Higher Education Context and Policy: Large Class Pedagogical Complications

The purpose of this paper is discuss the pedagogical hitches of large classes in higher education in their significance thereof.The paper is chastely theoretical, therefore, data is solicited through literature review.Large-class environments are a reality for many who teach at higher education institutions around the world.A number of factors have recently placed greater demands and pressure on institutions of higher education to provide a quality undergraduate education.Although, different strategies are used in different combinations for different group of students to improve their learning outcomes.Some teaching strategies are better suited to teaching certain skills and fields of knowledge than are others.Some strategies are better suited to certain student backgrounds, learning styles and abilities.The paper argues that large classes pose a potential threat to the quality of the educational environment and may have particular ramifications in developing countries, were higher education constitutes a core dimension of the economic and societal development process.This is because such environments are commonly believed to pose real challenges for educators as they seek to deliver a meaningful learning experience, furthermore, they not only seek to gain knowledge, but also to develop critical thinking skills.The paper concludes that in order for efforts to improve teaching in large classes to have any chance of success, there must be a significant change in institutional attitude and practices towards the development of teaching among academics.The responsibility for teaching large classes needs to be in the hands of senior academics who have a proven record of success in their own teaching development and who are able to mentor junior and less experienced staff in teaching teams assigned to large classes.