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One thing to think about…One thing that was really helpful,
because prior to coming here I taught as a graduate student in Indiana University and I had smaller classes…
I always taught much smaller classes.
The largest class I ever taught prior to coming here was probably 40.
And so teaching a class of 200 was a large leap.
I had a fundamental decision at that point which was -- do I try to change everything that I do in order to teach a larger class?
Which I had no idea how to teach.
Or should I try to teach this like I would teach a class of 40, or 30, or 20?
I decided that I am going to approach a class of 200 as if there are only 20 students there, with respect to the types of activities that I might try to do.
Well then you quickly run into constraints like the seats are bolted down to the floor, and usually in the class of 20 you can arrange chairs in the groups much more easily.
So what I would do is request break out rooms for my large classes.
Or just have students sit on the furniture in the way that is not intended for them to sit.
So we try to not let the environmental constraints get in the way of teaching and learning.
And os I have them break out into smaller groups or use break out rooms, so that we can have a class of 200 divided across three classrooms with more space to work in groups.
Particularly when they are working on simulations and so on.
And I found that by treating them in that way,
by trying to connect as if there were only 20 or 40 students,
that I actually was able to figure out ways to make that class very similar to the classes which were much smaller that I used to teach.
And not compromise the kind of teaching and interaction that I would if decided to just stand and deliver in a more traditional lecture format.