This section is an overview of the range of resources we provide to support you in your studies. There is also a quick guide to some of the key terms we use to refer to your taught sessions and what they mean. We will help you get up to speed on the essentials during induction week, and throughout the first semester. Throughout your time with us, our teams will be available to provide support and skills training to keep you up to date, and to help you get the most out of your training.
IT Login Details
When you enrol you will be given your conservatoire IT account details that will give you access to all our systems. In induction week, you will be taken through these systems and made sure you’re online as soon as possible. If you have your login details already, you are welcome to log in to SPACE and have a look around.
IT and Online Tools to support your learning
When you come to Leeds Conservatoire, online technology will deliver and support your learning.
Central to this is SPACE, the conservatoire’s Virtual Learning Environment. This is where you access information, resources and activities to support your studies. You may have had something similar in your previous education and you’ll hear staff referring to it all the time, as it also acts as our student intranet.
Panopto is our video platform where you’ll find lectures, instructional videos and lots of other useful content.
Microsoft Teams is used to deliver teaching and encourage collaboration, as well as an additional communication platform.
Alongside this, you have access to Microsoft 365 giving you:
- The latest version of Microsoft Office Apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint on up to 5 devices
- 1TB of cloud storage via OneDrive
- Access to other Microsoft Apps including Teams and Forms
Zoom will be used to deliver some live lectures, seminars and workshops
Library Services
We have an excellent library service which is available to our whole community. It is architect designed and a lovely place to work and study. For the moment, we are operating a click and collect only service. You can access the catalogue online from anywhere and request the resources that you need using your library account. We will let you know when they are ready to collect.
Our extensive library collection also gives you access to a wealth of online resources, such as core text e-books, scholarly journal articles, music streaming sites such as Naxos Music Library and Alexander Street Press, and reference material from databases, such as Oxford Music Online and IPA Source. The majority of these are accessible onsite and offsite, through the library discovery service or library and online resources area on SPACE.
Room Booking
If you want to book a room for private practice or study, you will need to do this through the online room booking system. The system is fairly intuitive, but we will show you how to use this during your induction, and confirm how much time you are allowed to book.
Key words that we use:
Here are some of the main types of sessions Leeds Conservatoire students will take part in. Exactly what they are like will depend on the subject area being covered and the teaching style of a particular member of staff, however this should give you a good idea of what to expect.
Lecture
A lecture is usually a taught session delivered by a lecturer to a group of students. It may involve visual presentation materials to illustrate the subject. Students will often be asked to contribute knowledge and views on the subject or to ask their own questions.
Tutorial
A tutorial will involve a member of teaching staff working with an individual or small group. They are usually supportive sessions for exploring a topic in more detail, they can be used to help students to understand the details of a particular area of study and to discuss their progress. They usually involve discussion of work that has been undertaken already, and may set out future assignments.
Seminar
A seminar will usually feature in depth discussion of a topic or subject area. It will usually involve a group of students who are actively encouraged to engage in debate. Seminars are often the place where students will lead a presentation on a theme as the starting point for the conversation that follows.
Workshop
A workshop is a practical session which is either delivered by a member of conservatoire staff or a special guest. Workshops usually focus on a particular area of study, which could be a style of performance or a particular set of skills. Some workshops will involve a whole group of students taking part at the same time, while others will see volunteers invited to take part in demonstrations as the session goes on.
Masterclass
A masterclass is delivered by an expert in their field. In performance courses this will normally involve students performing work which they have prepared in advance. They will receive feedback from the person delivering the masterclass who will work with the students to focus on specific areas which they feel could be improved or enhanced. Masterclasses often take place in front of an audience of other students, and sometimes the general public in the case of a high profile guest.
1:1
1:1 refers to any session delivered by a teacher for one student. This can refer to individual instrumental or vocal lessons, but can also be applied to tutorials which are focused on the learning of one student for focused feedback and guidance.
Group Study
Group study refers to a session in which a group of students are working together on a project. This could be a collective assignment or a small ensemble under the guidance of a lecturer.
