Large Enrollment

Alternative Grading: Focus on Competencies

Isabel Safarik teaches asection of Math 106, Calculus 1.

Feb. 26 | Explore the possibilities of a competency-based grading system with examples Anna Hiatt.

At Scale: Organize Content Well

Over the course of a full semester, the quantity of course materials students must navigate is significant and students often struggle to find important information, even when it seems obvious to their instructor. In fact, even instructors familiar with their naming and organizing conventions lose track of where things are from time to time.

At Scale: Use Engaging Activities

In the stereotypical high-enrollment class, one finds disengaged, bored, unmotivated students who feel lost in a crowd. This is because it is more difficult to create connections with students, and to keep them engaged, in this type of setting. But it is by no means impossible. Indeed, some high-enrollment classrooms are far more lively and engaged than a smaller class could ever be. But that is not the default experience - instructors plan carefully to create that type of experience.

At Scale: Support Students and Treat them with Respect

Because of the high student-to-instructor ratio, it is easy for students in large courses to feel under-valued. This is not always just a perception: very often, the instructor will not, in fact, know a given student's name or notice if the student exhibits signs of struggling. Likewise, because the students often do not get to know the instructor, it is easy for them to dismiss the instructor as harsh or uncaring.

At Scale: Create Practical and Effective Assessments

Common assessment and feedback challenges faced in large-enrollment classrooms include the following:

At Scale: Use Technology Intentionally

Using new, or different technologies in your class may bring a learning curve for you and your students, the potential for additional financial costs, and a variety of other challenges. However, when selected with care and purpose and implemented throughtfully, technology can help you with the heavy lifting involved with teaching a large group of students; it might help get students more engaged with lessons; and it might help you provide better support to students who need it.

At Scale: Inclusive Practices and Equitable Policies

Despite the importance of putting equitable policies in place, it is not always easy. For example, if it is seen as too difficult logistically to offer make-up exams for a large class of students, then one might implement a policy of no make-up exams: show for the scheduled exam or take a zero. Even a more moderate policy of requiring a doctor's note before one may make up a high-stakes exam, is inequitable because not all problems preventing students from attending class come with a doctor's note.

Student participation is in the cards

An ingenious, low-tech approach to supporting verbal participation in large classes, Aaron Bronfman uses a card-based system to track participation.

Fresh Voices on Large Enrollment Courses

The Fresh Voices sections of the Knute Broady Collection aim to highlight recent publications and the work of emerging scholars

Large Enrollment Courses

Instructors of large enrollment courses face challenges of scale such as student engagement, authentic assessment, and providing personalized feedback.

Techniques for Large Enrollment

Large enrollment courses and lectures can be challenging when it comes to creating a welcoming learning environment that promotes student engagement.

Additional Materials

Visualize ways to deal with large enrollment courses with video options