For students at virtually any large university, the sizeable lecture hall is an almost inescapable fate. And while Tufts is not known for big lecture classes with distant professors, the University has its share of large introductory courses that must be taken in order to take upper-level classes.
Introductory courses including "Principles of Economics," "International Relations," and "Computers in Engineering" have well over 150 enrolled students, and each is a required course for certain majors.
According to Associate Computer Science Professor Jim Schmolze, who teaches "Introduction to Computers in Engineering," a course in which about 220 students enrolled last semester, the principal reasoning behind large lecture courses is monetary.
"The driving force is that large lectures are cost-efficient," Schmolze said, adding that "it's also an effective way to teach."
Some colleges and universities across the country, however, are trying to change the age-old tradition of holding large lecture courses in favor of holding more personalized and interactive intro classes. Schools including MIT have employed new technologies involving the Internet, while others have made their classrooms into more intimate settings.
Through such changes, professors are able to interact more personally with students - something that is difficult for them to do in large lecture courses.
According to Astronomy Professor Rosa DiStefano, big classes can be difficult in terms of "getting to know students," but they "do not bar students from asking questions and participating."
"One disadvantage is that it is very difficult to get to know students as individuals," DiStefano said. "But I think large classes can be participatory. I encourage questions, and I ask questions for students to answer."
DiStefano's class has about 170 students enrolled this semester. In several other schools, classes of this size are taught either partially or wholly online. DiStefano, however, believes that personal interaction is the most important tool for teaching.
"Students can interact with someone who is part of the area they teach, and that can't be reproduced with a computer," she said. "The college setting provides opportunities for interaction and discussion, and Tufts makes it possible to interact with experts."
As does DiStefano, Schmolze feels that the biggest difficulty with large lectures is the lack of personal interaction with students. "In going from courses with 100 students to courses with 200 students, there is a dramatic difference," he said. "It's difficult to stay in touch with students when there are so many."
Schmolze, however, believes that online courses have their merits. "Online teaching can be effective, but it is not cheaper," he said.
He also discussed a trend in the computer-teaching community to change the way introductory courses are taught: "There is a movement against the standard lecture format, even in small groups," he said.
In addition, workshops around the country allow faculty to reexamine their own teaching methods. "A lot of Tufts people attend the workshops," Schmolze said.
Faculty are not the only ones examining traditional teaching methods: students share similar beliefs to those of faculty about large lectures.
According to freshman Ian McClellan, who took an introductory astronomy course last semester with more than 150 students, "you definitely don't interact in a classroom setting and if you do, it has to be outside of class of your own volition."
One student has a two-sided view of the large introductory course. "I think there are good and bad points," said freshman Eliza Chamblin, currently enrolled in "International Relations" with more than 200 other students. "On the one hand, you have a lot of different viewpoints, different opinions on each subject, but on the other hand, students might be more apprehensive to contribute because they're intimidated."
Freshman Lindsey Tannenbaum, who has already taken four large introductory classes, agreed that they can be intimidating, but said that recitations make these classes much more manageable.
"They allow students to ask questions that they wouldn't be able to normally ask," she said, "The only way you can personalize a class is by having recitations, review sessions and office hours."
Upperclassmen with more experience in a variety of class sizes had the same sentiments toward big lecture classes. "They're okay, but now that I've been exposed to smaller classes and have been able to have more interaction and discussion with the class and professor, I like it so much more," junior Bianca Wyont said.
According to Schmolze, the performance of students in a course generally increases as the number of students in the course decreases. "People do better in smaller classes, but partly because they are higher level courses and students are better equipped," he said.
DiStefano, who has taught a seminar with only 10 students, also felt that class was more satisfying with fewer people. "The small classes are more enjoyable because I know students more, and so many students do well," she explained.
Wyont echoed DiStefano's words: "The smaller classes are so much more enjoyable," she said.
