Lecture: Most【D1】______mode of instruction in college Group discussions are led by a(an)【D2】______. Discussions are based on【D3】

Today we’ll talk about modes of instruction in American colleges. The traditional pattern of classroom experience at the college level brings the professor and a group of 20 to 30 students together for a 45 to 50 minute class session two or three times a week. The most common mode of instruction is the lecture. When lectures are the principal method of instruction in larger classes, regular periods may be set aside for small group discussions under the leadership of an assistant instructor. In cases where a small class size encourages informality, lectures may be combined with discussion sessions based on assigned readings, required text-books, and other outside materials.
    Another common mode of instruction, the seminar, places more responsibility on the students, challenging both their reasoning and organizing abilities. To stimulate the learning process, the professor leading a seminar may in fact function as a moderator and resource person who poses questions, makes suggestions, assigns projects, or states specific cases that demand solution. Seminars involve small groups of students and a less structured form of study than a traditional kind of course. Less restricted by a communal syllabus, each student is freer to delve more deeply into the aspects of the seminar topic that particularly interest the student.
    This format may require lengthy, oral and written reports on independent research. For this reason, only advanced students usually participate in seminars. The seminar plays a very prominent part in the student’s overall experience.
    Many courses, such as those in the sciences, engineering, business, or other professional study programs, combine classroom instruction with laboratory experience. Laboratory periods are normally for two or three hours and are scheduled only once or twice a week.