Earlier this year, Brenda Spotton Visano led a workshop on Teaching Large Classes as part of our program for New Faculty Teaching at York (NFTY). Together with Olivia Petrie, she has produced the following set of notes that offer a perspective on these classes, highlight a number of practical strategies for engaging students in large enrolment courses, and suggest material for further reading.

How large is large? And what's the difference?

As a general rule, a class is considered large when...

• ... getting to know your students by name is near impossible.
• ... eye contact with each student would take more time than the lecture
• ... connecting with students is a daunting challenge
• ... grading weekly written assignments with care would leave you with no life

The large class environment is...

• ... impersonal
• ... unconnected, where connection with and among students is impeded both by the large number of students and the physical distance from the instructor

The lack of connection...

• ... impedes student comprehension
• ... creates a high potential for distraction

Add to this problem the tendency for younger students to attach high priority to the social and to be heavily influenced by a contemporary media culture that promotes short, quick messages. The result is that any instructor seeking to engage the students and to encourage thoughtful contemplative learning of complex material faces a huge challenge.

Under these circumstances, the qualities associated with an effective educator become necessities. Conversely, that which creates only a minor problem or irritant in a smaller class becomes obstructive/destructive in a large class setting.

To meet the challenges posed by the large enrolment class well organized material, along with clear class and course protocols, is imperative. Setting clear limits, and adhering to them, is essential. Likewise, confidence—both in yourself and in your understanding and your communication of the material—is needed (but humility is also appreciated).

What follows is a series of practical strategies and ideas that can be used to prepare for and manage larger classes, from the first class and throughout the year.

Course Preparation and Administration

For the first class, the following information might be included in a handout:

• Texts, including proposed material and required readings for each class, and lecture schedule
• How and when students can contact you; how and when students can expect your reply, e.g. office hours, email, or telephone
• How, when, and where to contact the office staff and for what
• Due dates of assignments, tests paired with required readings
• Format of tests/assignments
• Clear policies and procedures for make up exams, late assignments, etc.
• Important classroom protocols: attendance (is it required?), coming and going during class time (at will? on request? ...but always quietly)
• Important dates: last date to enrol with/without permission of instructor; last date to drop without academic penalty
• Important/relevant University and Senate policies
• Subscription information for the class email listserv*
• URL for your course web page*

* Note: of course, a web page and listserv are optional... BUT very highly recommended. If not adopted, then set up a substitute location where students can find all information about the course including updates, announcements, etc. throughout the semester.

Administration

• Set up a spreadsheet to track all grades and accommodations/notes on every student
• Be clear on how and when you will accommodate deferrals and make ups; embed a deterrent in the options
• Familiarize yourself with critical Council/Senate policies including petitions, investigating charges of academic dishonesty, dealing with classroom disruptions and emergencies
• Be as organized as is ever possible

Communicating information to students

• Remember communicating items of information whether administrative or educational in the class lecture is inefficient and incomplete
• Post all information in one accessible place and direct students to it (e.g., the course web page).

Strategies for managing the first class:

• Set the tone on entrance. Enter and begin with confidence and authority
• Appeal to students' senses and sensibilities to mark the start of the class (flick/dim the lights, test the microphone, greet the students)
• Pause until all students have stopped talking, thank them for their respect
• "Anonymity does not equal invisibility." State your courtesy policy (no talking during lectures or student presentations; all cell phones to be turned off, etc.)
• State your name and identify yourself as the course instructor
• State the objective and agenda of the first class; identify the time the students can expect to finish the first class
• Identify general classroom procedure for all subsequent classes (when students can expect to start, take a break, to end)
• Introduce yourself with a bit of background about yourself
• Invite students to introduce themselves to those around them; suggest a question or two to encourage conversation (What was your best course? Who was your best prof?)
• Review material on the course handout; identify clearly where students can find all subsequent updates and announcements
• Continue with whatever course material you had planned to cover

Strategies for Managing Every Class

• Test run everything before class begins (technology, your in-class exercises, etc.)
• Adopt clear start and end protocols
• Start each class with clear objectives and a clear agenda
• Clearly identify switches... to material, exercises, modality, etc., with a clear conclusion followed by a clear introduction
• Expect to cover 2-3 major points in a 50-minute lecture
• Seek to cover material in a manner that complements the assigned readings
• Identify clearly the related readings for each section of the material covered in class
• Vary the rhythm every 20 or so minutes, e.g., talk for 20 minutes, switch to something that engages the students (question period, a think-pair-share exercise, e.g.)
• Repeat all student questions and comments for others to hear
• Do not take offence to students who demand "too much"; remind them of the limits, avoid sarcasm, leave it there
• Exaggerate everything: use large gestures, use minimum 20 point bolded font on overheads
• Move around the class, vary your pace, keep up the energy
• Spell out each step of reasoning as clearly and as simply as you can
• Read the class: Are they confused? Stop and ask. Are they losing concentration? Time to alter the rhythm.
• Use humour
• Remember images of a concept enable learning better than words on a screen
• End each section and each class with a recap of the objective and how the objective was met

Strategies for Promoting Student Feedback... and Promoting Active Learning

• Appoint student representatives to a class executive; meet regularly to hear feedback
• Remember there can be no teaching without learning; no learning without teaching—continue to seek ways to engage students:
• One minute papers
• Soliciting suggestions for test questions
• Assigning a think-pair-share exercise; calling on a couple of groups to explain their answers to the class
• pop quizzes: simple questions, for a couple of points (great for encouraging attendance).

For more information see:

Gedalof, Alan. Teaching Large Classes (Green Guide No. 1) Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 1998.

Gross Davis, Barbara. "Preparing to Teach the Large Lecture Course," in Tools for Teaching, San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers, 1995.

Ives, Sallie. A Survival Handbook for Teaching Large Classes. University of North Carolina—Charlotte (March 2000). <www.uncc.edu/fctel/pedagogy/focus largeclasses/ASurvivalHandbook.pdf (PDF, 188K)> (23 Sept 2003)

Large Classes Teaching Guide and Resources, Teaching Large Classes, University of Maryland < www.cte.umd.edu/library/lcn/index.html>

Middendorf, Joan and Kalish, Alan. The "Change Up in Lectures." TRC Newsletter (8:1). Fall 1996. < www.indiana.edu/%7Eteaching/changeups.html> (23 Sept 2003)

Teaching Large Classes Website, University of Western Ontario <www.uncc.edu/fctel/pedagogy/ focuslargeclasses/ASurvivalHandbook.pdf> (23 Sept 2003)