant knowledge about the theme of the seminar) who are able to participate in the
seminar.
 -The selection of the paper presenter / speakers must be based on the article submitted by
them and their professional excellence. Such selected Paper presenter will be informed
with the necessary regulations to be followed by them in the seminar.
 -A compendium of selected papers must be prepared by an expert committee.
 Activities involved during seminar (seminar phase):
 -Ensure the physical facilities (Stage settings, Seats, Audio-Visual equipment, etc.)
available for the participants of the seminar.
 -Welcome the Chief Guests, Chairpersons of Technical session, Observers and
Participants of seminar and encourage their active participation in the seminar

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 -The compendium must be distributed to the participants before the beginning of the
seminar.
 -The seminar theme and its sub-theme need be explained.
 -Guide the paper presenters for their location and time of seminar session before the
beginning of seminar.
 -The Chairperson of technical session and the paper presenters and speakers must manage
the time effectively. 
 -Proper assistance must be ensured for every speaker / paper presenter to facilitate their
paper presentation by providing appropriate Audio, Video equipment such as
Public Address System,

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR, LCD PROJECTOR ETC.

 -At the end of seminar session, the seminar events will be briefed by the Chairman of the
seminar. This gives a clear definition to the seminar conducted and the further steps to be
done in future also.
 -The chairman or organising secretary will announce the concept derived by the seminar.
 -Deliver of Vote of thanks to the Participants, Seminar Committees and all the people
who engaged in the seminar activities either directly and indirectly.
 Activities involved after the end of seminar (post seminar phase):
 -Correction of the presented papers / articles from the authors (paper presenters) must be
done by themselves.
 -The restructuring of paper submitted is essential, because the clarifications received
during the discussion must be incorporated. A clear, definite idea or concept of each
paper will be reached through the restructuring the seminar paper.
 -Compilation of the restructured papers will be done by a panel of experts.
 -The prepare compilation (Compendium) must be sent to the concerned firms, institutes,
Agencies, Government departments for further follow up activities.
 -The compendium may be distributed on request to the people of similar interest also
(with the permission of Chairperson of Seminar)
 -Finalisation of Accounts must be done. A clear budget report must be prepared and sent
to the auditing committee / officers for approval are essential.

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 EVALUATION OF SEMINAR:

 The evaluation must be made to get immediate feedback from the speaker and
participants regarding the seminar paper and other seminar details.
 The objectivity of the paper presented; the view of the audience also needs be
evaluated.
 The observation schedule, questionnaire can be used as evaluation tools for seminar.
 The information obtained through the evaluation tools must be feedback for the
paper presenters.
 The evaluation of overall seminar process can be used for the study and feasibility of
forthcoming seminars and its arrangements.

MERITS & LIMITATIONS

 Merits of Seminar method:

 Naturally, spontaneous learning can be achieved effectively in this method.
 Seminar is usually learner-centric.
 Information seeking and retrieval behaviour is encouraged very much in this method.
 The learner himself prepares and compiles his own paper for the seminar gives
readiness of mind and learning becomes structured.
 Learning by doing is encouraged in this method.
 The paper presenter / participant receives a reinforced learning experience from the
Group discussion.
 Learning experiences is highly structured by the learner himself.
 The teacher or chairperson of technical session only plays the Guidance and
instructional role.
 Develops cognitive, affective domains-based learning.
 Norms of behaviour is developed and reinforced.
 Develops open mindedness, suppress the subjective ideas from the learners.

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  The interactions and interrogations develop the spirit of information seeking
behaviours (norms of behaviour)
 The data processing skills, compilation skills, communication skill are easily
inculcated in this method.
 Learner gets in-depth knowledge of the subject he presented.
 This method builds better social values learner.

LIMITATIONS OF SEMINAR METHOD:

 Setting up of a seminar for every topic in the text is not feasible.

 The subject area to be taught must be relevant to the theme of the seminar.
 The seminar themes must conform to the learning experiences to be inculcated to the
students.
 This method is usually found fit only for higher learning.
 Implementation of this method for lower and fault tolerance levels in the minds of
classes is cumbersome.
 Only matured and balanced minded teachers can make this method successful.
 The teacher must be resourceful (both in academic and administrative) in nature.
 Time management is somewhat difficult.
 Unnecessary gossip, glitches among the participants may deteriorate the scope and
objectives of the seminar.
 Passive observation without interaction also make seminar dull and worthless.

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 CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS

For many faculty, the ideal teaching environment is Socrates sitting under the linden tree,
with three or four dedicated and interested students. Unfortunately, the reality of mass higher
education makes this impossible for all but the most elite and expensive institutions.

However, seminars for 25-30 students are not unrealistic, even in public undergraduate
education. More importantly, they enable the kind of teaching and learning that are most
likely to facilitate the types of skills needed by our students in a digital age. Seminars are
flexible enough to be offered in class or online, depending on the needs of the students. They
are probably best used when students have done individual work before the seminar. Of
utmost importance, though, is the ability of teachers to teach successfully in this manner,
which requires different skills from transmissive lecturing.

Although expansion of student numbers in higher education is part of the problem, it’s not the
whole problem. Other factors, such as senior professors teaching less, and focusing mainly on
graduate students lead to larger classes at the undergraduate level that use transmissive
lecturing. And if more senior or experienced instructors switched from transmissive lectures,
and instead required students to find and analyse content for themselves, this would free up
more time for them to spend on seminar-type teaching.

So, it as much an organisational issue, a matter of choice and priorities, as an economic issue.
The more we can move towards a seminar approach to teaching and learning and away from
large, transmissive lectures, the better, if we are to develop students with the skills needed in
a digital age.

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 “In the seminar, there's just additional support and time to
practice reading skills for students who have been identified
as having trouble with that”.
- REBA GREER ,

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS REFERRED.

1. Research Methodology: Methods And Techniques By C.R KOTHARI

2. Effective Teaching Methods. By BORICH GARY D
3. Principles Of Teaching Methods By PINSENT, A
4. Teaching Methodology: By Chaudhary Ghulam Murtaza Gujjar (G.M.)

WEDSITES REFERRED

1. http://mmhapu.ac.in/doc/eContent/Education/RinkiKumari/Sep2020/Seminar
%20Method.PDF
2. https://www.academia.edu/41929767/SEMINAR_METHOD_OF_TEACHING
3. https://jtmadhavan.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/seminar-method.pdf
4. https://principedia.princeton.edu/principedia/seminar-on-student-learning-and-methods-
for-teaching/
5. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/approach-seminar-teaching
6. https://www.britannica.com/topic/seminar
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qsuWg95sjI
8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12NKfb_QhJE
9. https://cndls.georgetown.edu/teaching-seminar-courses/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminar

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