Large Lecture Tips

Time on Task

Time plus energy equals learning. Research suggests that students need help in learning how to manage their time. There are several ways that you can help to bolster student understanding of time managament:

Give students timed assignments
Expect students to complete assignments in the alloted time
Give students a guideline for the minimum amount of time they need to spend preparing for classes or class tasks
Stress the importance of setting aside time for studying (study daily)
Assign timed homeowrk (ask students to set themselves time limits for solving a problem or set of multiple choice questions
Stress the importance of time managament and class attendance
Provide tips on effective time management in class

High but Reasonable Expectations

Research suggests that if you expect more from students, you will get more. High expectations are important for the poorly-prepared, for the unwilling, as well as for the bright and well-motivated student.

Tell students that you expect them to work hard in class, and to complete all assignments
Assign extra reading, writing, or problem-solving tasks
Assign challenging, but interesting problems (ex: why and how does a cucumber turn into a pickle)
Use real-life problems and conflicting perspectives to challenge students
Cover the subject matter at the right depth and pace to avoid frustrating students

Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

There are many roads to learning. Students bring different talents and styles of learning to class. Students need the opportunity to show their talents and to learn in ways that work for them. To ensure that the content is appealing to all students and all learning styles:

Encourage students to speak up when they do not understand a topic
Use diverse teaching activities to address the broad spectrum of learners
Use a good number of clear visual aids
Design activities that relate to students' backgrounds
Use computer-assisted learning tools (i.e. tutorials, homework, animations)
Use different assessment methods

Additional resources

There are many additional resources with information and suggestions for large lecture teaching situations including books, journals, websites and newsletters.

Click here for a large listing of additional resources.