Seven ways to tailor your teaching for different class sizes

Different class sizes present their own advantages and disadvantages. Small classes offer more opportunities for student-teacher interaction, while larger classes can lack engagement, for example. Here, we discuss challenges and offer tips to help you adapt your teaching methods to classes of any size.

Tailor lesson structure and manage time wisely

When planning a class, it’s important to assign a time limit to each activity, regardless of the class size. It is also vital to clearly define each activity and provide precise instructions to avoid confusion. If you’re teaching a large group, allow additional time for classroom management and discipline maintenance. In a smaller group, allow more time for feedback and individual attention. Assigning realistic time limits to each activity helps to prevent frustration among students who might not be able to finish tasks on time. Also, including breaks helps to maintain the group’s attention throughout the session, whatever the size.

Split up large classes

In a larger class, grouping students together can help with managing them more effectively. Assign different roles to each group member such as leader, documenter, researcher and presenter. This will help to distribute the workload and foster collaboration among students. Some tools that can help you with team activities include Kialo for synchronous debates, mmhmm for creating collaborative videos and Zoom for breakout rooms. 

Use technology to check students’ understanding 

Technology is an ally when it comes to managing different class sizes. You can use online tools to involve students such as online questionnaires, interactive whiteboards and educational games such as Miro, Padlet, Kahoot or Quizizz. You can also conduct an initial assessment of students' understanding of certain topics by using quizzes, asking questions and requesting explanations of concepts or situations. All of these strategies are useful for both small and large classes.

Decide whether you need teaching assistants 

In large classes, teaching assistants are crucial. They can support with classroom management, grading and taking attendance, among other things. Their work complements the teacher, facilitating prompt, personalised feedback that improves students’ academic performance. In smaller classes, the instructor can take on this work, so assistants might not be needed.

• Resource collection: What’s in a name? The importance of getting students’ names right
• Embedding peer support among students in large online lectures
• Big-class energy: how to get large groups learning by doing, not just listening

Find innovative ways to encourage participation 

Students can easily feel lost or excluded in a large class. Encouraging participation can help you keep them engaged and motivated. To do this, ask questions, start discussions and create opportunities for students to share their ideas and opinions. You can also use technology to do this. In addition to the digital tools described above, you can use specialised applications for live voting, such as Slido, Mentimeter and Poll Everywhere which are excellent for creating surveys, questionnaires and word clouds. Also, to avoid frequently uncomfortable silences when you ask students to participate voluntarily, you can use tools to choose one at random, such as Wheel Decide, Pili App and Wheel of Names. These tools are also helpful in smaller classes.

Adapt your teaching strategies to promote understanding

Various teaching strategies can help you adapt to the needs of different class sizes. For a larger group, you might need more visual aids, such as Canva presentations, augmented reality resources such as Mozilla Hub, 360° videos or YouTube or TikTok videos to help enhance students’ understanding. You might have more time for group discussions or one-on-one activities in a smaller class.

Be adaptable and open to feedback

You will need to adjust your teaching methods and strategies according to the needs of your students. Be open to comments and willing to make changes to improve your students’ experiences. You can receive feedback from your students during online meetings or via instant messaging tools such as Slack or Remind and follow up with them in case you have any questions about the feedback you’ve received.

Teaching different class sizes can be a challenging yet gratifying experience with the appropriate strategies and techniques in place. By planning your lessons, using technology, adapting your teaching strategies and being adaptable, you can provide effective learning experiences for all of your students.

Gabriela Espínola Carballo and Mariana Estefanía Elizondo García are professors of educational innovation and digital learning at the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.