A seminar is generally
a from of academic instruction
either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization
It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings
focusing each time on some particular subject
in which everyone present is requested to actively participate
This is often accomplished through an ongoing
Socratic dialogue with a seminar leader or instructor
or through a more formal presentation of research
Normally, participants must not be beginners in the field under discussion
(at US and Canadian universities, seminar classes are generally reserved for
upper-class students, althought at UK and Australian universities seminars are often used for all years)
The idea behind the seminar system is to familiarize students more extensively with the methodology of their chosen subject and also to allow them to interact with examples of the practical problems that always occur during research work
It is essentially a place where assigned readings are discussed, questions can be raised and debates can be conducted
It is relatively informal, at least compared to the lecture system of academic instruction