Student Engagement

Welcome students

Something as simple as welcoming students at the door or at the beginning of an online class helps build trust and community and can further engagement down the road. You may want to play music before the lecture begins to further enhance the feeling.

Use icebreaker questions

It can be difficult to get to know each and every student in a large class. Consider using online polling tools or discussion prompts to ask icebreaker questions that encourage participation and help build community. Questions might include academic prompts like "What is your program or major?" or fun questions like "Who is the best superhero?"

Use a visual course outline

A visual course outline, or syllabus, can help students better understand expectations and allow them to process the information quickly and easily.

Simplify Canvas courses

Making your Canvas course simple and easy-to-navigate saves time for instructors and students when they are looking for information. It can also prevent questions from students who are confused about where to go or what to look for.

Change the name of "office hours"

Using common language to rename office hours can increase student uptake and participation. A simple change, such as "student help hours" or "student drop-in hours", encourages students to make use of the time, especially when it can be challenging to chat one-on-one during a large class session.

Use lecture alternatives

Studies have shown that as class size increases, so too does the amount of time spent lecturing. Although some active learning strategies may require additional planning in large classes, even brief opportunities for participation and interaction can help increase learner engagement.

Examples include:

• Think-pair-share: Consider a question, discuss your response with the person seated next to you, then share with the class if called upon.
• Check your understanding: Pause periodically throughout the lecture and ask learners to respond to a short question using polling tools, multiple-choice questions, or low-tech response systems such as coloured cards or hand signals.
• Thumbs up/thumbs down: Students can give a real or virtual thumbs up if they understand a concept and are ready to move on, or a thumbs down if they would like additional clarification.
• Exit ticket: End the session with a brief question, quiz, or reflection prompt to identify misconceptions, reinforce key concepts, or gather feedback before the next class. You can use Canvas or Mentimeter to deliver these.
• Breakout rooms: Use small-group breakout spaces in online platforms such as Google Meet or Kaltura Virtual Classroom to support discussions, collaborative problem solving, case studies, or group activities.

Give students structured opportunities for feedback

Circulate informal monthly surveys to the class to gather feedback on pacing, classroom visibility, audio quality, or other concerns. This can be especially useful for very large classes where students may not feel comfortable speaking up during class.

Classroom Management

Arrive organized

Arriving on time with tools and systems ready and tested can go a long way toward encouraging positive student behaviour in a class. Students are more likely to engage when instructors are prepared to deliver material smoothly and effectively.

Pause for questions

Remember to leave clear opportunities for students to ask questions. In a large class, students may not feel comfortable interrupting during a lecture. Consider inviting questions at regular intervals, such as at the end of a slide or example.

Leverage a calendar for drop-in or office hours

Using an electronic tool, such as Google Calendar, to indicate when and where drop-in or office hours take place can help coordinate multiple instructors and teaching assistants. A shared calendar posted within Canvas can help students see available times and any schedule changes.

Monitor chat

It can be challenging to present material online while simultaneously monitoring the chat for questions from students. Consider assigning a teaching assistant or trusted student to help monitor the chat and flag important questions.

Grading

Use question banks

Question banks in Canvas allow you to store questions used for assessments. You can quickly build assessments and use randomization options to ensure a variety of questions for large classes.

Stagger testing/exam times

In a large class, staggering testing times gives instructors more time to address student questions and logistical concerns.

In online or flexible hybrid environments, staggered testing times can also reduce strain on the system and support a smoother experience. Even a 10-minute stagger can make a difference.

Faculty of Science - Large Mathematics Classes

When final exams were conducted online, the faculty members teaching large, first- and second-year mathematics courses encouraged students to “stagger” their online attendance for the exam. While no official groupings were made within Canvas itself, professors distributed a list of login times, by last name, staggering the groups by 10 minutes. Adjustments were made to keep the exam available until the last group was finished to accommodate the staggering. This helped with login times, avoided overwhelming the system, and made sure professors and teaching assistants had time to answer login-related questions at the start.