The growing trend for massification in higher education delivery has contributed to challenges in student engagement and experience. This has been further compounded by the global pandemic, with the sector experiencing reduced financial, staffing and resourcing budgets. The authors identified the delivery of meaningful feedback at scale as a…

The benefits of experiential learning are well-documented, but large course enrollment can be seen as a barrier to providing meaningful experiential learning experiences. Political science literature on experiential learning in large undergraduate classes has prioritized simulations of political processes over direct student engagement in actual…

Background: Learning assistants (LAs) increase accessibility to instructor-student interactions in large STEM lecture classes. In this research, we used the Formative Assessment Enactment Model developed for K-12 science teachers to characterize LA facilitation practices. The Formative Assessment Enactment Model describes instructor actions as…

Listening skills are essential to interpersonal relationships and successful work in teams. Despite its necessity, most communication curriculum in higher education does not target students' listening skills. This study examines the impact of infusing an Active Empathetic Listening (AEL) module into a large, introductory university communication…

The inverted classroom model (ICM) has started to attract attention as a pedagogical approach in political science teaching. While there are many publications describing the application of the model in single courses and analyzing students' performance in inverted classes, the existing literature provides little guidance for first-time users of…

Large class sizes can be a barrier to seeking assistance, inhibiting student success. Efforts to improve student outcomes and address the reluctance of students to access academic resources lead many institutional leaders to turn to unique academic support initiatives, like supplemental instruction (SI). There is ample evidence that supplemental…

Active learning is known to improve student outcomes in many STEM courses. Here, we present strategies for incorporating active learning into a large enrollment General Chemistry I course using small group activities during class time. This approach was found to mitigate gender disparities in overall course grades and reduced the number of General…

Community service-learning (CSL) is implemented mainly in smallscale classes. To date, little is known about how large-scale CSL courses could best be designed. This study seeks to identify benefits and potential strategies for designing large-scale CSL courses. A qualitative multiple case study was performed of three large-scale university…

Instructors often encounter challenges in the implementation of evidence-based teaching practices in large-enrollment STEM courses. A novel Instructional-Teams Model (I-TM) seeks to address some of these challenges with the support of student assistants in specialized roles. I-TM roles focus on supporting course and classroom management…

This study addresses lack of student engagement in large English as a second language (ESL) classes at a Pakistani university, using cooperative learning within the framework of participatory action research. A reconnaissance of the literature and thorough situation analysis led to an initial plan based on two cooperative learning strategies:…

This paper introduces a process of reading, reflection, and discussion used by two white faculty teaching at predominately white institutions to address challenges to equity in their introductory astronomy courses. The conversations focused on the context of large introductory courses, where individual instructors may lack resources and agency to…

The educational benefit of the traditional didactic lecture to learners in Higher Education is hotly debated. Given increasing student numbers, existing technical set ups and many logistical concerns, lectures remain the norm in many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). In this personal view piece, we discuss the benefits, opportunities, and…

Background: Fear of negative evaluation, defined as a sense of dread associated with being unfavorably evaluated in a social situation, is the primary factor underlying student anxiety in college science courses and is disproportionately experienced by students who are underserved in science. Yet, it is unknown why fear of negative evaluation…

Background: The role of career interventions and their impact on students' sense of self and preparation for careers in STEM fields is an underexplored teaching and research area within STEM education. Purpose: The purpose of our mixed-methods study was to examine how a life sciences career exploration course at a large public research university…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were achievement gains in large classes with lectures alone versus with lectures and mentored groups. To measure achievement, mid-term to final-grade gains were compared between two sections (n=82 and n=99) of a undergraduate course in Digital Circuit Design that had lectures alone versus three…