When class sizes grow, faculty often encounter challenges in creating an effective and engaging learning environment. ASSETT decided to ask the best of the best听what strategies have worked for them. We interviewed 6 faculty and a teaching assistant who have had听success in听teaching in large introductory level courses. Here are their responses to some common challenges faced by instructors of 100+ enrollment courses.
Tips on Managing Distraction in Large Lecture Courses听
*Some links to research articles below require use of听听if viewing from off campus.
How Can I Create an Enjoyable Classroom Culture?
Creating a space where students are comfortable with inquiry in your 100+ class can be a tough thing to accomplish. Start with some basics to create an open, inviting space in which to learn.
- Tips:
- Let your passion for your discipline show.
- 麻豆淫院 appreciate humor. It鈥檚 ok to let students see your human side.
- Make content relevant to students鈥� lives.听
- Come early, stay late.
- Play music before and after class.
- Tools:
- For streaming music, try听听 or听, but you will听get commercials听in the free versions after 10 or 15 minutes.
- Resources:
- Finck, J. E. (2011).听听Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC),听9(1), 27鈥�32.
- Gleason, M. (1986).听听College Teaching,听34(1), 20鈥�24.
- Sass, E. J. (1989).听听Teaching of Psychology,听16(2), 86.
- Waite, W. M., Jackson, M. H., & Diwan, A. (2003).听ACM SIGCSE Bulletin,听35(1), 127-131.
How Can I Create a Student Centered Learning Environment?
Student centered learning is about student discovery and construction of knowledge rather than passive transfer of knowledge from instructor to the student. Help students feel comfortable and encouraged to take part in that process of discovery and creation.
- Tips:
- Learn as many students鈥� names as possible.
- Find ways to show you care听about students鈥� success in the course
- Create rapport听in your classroom
- Become familiar with听. Start with something small like minute papers.
- Tools:
- Utilize听the Print Friendly Photo Rosters in myCUInfo by bringing them to class to learn student names.
- Ask students to use tent name cards for the first 2 weeks of class.
- Example:
- Resources:
- How to get started
How Can I Minimize Anonymity and Give 麻豆淫院 a Voice?
Undoubtedly, a large course can be intimidating for students. Use both small group activities and technology to create inviting opportunities for students to share their thoughts in and out of class, with you and other students.
- Tips:
- Have recitations sit together in sections in the lecture hall so they get to know each other.
- Improve your听discussion management skills听for a large classes.
- Use 听to extend opportunities to contribute
- Remember to set specific parameters for participations
- Utilize small group features in D2L鈥檚 discussion boards
- Commit to using discussion boards on a regular, consistent basis
- Give evidence that you have read students鈥� posts
- Teach听students
- Try using a听backchannel听so students can post questions or responses in real time during class.
- Tools:
- For online discussion try听听or听.
- For a backchannel,听听or听
- Example:
- Resources:
- Glessmer, M. S., Pick, M.-A., & G枚ttsch, P. (2014). Enabling backchannel communication between a lecturer and a large group. Retrieved from
How Can I Increase Student Engagement?
One of the best ways to get students engaged in your classroom is student centered and active learning. Find ways that students can influence and participate in the content, activities, materials and pace of their learning.
- Tips:
- Use听听and听. Start small with think pair share, sentence summaries, and polling exercises. Later you can try peer review, debate teams or the jigsaw method.
- Use as a way to听jump start discussions.
- Get comfortable听with group work and incorporate听.
- Tools:
- Example:
- Georgetown University, Biology Course
- Resources:
- A review of the literature
- Yazedjian, A., & Kolkhorst, B. B. (2007).听听College Teaching,听55(4), 164鈥�169.听
How Can I Better Manage Communication?
Think beyond email. Be creative in seeking ways to be available and communicate with your students. 麻豆淫院 can still feel connected in a course and to the instructor when you use one to many online communication methods.
- Tips:
- Set aside specific hours to be available to students online (email, chat, or video call).
- Answer frequently asked questions using the D2L news or discussion tool.
- Consider creating short videos or听screencasts听(computer screen recordings with听audio narration) to explain concepts students typically have trouble understanding.
- Tools:
- For online office hours try
- Video chat services like听,听
- 听for online chatting
- For short videos try听,听, or听
- For screencasts try听听or听
- For online office hours try
- Example:
- Resources:
How Can I Administer Assessments Effectively and Efficiently?
Creating meaningful assessments for 100+ students doesn鈥檛 have to mean endless hours of grading on your part. Incorporate real world scenarios and let technology help with the grading.
- Tips:
- Use technologies like clickers and automatically graded quizzes for immediate feedback opportunities
- Sharpen your 听if you are concerned about automatically graded tests.
- Use real world scenarios in test questions to make content relevant
- Design meaningful rubrics听for grading papers and projects
- Tools:
- Resources:
How Can I Encourage听Attendance and Participation?
An age old dilemma in large lecture courses is attendance and participation, for both students and teachers. Create unique in class experiences and opportunities for students to provide feedback on听how the course is going. Let students know when you鈥檝e made adjustments based on their feedback, too.
- Tips:
- Make the in class experience something they can鈥檛 get anywhere else
- Don鈥檛 be predictable. Use a variety of class activities.
- Help students feel noticed, so that they want to participate.
- Solicit regular feedback from students, and even consider giving some credit it. Then be explicit about the adjustments made based on the feedback students鈥� provided.
- Tools:
- for collecting听regular feedback.
- Resources:
- Snell, L. S. (1999).听听Medical Teacher,听21(1), 37鈥�42.
How Can I Maximize听TAs鈥� Strengths?
TAs are an invaluable resource for large classes and have most likely been an undergraduate in their recent past. Draw on their understanding of the student experience while at the same time giving them guidance to be successful leaders in the classroom.
- Tips:
- Ways to prepare TAs in advance
- Refer them to the听and the Fall Intensive Workshops
- Provide TAs with your own set of guidelines and expectations.
- Listen to TAs; pick their brains. They have great ideas and undergrads may be more open and honest with TAs.
- Ways to prepare TAs in advance
- Tools:
- For communication and organization, try听and听
- For managing multiple tasks, try听
- Example:
- Resources:
- Ross, Catherine and Jane Dunphy. Strategies for Teaching Assistant and International Teaching Assistant Development. Bolton: Anker, 2007.
How Can I Maximize听TAs鈥� Strengths?
Hear a TA鈥檚 point of view to better understand ways to support them.
- Resources:
- Dudley, M. (2009).听Eastern Educ J,听38, 1鈥�10.
