Managing Large Online Class Sizes Julie Hall, Professor of Office Administration Napa Valley College, January 19, 2010
Dec 15, 2015
Managing Large Online Class Sizes
Julie Hall, Professor of Office AdministrationNapa Valley College, January 19, 2010
Class management Interaction and Participation Communication Tracking and Encouraging Grading and Assessment Teaching Style Learning Style Critical Thinking
Same Issues in Online vs. F2F Classes
Large versus Small…Why does this matter? Too Large Feel voice is lost, not
heard Delayed responses Increased instructor
workload
Smaller Feel voice is heard Community building Better response time Raises perception of
quality Instructor balanced
workload
Research indicates 21-40 students is considered “large” online class size
Average online class size for maximum community building, satisfaction, and retention is between 17-22, with 20 being the most optimal number of students
Sources: (ASHE Report, 2006; Davis & Dykman, 2008; Orellana, 2006; Palloff & Pratt 2003; Sieber 2005; Tomei 2004)
No one-size-fits-all rule New instructors-15; Experienced 20-25
(Palloff and Pratt, 2003, p.118).
What Constitutes a Large Online Class?
For the first time, research has shown that successful distance education is contingent upon smaller, not larger, class sizes – nearly half the size of its traditional ancestor. Online teaching
should not be expected to generate larger revenues by means of larger class sizes at the
expense of effective instruction or faculty overloads. (Tomei, 2004, Conclusion, ¶ 3).
Good structure half the battle! Have synchronous office hours Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
document Proper orientation to learning online with
you (See Julie Hall’s Online Orientation at NVC Webpage)
Tips for Managing Larger Online Class Sizes
Turn individual assignments into group assignments—grade on both individual contribution and whole project
Use peer-to-peer review and critique—create rubric for students to assess one another’s work
Tips for Managing Larger Online Class Sizes (Continued)
Summarize and Combine Responses to Class Questions◦ Ask students to answer questions of others◦ Gently guide or send e-mail to instructor if not answered
Use detailed Discussion Rubric for feedback—less commentary, yet clear expectations (Ko, 2007).
Discussion Protocol◦ Clearly define requirements, # of times p/week; use 2+2
feedback (two persons, 1 compliment and 1 suggestion or clarification);
◦ Document others’ quotes (J. Hall, personal communication, January 10, 2010)
◦ Type in word processor, edit for spelling and grammar, then copy/paste online
Managing Discussions
Form smaller discussion groups 10-12 max Rotate leadership in groups for threaded
discussions Divide discussion topics into manageable
units
Managing Discussions (Continued)
Avoid posting I agree! or Great Post! Tell WHY you agree! Ask for more evidence—How do you know? Ask for clarification—Example? What do you mean? Ask open-ended questions—Why do you think this is
important? Ask linking or extension questions—How does this relate
to? Connection? Hypothetical questions—If you were to apply this to X,
what would you do? Cause-and-Effect questions—Effect on this if x? Summary-and-Synthesis questions—Most important?
Unresolved? Source: Brookfield and Preskill (1999) (as cited in Palloff and Pratt (2003), pp. 151-
152.
How to Develop Great Discussion Questions
Davis, C. and Dykman, C. A. (2008). Online education forum--Part three: A quality online educational experience". Journal of Information Systems Education, 19(3), 281-290. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu, an:34493678
Kelly, Rob. Tips for managing large online classes. Retrieved November 16, 2009 from http://www.facultyfocus.com
Ko, Susan. Tips for managing larger online classes. DE Oracle@UMUC. November/December 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2009 at http://www.facultyfocus.com
Orellana, Anymir. (2006). Class size and interaction in online courses. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 7(3), 229-248. Retrieved March 21, 2009, from the Academic Search Premier database. an:22941927
References
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2003). The virtual student: A profile and guide to working with online learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Research on the factors of online learning. (2006). ASHE Higher Education Report. 32 (1), 37-87. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu, an: 22195359.
Sieber, J. E., (2005). Misconceptions and realities about teaching online. East Bay Science and Engineering Ethics 11, 329-340. Retrieved from the Academic Search Premier database. an:17943808
Tomei, L. A. (2004). The impact of online teaching on faculty load: Computing the ideal class size for online courses. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. 1(1). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.itdl.org/journal/Jan_04/article04.htm
References (Continued)
Mahalo!