Faculty Teaching Excellence Program

Large Lecture Courses: Challenges and Rewards

James Symons, Professor, Theatre and Dance

Lee Chambers, Professor, History

Paul Beale, Professor and Chair, Physics

We will discuss important issues that faculty members face when they teach a large lecture course, especially for the first time. Large enrollment courses can be extremely rewarding but they present special challenges. We welcome a lively discussion with the audience on issues and practical suggestions that will make the experience more rewarding for you and your students.

Topics the panel or audience might want to discuss include:

• faculty and student expectations
• aiming: who is your audience?
• course and instructor organization
• student perceptions of the instructor and the course
• learning environment: teaching vs. learning
• peer learning/interactive engagement
• student study skills
• lecture pacing
• topic coverage vs. in-depth learning
• major vs. nonmajor courses
• soliciting and responding to student feedback
• student attendance, punctuality and courtesy
• civility and discipline
• FCQs

This event will be held in ATLAS 200.