Strategies for Teaching Large Classes Effectively in Higher Education

Strategies for Teaching Large Classes Effectively in Higher Education helps educators effectively harness the power of the large class to support student learning. The book features advice from instructors across disciplines, results from the initiatives they’ve tried, and scholarship to support their claims. The text emphasizes the ideas that a large class represents an opportunity and scholarly teaching can occur in a class of any size.

The book begins with practical advice for planning ahead, increasing the efficiency of the administration of a large class, implementing pedagogical strategies, and using physical demonstrations to increase engagement. Later chapters focus on building community with students through the application of technology and gathering feedback. Instructors learn various approaches to course development and student assessment, including active learning, the flipped classroom method, concept sketches, and two-stage exams. The book concludes with chapters dedicated to leveraging technology to promote innovation, interactivity, and learning outside the classroom.

Featuring experience-driven and scholarly insight, Strategies for Teaching Large Classes Effectively in Higher Education is an ideal resource for instructors who wish to successfully engage large classes and provide students with an optimal environment for learning.

Jonathan Golding, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. He is the creator and author of the Beginner’s Guide to College Success blog, as well as numerous books, journal articles, and book chapters within the field of psychology. He received his doctorate degree in Psychology from the University of Denver.

Catherine Rawn is a tenured senior instructor in the Psychology Department at the University of British Columbia, where she earned her Ph.D. She has taught more than 6,000 students, typically in introductory psychology, quantitative research methods, and statistics courses.

Kathi Kern is associate provost for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, and an Endowed Professor in the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence at the University of Kentucky. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania.