Teaching (Really) Large Classes (Very) Well ...well I try.

1. Teaching (Really) Large Classes (Very) Well
...well I try.
John Boyer (joboyer@vt.edu)
Dept. of Geography
Virginia Tech
Twitter: @plaidavenger

3. The technology tools now
available to communicate
and to deliver content are
AWESOME!!!
...but don’t be forced into
compliance, nor lulled
into complacency....

4. A few general
strategies we use
in super-large
classes...

5. Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth
A few general
strategies we use
in super-large
classes...

6. Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth
Strategy #2: Expand options
A few general
strategies we use
in super-large
classes...

7. Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth
Strategy #2: Expand options
Strategy #3: Make a class into a
community
A few general
strategies we use
in super-large
classes...

8. -Communicate in their languages
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

9. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

10. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Increases student/student interactions
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

11. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Increases student/student interactions
Provides instant and continuous feedback
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

12. These amazing (and free!) new communication tools to
that bring people together...most of which your students
are already using!
Tools that help students
interact with other
students

13. These amazing (and free!) new communication tools to
that bring people together...most of which your students
are already using!
Tools that help students
interact with other
students

14. These amazing (and free!) new communication tools to
that bring people together...most of which your students
are already using!
Tools that help students
interact with other
students

15. Professor Facebook/Twitter - class notices, quick
polling, instant feedback & casual interaction
Tools that help connect the
professor to the students

16. Professor Facebook/Twitter - class notices, quick
polling, instant feedback & casual interaction
Tools that help connect the
professor to the students

17. Tools that help connect
the professor to the
students Ustream - Online office hours

18. Tools that help connect
the professor to the
students
Creating a powerful PERCEPTION of availability
Ustream - Online office hours

19. Tools that help give
students a voice during
class, building a sense of
active involvement
Twitter - Class hashtag
streamed live on-screen

20. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Increases student/student interactions
Provides instant and continuous feedback
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

21. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Increases student/student interactions
Provides instant and continuous feedback
Your students are already interacting in this space
(and often interacting aboutYOU)
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

22. -Communicate in their languages
Increases teacher/student interactions
Increases student/student interactions
Provides instant and continuous feedback
Your students are already interacting in this space
(and often interacting aboutYOU)
Strategy #1: Increase the bandwidth

23. Your students are already on Twitter...

24. Your students are already on Twitter...

25. Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

26. -Flexibility in lecture content availability
accommodates different schedules
Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

27. -Flexibility in lecture content availability
accommodates different schedules
YOURS
TOO!
Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

28. -Flexibility in lecture content availability
accommodates different schedules
Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

29. -Flexibility in lecture content availability
accommodates different schedules
-Flexibility in assignments/assessments accommodates
different learning styles and testing strengths
Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

30. 1)13 weekly quizzes x 30pts=400 (+10 for doing all 13)
2)Midterm Exam=125
3)Final Exam=125
4)World Leaders Exam 50x2 =100 (+10 for dressing up)
5)Films 10x15pts=150 (15pts each up to 150)
6)Non-class events paper=25/each
7)Atlas quizzes (11)=110
8)Twitter Assignment=200
9)Forum Commenting (14wks) =210
10)Geographic Film Review=25/each
11)Flash Quizzes=???
12)Random Attendance=???
13)Plaid Correspondents/Artists=???
Total: 1500+ ???
1050 points = A
950 points = B
etc.
Our Flipped Syllabus Example

31. Diversity of student assessment
options...combination of automated and
‘manual’ systems
1)13 weekly quizzes x 30pts=400 (+10 for doing all 13)
2)Midterm Exam=125
3)Final Exam=125
4)World Leaders Exam 50x2 =100 (+10 for dressing up)
5)Films 10x15pts=150 (15pts each up to 150)
6)Non-class events paper=25/each
7)Atlas quizzes (11)=110
8)Twitter Assignment=200
9)Forum Commenting (14wks) =210
10)Geographic Film Review=25/each
11)Flash Quizzes=???
12)Random Attendance=???
13)Plaid Correspondents/Artists=???
Total: 1500+ ???
1050 points = A
950 points = B
etc.
Our Flipped Syllabus Example

32. -Create assignments that utilize the on-line
environments they already use...
Strategy #2: Use technology to expand options

33. .....and harnesses their knowledge, creativity, and energies

34. Strategy #3: Make a class into a community

35. Say what? What the heck is that?
Strategy #3: Make a class into a community

36. Say what? What the heck is that?
Any environment where peeps--openly
and willingly--work with other peeps
Strategy #3: Make a class into a community

37. Sounds kind of sappy to me....

38. Sounds kind of sappy to me....
...I mean, they are coming to class to see me,
the expert, not other students.

39. Sounds kind of sappy to me....
...I mean, they are coming to class to see me,
the expert, not other students.
So why bother building a community?

40. THE TMI slide

41. -Keeps students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class
THE TMI slide

42. -Keeps students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class
A college course is a holistic learning experience for an entire semester, not just during the
live class session...and you cannot be there personally all the other hours of the week
THE TMI slide

43. -Keeps students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class
A college course is a holistic learning experience for an entire semester, not just during the
live class session...and you cannot be there personally all the other hours of the week
-Students who feel they are a part of a community help each other
and inform each other much more
THE TMI slide

44. -Keeps students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class
A college course is a holistic learning experience for an entire semester, not just during the
live class session...and you cannot be there personally all the other hours of the week
-Students who feel they are a part of a community help each other
and inform each other much more
-Perhaps cliche, but collaborative learning and working prepares
students much more for ‘the real world’
THE TMI slide

45. -Keeps students engaged, interested, and active before/during/after class
A college course is a holistic learning experience for an entire semester, not just during the
live class session...and you cannot be there personally all the other hours of the week
-Students who feel they are a part of a community help each other
and inform each other much more
Basically, because a community can increase student
learning, learning opportunities, and may even make
your job way easier than dealing with 3000 individual
students
-Perhaps cliche, but collaborative learning and working prepares
students much more for ‘the real world’
THE TMI slide

46. Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

47. A COMMUNITY can answer each other’s questions
...3000 individuals will ask you the same question
3000 times
Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

48. A COMMUNITY can answer each other’s questions
...3000 individuals will ask you the same question
3000 times
Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

49. A COMMUNITY can answer each other’s questions
...3000 individuals will ask you the same question
3000 times
Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

50. A COMMUNITY can answer each other’s questions
...3000 individuals will ask you the same question
3000 times
And a community can take
care of problems as well...
like our
FACEBOOK SCANDAL
Not sold yet? Then let’s make it more real:

51. Community building is not all
academically-oriented either...

52. More important than the mundane:
a COMMUNITY of learners can often form a more
logical climbing team to knowledge than you can...

53. More important than the mundane:
a COMMUNITY of learners can often form a more
logical climbing team to knowledge than you can...

54. A COMMUNITY feels comfortable and even compelled
to add to the class in a great diversity of ways
...a class of INDIVIDUALS does not

55. A COMMUNITY working together can achieve more
than an INDIVIDUAL can on their own...and can make
the impossible possible with a collective voice.

56. A COMMUNITY working together can achieve more
than an INDIVIDUAL can on their own...and can make
the impossible possible with a collective voice.
...GROUP SYNERGY evolves organically

57. Aung San Suu Kyi
Noble Peace Prize Winner
and chairperson of the
National League for
Democracy in Burma
Led to live Skype session with her
Initial interest from
Burmese student
Skype shout out & social networking by students

58. A COMMUNITY keeps up with each other after the
class is over
...INDIVIDUALS in a class typically do not
Thus we are seeing creating a life-long
community of learners that grows every
semester, and now includes alumni, family
members and friends...

59. A COMMUNITY keeps up with each other after the
class is over
...INDIVIDUALS in a class typically do not
Thus we are seeing creating a life-long
community of learners that grows every
semester, and now includes alumni, family
members and friends...
Creating life-long
learners...isn’t that
what we teachers are
all about?

60. But there is just one catch....

61. But there is just one catch....
You can’t actually “make” a community.

62. AND speaking of ‘catches’....
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...

63. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...

64. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it
can become.
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...

65. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it
can become.
-Administration and support have to pony up
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...

66. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it
can become.
-Administration and support have to pony up
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...
-Administration and support have to encourage
experimentation, and not condemn failure

67. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it
can become.
-Administration and support have to pony up
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...
-Administration and support have to encourage
experimentation, and not condemn failure
-Harness the tools to serve you....don’t serve them.

68. -It is a ton of work. Especially up front.
AND speaking of ‘catches’....
-The more successful you are, the more time consuming it
can become.
-Administration and support have to pony up
-It will all change tomorrow.
there are some things that need to be
recognized about this ed tech ‘revolution’...
...and teaching ‘good’ to ‘great’ large classes...
-Administration and support have to encourage
experimentation, and not condemn failure
-Harness the tools to serve you....don’t serve them.

69. But this stuff is awesome!
Communicating knowledge,
communicating ideas,
communicating curiosity,
communicating passion....

70. But this stuff is awesome!
Communicating knowledge,
communicating ideas,
communicating curiosity,
communicating passion....
Isn’t that what teaching is
really all about?

71. But this stuff is awesome!
Communicating knowledge,
communicating ideas,
communicating curiosity,
communicating passion....
Isn’t that what teaching is
really all about?
And everything I’ve
talked about is simply
a megaphone for
amplifying your voice

73. Technologies in education are not just gimmicks:
HARNESS THE TOOLS!

74. Students don’t have to be passive:
HARNESS THEIR ENERGY!
Technologies in education are not just gimmicks:
HARNESS THE TOOLS!

75. Students don’t have to be passive:
HARNESS THEIR ENERGY!
Technologies in education are not just gimmicks:
HARNESS THE TOOLS!
You don’t have to do it alone:
HARNESS USER
KNOWLEDGE and
SKILLS!

76. Students don’t have to be passive:
HARNESS THEIR ENERGY!
A strong community is a potent force:
HARNESS THE POTENTIAL!
Technologies in education are not just gimmicks:
HARNESS THE TOOLS!
You don’t have to do it alone:
HARNESS USER
KNOWLEDGE and
SKILLS!

77. Students don’t have to be passive:
HARNESS THEIR ENERGY!
A strong community is a potent force:
HARNESS THE POTENTIAL!
Technologies in education are not just gimmicks:
HARNESS THE TOOLS!
You don’t have to do it alone:
HARNESS USER
KNOWLEDGE and
SKILLS!
SO GET BACK....
....TO THE FUTURE!