James Jackson

Kim, thanks so much for your comments and question. Larger class sizes can be a challenge but the fundamentals remain the same with respect to how you strategically plan for your learning outcomes. You really have to look at your goals for the class and understand to what level of learning you are looking to achieve. Depending on the level of learning outcome with respect to a structure such as Bloom's Taxonomy, lecture versus active learning techniques will have decisively different outcomes. When I hear the term "primary lecture-based" I do not get a sense of learning outcomes to a high level of knowledge transfer in my mind. Research has shown, and there are many reports on this you can easily find, students retain and learn so much more from active learning activities than they do with pure lecture. What are the learning outcomes you are attempting to reach with your lesson plan? You may want to consider reviewing the strategic alignment behind the desired outcomes and the delivery method being used. Students are most motivated around topics that directly align with their career goals. The more you can align your lesson plan around how they will make use of your information in their daily or professional lives the more they will be engaged with your communication. Effective learning has to be a two way communication. One way broadcasts outward to students simply do not result in high levels of knowledge transfer.

Perhaps schedule in some times to have students reflect on the materials you are presenting and have them explain how the information will be used in their lives, personally or professionally. You may find that you can achieve several goals with this technique including a better understanding of how well they are mastering the materials and a better appreciation for what goals they have and thereby building a better relationship with your students.

Regards,

James Jackson