Encouraging Student Participation in Large Classes

At the end of a decade of CFI Teaching Toolboxes, we will occasionally re-up older issues, with light updates. The following Toolbox, by Scott Paulson, was originally published on September 28, 2017; we have updated or replaced broken links and added further references to related toolboxes that have been published since. 

The suggestions that Scott Paulson makes in this Toolbox hold up well, especially in light of recent developments in Universal Design for Learning: Moving away from a view of faculty as sole knowledge authority, including students actively in their learning, building trust and connections with (and between) students are all part and parcel of creating more accessible classrooms (consider, for example, strategies to support neurodiverse students as well as toolboxes on UDL and Public Speaking, the practice of care, Believing in Students, and flexibility in the classroom). One recent development in the literature that is worth reading along this Toolbox is the recognition that participation (or engagement) can come in a variety of ways, not just in the traditional “talking and asking questions” form; consult, for example, resource pages by the teaching and learning centers at UC Boulder and Stanford. And, since I just mentioned UDL, designing multiple ways to engage is very much part of that approach. - Andreas Broscheid 

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April 30, 2026 

Many large-class instructors lament that few students readily ask or answer questions, and that students are reluctant to participate by voicing their opinions, thoughts, or questions. Before diving into strategies to increase participation, it’s useful to understand the reasons students don’t participate. Weaver and Qi (2005) found several obstacles, three of which seem especially within the instructor’s control: the students’ perception of the professor as the authority of knowledge, their lack of confidence, and their fear of peer disapproval. With the reasons why students may not participate identified, we can explore strategies to build environments that welcome participation. 

Faculty as authority of knowledge: It is easy, particularly in large classes, for instructors and students to fall into traditional roles where the instructor disseminates knowledge, and the students passively absorb it. When students are asked for their input several times per class, and their answers are discussed or questions are answered, the instructor becomes more like a facilitator, and the students become more active participants in their own learning. In large classes, however, this can be difficult because there are fewer opportunities to engage. Below are two (of many) possible strategies to ensure each student participates every class period. (Other techniques for encouraging student participation can be found in previous [and later, and even later] toolboxes.) 

• Think-pair-share. When presented with a question, students can be asked to come up with an answer on their own. If the question is amenable to multiple choice, clickers or alternatives such as Poll Everywhere (for which JMU provides a subscription) can help to probe student understanding [Update: JMU Libraries has discontinued physical clickers and instead points instructors to Poll Everywhere and Top Hat]. Students then discuss their answers and reasoning with a fellow classmate. The instructor can then choose a pair at random (perhaps using an app such as Names in a Hat or random.org) to share their answers and explanation with the class, which can serve as the launching point for a whole class discussion. Think-pair-share provides many advantages over “cold calling” on a student, including allowing all students to vocalize a response and letting students rehearse in a low-stakes setting with just one or two peers. 

• Minute Paper. In closing the class, consider asking the students to write a one- or two-minute answer to a question along the lines of “what important question remains unanswered?” or “what was the most important thing you learned during this class?” Start the following class with a discussion of the most frequent responses. 

Student confidence and fear of peer disapproval: At first blush, it may seem strange to think that the instructor can influence peer perceptions or a student’s confidence. However, Weaver and Qi identified that interaction with instructors is positively correlated to both. In this way, instructors can indirectly encourage students to participate in class, and we can group these together when discussing instructional approaches. There are additional benefits to establishing rapport with students as well: Wilson et al. (2010) found a correlation between rapport and student outcomes, while Benson et al. (2005) demonstrated the effect of rapport on student attitudes. A few strategies can be useful for establishing rapport with students to encourage participation in a large class, especially: 

• Take time to learn the students’ names, then use them. While it may not be possible to know all of the names for very-large enrollment classes, as Cooper et al. (2017) show, even knowing a portion of the students’ names can create a perception that is equally valuable. 

• Encourage or even require students to use office hours. For example, Chris Hughes in the department of Physics and Astronomy required students in his 48-person course to attend (in groups of about 8) one office hour per week. Kayla Yurco’s Toolbox on office hours offers additional ideas. 

• Be affirmative in your student interactions, whether in the classroom or in office hours. This can be as simple as complimenting insightful comments or questions before responding or inviting further discussion. This approach can help all students feel more comfortable sharing their ideas. 

• Find more suggestions offered by Robyn Kondrad in her 2023 Toolbox on Professor-Student Rapport. 

Instructors seeking additional resources may be interested in Heppner’s Teaching the Large College Class: A Guidebook for Instructors with Multitudes (2007). This summer’s Pedagogy for Higher Education Large Classes (online) symposium provides a forum to share with and learn from others. The University of Michigan has compiled several resources that may be useful for large-class instructors.https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-large-classes/https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-large-classes/ And, of course, every semester, the CFI offers teaching programs, some for instructors of large classes, as well as Teaching Triangles and Mid-semester Check-ins, which are great opportunities to get feedback on how your class (large or not) is going.