The Challenges of Teaching Large Classes, Part 1: Active learning

This semester I taught a class of 200 for the first time. Most of my teaching career has been spent with classes with fewer than 30 students, with the exception of one 50 student class that was co-taught. I will be writing about joys and challenges of moving from teaching small classes to teaching large classes.

With a mountain of research demonstrating that students learn through active learning, I have often wondered how individual instructors can so easily dismiss it as something that does not ‘work’ for them. My experiences this semester made me understand why even instructors who believe in the effectiveness of active learning might abandon it when teaching large classes. Some weeks, I have even found myself inching more towards lecturing because it is easier.

With Active Learning, Students’ Misunderstandings are Revealed

In a large class, it is not easy to see when students are not understanding unless you intentionally probe.

On days when I did a lot of lecturing this semester, I thought that students were understanding things well: there were few questions, they seemed happy with my presentations, and nodded along easily. At the end of class, students clearly articulated things that they had learned, and everyone seemed very happy.

On days when I talk less and have students do more, the feeling is often the opposite: students’ misunderstandings are revealed and we all see where they are ‘stuck’. Learning is slow, and can feel as though students aren’t really progressing. While walking around the classroom, I often encountered students who just aren’t sure where to begin and don’t feel comfortable engaging in the activity. At the end of class, students aren’t given a nicely wrapped solution presented to them, and they sometimes feel as though they do not understand the material very well.

It is easy to feel as though the first type of class works “better” — it’s smooth and easy. However, if we remember that our job as educators is to reveal misunderstandings and help motivate the need for further learning, we see that the more difficult approach is really what students need.

Why is this Problem Unique to Large Classes?

In my smaller classes, I was able to get a better sense of individual students’ understanding throughout the entire lesson. Even if they didn’t say anything, I could tell whether a student was happy with the material, and a few students’ problems would impact the climate of the entire class. Misunderstandings were naturally revealed, and students did not have a choice to be anonymous even when I “lectured”.

In a smaller class, students become invested in each others’ learning. They see that they can help their classmates to learn and this pushes them to persist. The physical classroom space is often arranged to facilitate a community: this is the first year when my students have been arranged in rows rather than at tables.

Active learning requires trust, and asks students to put themselves on the line. In a large class, students aren’t as confident that they can trust me or their peers, and there is less of a sense of community and a feeling that we are ‘all in this together’. Math is one subject that has a reputation as being black and white and an incorrect answer can feel like the failure of a student’s intelligence. It can be easier to remain silent.

Opening up misunderstandings without fully resolving them is more risky in large classes. It is more difficult for students to reach out for help in a larger class, and the end of the lecture may signal to a student the end of their opportunity to understand the content. Asking or answering a question in front of a large audience can be intimidating, and office hours may not seem as accessible.

Each of these dynamics works together to make active learning very challenging in large class environments.

How I plan to Address the Challenges of Active Learning in my Large Classes

• Keep in mind students share the same misunderstandings when listening to a lecture or copying notes. This is my biggest recommendation for those teaching large classes: remember that involving them in activities simply reveals the misunderstandings that were with them all along.
• Don’t allow students to be anonymous. Develop communities of learning, and encourage interactions with peers.
• Talk about the value of making mistakes, and praise incorrect answers for what they reveal.
• Ask specific questions, not just ‘do you have any questions?’.
• Incentivize participation, and have a plan for curating students’ answers at the end of an activity.
• Show students the research on active learning, and remind them why you are doing each activity.
• Look for ways to make the physical classroom space work for you and your students.

Do you have any suggestions for transitioning from small-class to large-class teaching? I’d love to hear them!