The Impact of Class Size on Outcomes in Higher Education

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Monks ◽  
Robert M. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Faculty Member ◽  
Size Effects ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
Student Assessments ◽  
Selective Institution ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Numerous studies have investigated the impact of class size on student outcomes. This analysis contributes to this discussion by isolating the impact of class size on student outcomes in higher education by utilizing a natural experiment at a selective institution which enables the estimation of class size effects conditional on the total number of students taught by a faculty member. We find that class size negatively impacts student assessments of courses and instructors. Large classes appear to prompt faculty to alter their courses in ways deleterious to students.

scholarly journals Class size effects in higher education: Differences across STEM and non-STEM fields

2021 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 102104
Author(s):  
Elif Kara ◽  
Mirco Tonin ◽  
Michael Vlassopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Size Effects ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Stem Fields

scholarly journals Cooperative Learning in Industrial-sized Biology Classes

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norris Armstrong ◽  
Shu-Mei Chang ◽  
Marguerite Brickman
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
Course Material ◽  
Large Enrollment ◽  
The Impact

This study examined the impact of cooperative learning activities on student achievement and attitudes in large-enrollment (>250) introductory biology classes. We found that students taught using a cooperative learning approach showed greater improvement in their knowledge of course material compared with students taught using a traditional lecture format. In addition, students viewed cooperative learning activities highly favorably. These findings suggest that encouraging students to work in small groups and improving feedback between the instructor and the students can help to improve student outcomes even in very large classes. These results should be viewed cautiously, however, until this experiment can be replicated with additional faculty. Strategies for potentially improving the impact of cooperative learning on student achievement in large courses are discussed.

scholarly journals The Impact of Class Size on Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language: The Case of the Department of English at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Hayat Aoumeur
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Huge Number ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Learning English

This paper is devoted to the study of the impact of class size on teaching and learning English as a foreign language. The investigation was conducted at the department of English at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University. The department has witnessed a huge increase in the enrolment figure in the past decade which resulted into an increase in class sizes. This has created problems for staff and students alike. Despite the steps taken by the administrators to reduce the number of students, the problem of class crowding still persists. The department of English, alone, has an enrolment of almost 3000 students, it is a huge number indeed if we take into consideration the availability of facilities and resources. The aim of this study is to explore the organizational and pedagogical difficulties that are frequently encountered by the teachers dealing with large classes and the effects on student learning. Additionally, this paper proposes some suggestions on how to deal with class overcrowding. As part of our research, we have given questionnaires to 200 students and 40 teachers. The findings of the survey clearly demonstrate that large class sizes have an adverse impact on the quality of teaching and learning.

The Impact of Accreditation on Student Learning Outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tayeb Brahimi ◽  
Akila Sarirete ◽  
Rania Mohammed Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Outcome ◽  
National Commission ◽  
Engineering And Technology ◽  
Future Improvement ◽  
The Impact

In recent years, student outcomes in higher education has captured the interest and concern of accreditation communities, governments, employers as well as international organizations. Student outcomes is becoming the principal gauge of higher education's effectiveness and accreditation bodies expect learning outcomes to be well defined, articulated, assessed, verified, and used as a guide for future improvement. The paper investigates the impact of accreditation on student outcomes in higher education and examines the impact of two accreditation bodies on student outcomes, namely: The National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) established by the Higher Council of Education in Saudi Arabia and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc. (ABET). Results from a course in Mathematics at Effat University, Jeddah, KSA, showed how important the learning outcome is in the process of re-evaluating strategies and methodologies used in the learning process.

scholarly journals Charging for Higher Education: Estimating the Impact on Inequality and Student Outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghazala Azmat ◽  
Ştefania Simion
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Labor Market Outcomes ◽  
University Education ◽  
Tuition Fees ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
State Schools

AbstractOver the last two decades, undergraduate university education in England moved from being state-funded and free for students, to costing all students substantial amounts in tuition fees. In this paper, using detailed administrative longitudinal microdata that follow all students attending state schools in England (approximately 95% of student population), we causally show that, despite the substantial reforms, enrollment fell only by 0.5 percentage points, where the effect is largely borne by those in wealthier groups, reducing the enrolment gap across socio-economic groups. Since tuition fees were introduced in conjunction with the government offering generous means-tested maintenance (cash) grants, as well as loans, our results highlight the importance of reducing financing constraints. Beyond enrollment, we find that the reforms have limited impact on students’ higher education choices, such as relocation decisions, university choice, and field of study. Finally, by tracking the students after graduation, we show similarly small effects on labor market outcomes.

scholarly journals Microlearning for improved student outcomes in higher education: A scoping review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian B. R. Shatte ◽  
Samantha Teague
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Key Terms ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to synthesise the literature on technology-based microlearning in higher education. Six education, information technology, and interdisciplinary research databases were searched using key terms relating to technology-based microlearning in higher education. Articles were assessed by two reviewers, and data were extracted on the article’s microlearning features, supporting technologies, educational discipline, and outcomes for teaching and learning . Articles were then synthesised via narrative review. Forty papers focusing on the application of technology-based microlearning to higher education were identified. Three keys themes emerged, including: (i) methods for microlearning design and delivery; (ii) the impact of microlearning on objective student outcomes (e.g. academic performance and participation); and (iii) the impact of microlearning on subjective student outcomes (e.g. motivation to learn and user experience of using microlearning technologies). Overall, the application of microlearning to higher education has demonstrated a range of benefits for both objective and subjective student outcomes. With the majority of studies reporting on small-scale studies conducted across various disciplines, it is evident that there is significant room for further research on the application of technology-based microlearning to further understand the nuances of its application in higher education. Combined, the results of the current study collate the existing evidence on the benefits and limitations of microlearning in higher education, and can thus assist educational practitioners in incorporating microlearning content into their own teaching materials.

scholarly journals The impact of varying class sizes on epidemic spread in a university population

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 210712
Author(s):  
Alex Best ◽  
Prerna Singh ◽  
Charlotte Ward ◽  
Caterina Vitale ◽  
Megan Oliver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Class Size ◽  
Epidemiological Model ◽  
Small Class ◽  
Epidemic Spread ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
University Population ◽  
Size Limits ◽  
The Impact

A common non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) during the COVID-19 pandemic has been group size limits. Furthermore, educational settings of schools and universities have either fully closed or reduced their class sizes. As countries begin to reopen classrooms, a key question will be how large classes can be while still preventing local outbreaks of disease. Here, we develop and analyse a simple, stochastic epidemiological model where individuals (considered as students) live in fixed households and are assigned to a fixed class for daily lessons. We compare key measures of the epidemic—the peak infected, the total infected by day 180 and the calculated R 0 —as the size of class is varied. We find that class sizes of 10 could largely restrict outbreaks and often had overlapping inter-quartile ranges with our most cautious case of classes of five. However, class sizes of 30 or more often result in large epidemics. Reducing the class size from 40 to 10 can reduce R 0 by over 30%, as well as significantly reducing the numbers infected. Intermediate class sizes show considerable variation, with the total infected varying by as much as from 10% to 80% for the same class size. We show that additional in-class NPIs can limit the epidemic still further, but that reducing class sizes appears to have a larger effect on the epidemic. We do not specifically tailor our model for COVID-19, but our results stress the importance of small class sizes for preventing large outbreaks of infectious disease.

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