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Common forms of teaching and examination

There are various forms of study at Södertörn University. Are you uncertain about what might be included on your course? Don’t worry. We have collected information about the most common forms of teaching and examination below:

Lectures

Lectures are a common form of teaching are found on most courses at undergraduate level. In a lecture, a lecture provides an oral presentation for you and other students. They are often based on the course literature and you usually need to read certain pages prior to a lecture.

Take-home examinations

A take-home examination is just what it says it is; you do your examination at home instead of at the university. Unlike an ordinary examination, you are often allowed more time and access to more aids. One example of a take-home exam could be four to six questions that you must answer in a long, analytical piece of writing. The exact time and conditions for your take-home exam are decided by the examiner.

At Södertörn University, you must always provide a cover sheet when you submit your take-home exam.

Written examinations

A written examination takes place during a limited time and in a specific place, often at the university. You may not usually have course literature or other aids with you, so you must prepare well.

Read more about written exams

Written examinations

Written examinations are one form of assessment at Södertörn University. Registration for written examinations is obligatory. All written examinations at Södertörn University are anonymous, so students are allocated a code for their exam instead of their name, making them anonymous when the exam is marked.

Written assignments

You will come across various types of written assignments during your education. Written assignments may also be exams, but not necessarily. For example, you may need to write down your preparation for a seminar.

Memo

A memo may be anything from a short text that explains your ideas or thoughts about a scholarly work to a summary. This type of assignment may mean that you need to provide references and have a list of sources.

Academic paper

A paper, or essay, is often structured and has an introduction, purpose, method and conclusion. This form of writing often requires that you produce some form of analysis. Your use of language should be academic, which means that you must use a particular style. Your arguments must be well founded, which means that you must use references.

Read more about references

Writing references

Learn more about paraphrasing, quoting, plagiarism, reference management programs, and other common referencing questions.

Oral presentations

Oral presentations are common, and mean that you present a task verbally. The length of a presentation and the number of people you present to will vary. Oral presentations are often compulsory and thus a form of examination. However, this varies depending on the examiner and assignment.

Seminars

Seminars are a common form of both teaching and examination. The difference between lectures and seminars is that you are expected to work and be more active in seminars. A seminar can be regarded more detailed than a lecture, where you learn the basics. Seminars can have different formats. One could be that you are your classmates are divided into groups and have discussions.

Are you unsure about something? The study support unit at Södertörn University offers support before and during your education. For example, you can practice learning to speak in front of a group or your academic writing.

Tips!

The course syllabus states the forms of examination that apply to what you are studying.

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Page updated

16-11-2022