Active Engagement in the Large Classroom

Large-enrollment courses can still be highly interactive. The strategies below offer practical ways to engage students on the first day, during class, and after class.

First Day

Be the first person they meet

• Arrive early and greet students as they enter.
• Introduce yourself and any graduate/undergraduate assistants.
• Set a welcoming, energetic tone for the course.

Actively engage the syllabus

• Put students in small groups with a syllabus scavenger hunt.
• Ask them to find key details: course purpose, prerequisites, office hours, how to get help, grading policies, etc.
• Have groups report out so everyone hears the essentials.

Share clear learning outcomes

• Post learning objectives for the day on the board, slides, or LMS.
• Refer back to them during and at the end of class.
• Show students how each activity connects to those outcomes.

During Class

Build in “think together” moments

• Break the lecture into short segments (10–15 minutes).
• Pause for pair or small-group discussions to solve a problem, explain a concept, or answer a question.
• Use clickers, polling, or hands-up responses to check understanding.

Use two-step questions

1. Ask a question and have students respond individually (clickers, polling, or paper).
2. If many miss it, have them discuss in pairs or groups.
3. Poll again to see how understanding improves.

Create multiple ways to participate

• Invite questions and comments verbally, by email, or via tools like Mentimeter or Padlet.
• Consider a tennis ball method:
  • Toss a soft ball to a student who wants to ask or answer a question.
  • They can toss it to a peer to build on the idea.
• Use warm calling (inviting volunteers by name) thoughtfully to widen participation.

Encourage physical engagement with the content

• Use demonstrations, mini-experiments, simple simulations, or role plays.
• Ask students to briefly “teach” a concept to a neighbor.
• Incorporate short, structured movement breaks tied to the content when possible.

 After Class

Create a peer-led discussion or help board

• Set up a discussion space in Canvas (or your LMS) for questions and peer support.
• Encourage students to:
  • Ask about confusing concepts.
  • Answer each other’s questions.
  • Share study tips and resources.
• Highlight especially helpful posts in the next class to reinforce participation.

Connect back to class activities

• Post follow-up problems or prompts that extend in-class work.
• Invite students to reflect briefly on what was most confusing or most interesting.
• Use their responses to plan your next session.