The assumption that needs to be examined is whether when a teacher is talking to a group of students they are learning what (s)he thinks they are. PER has shed quite a bit of doubt on this assumption, no? If the students are not actively engaged in a dialog with the concepts they probably aren't learning very much.
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| Our department offers a Gen Ed physics course, which attracts
| approximately 550 students per semester. The class is
| currently taught in a room with approximately 85 seats with
| an enrollment limit of 85.
|
| Yesterday, at out department meeting, it was suggested that
| we increase the size of the classes (moving to a different
| room, of course) to perhaps 120 per section; and we would
| then offer fewer sections.
|
| Some faculty claimed that it doesn't make any difference if
| there are more than 40 or 50 students. So, we have two
| issues, (1) Is there a difference in teaching outcomes
| between a class of 85 and a class of 120? and (2) Is there
| an effect in a large lecture hall when every seat is filled
| (100 % attendance) as opposed to having 10-15% of the seats
| empty with 100 % attendance?
|
| In my opinion, having every seat filled makes the room seem
| too crowded and some students will feel uncomfortable with
| that and not come to class as a result. In addition, in my
| classes, I like to do group activities with groups of 4 to 6
| students; and having empty seats makes moving around easier.
| Most of the other faculty only use passive lectures and
| multiple-choice, computer graded tests.
|
| _______________________________________________
| Forum for Physics Educators
| Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
| https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
|
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l