Seminars and examinations: Students' perceptions of the seminar in their examination revision strategy

Students' performance in examinations is often weaker than in other forms o f assessment. Yet it should not be assumed that examination technique is in nate or skill based. Successful examination performance calls on students t o synthesize information and to demonstrate academic competence. Successful academic performance is primarily concerned with articulatory principles o f subject formation and appropriation. However, research into seminars, lec tures and examination performances mostly seek to establish a relationship between 'performance' and 'potential', with much attention focused discrete ly upon either organizational considerations or the reluctant learner. By e mphasizing the social construction of learning situations, this project loc ates the learning process within a notion of collective social experiences and mutual cooperation. In the broader sense it is interested in questions of meaning and understanding and the process by which concepts are construc ted and understood. This process depends on 'ritualization', 'participation frameworks' and embedding' (Goffman, 1981). Some students experience diffi culties in participating in the ritualized behaviour, which may affect thei r academic development. By seeking to investigate students' perception of h ow they use seminars to develop their academic expertise, this project seek s to contribute to our understanding of the learning process, in particular , the relationship between students' participation in the examination proce ss and assessment strategies.