Not one. Not two. Eleven. That’s how many times my fellow panelists and I touted our university’s low faculty–student ratios during a recent session for prospective students. But how could we resist? Each time we invoked those magic numbers, parents smiled (“My child will be cared for”), admissions colleagues beamed (“Enrollment accomplished”), and administrators nodded (“Very on brand”).
One Response
I agree. There is nothing so wonderful as teaching a small group of students, getting to know each one, and making sure they are focused on absorbing the content of the course. However, professors who are facing challenges such as those described in this piece by Nichole DeWall may wish to consider a switch to using Team-Based Learning. TBL doesn’t solve all the issues she was facing, but it is a way to engage students in their learning, even in large classes. Many faculty who move to TBL never go back to a more traditional way of teaching. There is a lot of support from the Team-Based Learning Collaborative as well. An added plus is that the ability to work in teams is one of the top skills employers are looking for in their new hires. So we are also equipping our students for future success with these classroom experiences.