“Once you're talking about a problem, you've started to solve it"

When School of Engineering professor Jürgen Brugger decided to integrate student-led tutorials (SLTs) into the course Microfabrication Technologies in the fall of 2024, he was hoping to bring a stronger in-person component to the class, which is primarily held online. But the benefits of just four SLTs throughout the semster went beyond the expectation of just getting students away from their screens.

“Our pilot SLTs received such encouraging student feedback – 96% of students felt that the sessions helped clarify course content – that we will be doing it again this fall. We also hope that the format will serve as a model for other courses,” Brugger says.

A pedagogical response to ChatGPT

Brugger explains that SLTs are based on the Socratic concept that the best way to learn about something is to talk about it – “because once you’re talking about a problem, you’re already engaged in solving it,” he says. The informal format in small groups offers a safe space for student expression and discussion, which research suggests can boost learning and problem-solving.

“We all know that AI tools like ChatGPT are widely used by students, raising concerns about impacts on critical thinking. I see SLTs as one pedagogical response to this trend. Our students sketch, discuss, and debate technical concepts aloud, hopefully rediscovering the value of conversation in a digital age, while enjoying these moments,” Brugger says.

A new role for teaching assistants

For the 150-student microfabrication course, the SLTs were organized into groups of 15-20, each led by a teaching assisant (TA). Students in each group familiarized themselves with six questions in advance of each session, and one student was selected via lottery to present and lead a discussion relating to one of the questions. These focused on complex, open-ended concepts, like: How does a thin-film temperature sensor work, and how would you fabricate one in a cleanroom?”

“Discussing these concepts aloud let us see who was putting in the effort, and who had just used ChatGPT,” says Pol Torres Vila. “We also worked with the same student group each week, which allowed them to become more confident as the semester progressed, and to even feel more comfortable coming to us TAs and asking us about our own career paths.”

The TAs, who received training from the EPFL Teaching Support Center (CAPE), facilitated discussion and encouraged the emergence of correct responses to the questions, but did not give them outright. Their efforts earned them the School of Engineering Teaching Assistant Award, and Brugger the best teacher award in the Microengineering Section for 2025.

“When students have the right answer on a PowerPoint slide, they are more inclined to deprioritize learning it – they think: I’ll just memorize it before the exam. But when we push them to do that research themselves, they really see it from a different perspective,” says Tugçe Delipinar.

Camilla Minzoni adds that as PhD students, the SLTs had benefits for the TAs themselves. “Having to discuss technical concepts with younger students really forced us to examine whether we were thinking about these concepts clearly,” she says.