Articles and Handbooks Related to Large Enrollment Classes
Strategies for Teaching Large Classes, University of California, Santa Barbara- This site offers multiple links that extend beyond the UC specific classroom. Included in these resources are the following articles: "Large Classes and the Perception of Fairness," and "Three Commonly Offered Suggestions for Teaching Large Classes." Teaching Large Classes Well and Teaching Tips by W. McKeachie are also included among the list of recommended print sources.
Large Classes: A Teaching Guide, University of Maryland- A handbook created by the Center for Teaching Excellence, with emphasis on Personalizing the Large Class, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, and Involving TAs.
A Survival Handbook for Teaching Large Classes, University of North Carolina, Charlotte- This resource document was created in response to a series of questions, culled from the challenges instructors' of large classes face in institutions around the world. These challenges form the handbook's chapters, and target the topics of anonymity, attendance, class climate, exams, participation, and technology.
Teaching Large Classes Project, University of Queensland, Australia- This 2001 study, funded by the Australian Universities Teaching Commission (AUTC), resulted in a compilation of resources, guidelines, and case studies to assist teachers of large classes. These resources are offered through the University of Queensland's Teaching and Educational Development Institute, complete with a full 2003 report on the project's dissemination and findings.
Effective Teaching Methods for Large Classes- This article by Jason M. Carpenter of the Univeristy of South Carolina responds to the rising number of student enrollment at universities and, consequently, the rise in class size. As explained in the abstract, Carpenter's "study uses descriptive and inferential statistical techniques to examine the effectiveness of five teaching methods (lecture, lecture/discussion combination, jigsaw, case study, team project) in a large class setting. In addition, student preferences for class size and teaching methods are explored. The findings provide valuable direction for faculty teaching large classes."
(Literature) Resources for Teaching Large Classes, Indiana University- The Center for Postsecondary Research at the NSSE Institute for Effective Educational Practice compiled this list of print and online sources on the topic of large classroom instruction. This site also provides a particularly useful collection of classic literature references, as well as several new and discipline specific citations.
Teaching Large Math Classes: Three Instructors, One Experience- This article written by Veselin Jungic, Deborah Kent, and Petra Metz was published in October 2006 in the International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education. Defining large classes as courses with over 350 students, this article "discusses issues of preparation, organization, course administration, instruction, use of technology, and student management, while offering constructive help and useful techniques for teaching large mathematics classes. General reflections from three instructors on their large class teaching experiences are followed by a model of how large freshmen Calculus courses are conducted at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC."
Adaptive Teaching for Large Classes, National University of Singapore- Yong Lian discusses teaching large classes, adaptive teaching strategies, and web based instruction, in his article for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He particularly focuses on the use of technology as an "adaptive technique to trace learners’ performance during and after a lecture so that the educator is able to quickly adjust course contents to suit the needs of learners."
