SEOC Tutorials
This year, following some uncertainty about the number of tutors we have
available, and some discussion in the lecture, we are running an
experimental variant of the tutorial system.
There are two kinds of tutorials this year.
- "Normal" tutorials - groups 1 and 2 on the list, taking place on
Tuesdays. If you are registered for such a tutorial you will (by default)
be expected to turn up, every week, having made a serious attempt at the
tutorial sheet. Tutors will be asked to email students who are registered
in their group but do not appear for a tutorial. (Of course, they will not
track you down to your home and stand over you with a tutorial sheet -
doing the work is your responsibility! - but there is a little chasing if
necessary.) Correspondingly, if you are in such a tutorial group you can
expect that the other students there will be the same people each week and
will have done the tutorial sheets.
- A "drop-in" tutorial, group 3, which takes place normally on Fridays
(but not Friday of week 3; because I am away that one is replaced by a
one-off tutorial at 1pm on Monday of week 4, still in 4.12). Anyone is
welcome to come to this, for the whole or part of the hour, with or without
a completed tutorial sheet, whether or not you're officially listed as
registered for it. I will not contact students who are registered for this
group but do not appear for it; being registered for the drop-in is
basically just a sign that you do not wish to be registered for a "normal"
tutorial.
From discussion in class, it appeared that most students on the course will
prefer the "drop-in" tutorials, but some will prefer "normal" ones. Please
check on the list. If you are registered for a tutorial that doesn't match
your preference (or, of course, whose time you can't make), please contact
the ITO to be switched. (We do have another tutor "in reserve" if the
number of students who prefer "normal" tutorials turns out to be more than
two groups' worth.)
If your timetable only permits you to go to a tutorial that is not your
preferred kind, please let your tutor know. Dropping in for part of a
"normal" tutorial probably wouldn't work, but your tutor can arrange to
take you off the list of people who should be chased if they don't turn up.
Conversely, I am happy to email individuals who do not come to the drop-in
if they wish.
This ends up sounding rather complicated, and some in the school are not
convinced that the complication has any advantages. I hope they're wrong
because I think the choice of style may be beneficial to you, but I can't
be sure! Please let me know towards the end of the course - when you fill
in your questionnaires, for example - how the system worked for you (e.g.,
which kind of tutorial you opted for and whether you would make the same
choice again). Based on this feedback, we'll decide whether to do the same
or different next year.
This page is maintained by
Perdita Stevens (
perdita@inf.ed.ac.uk)
