Advantages of Large Class Size Approach

The large class size approach is a step towards addressing the necessity to improve the utilization of school resources and the necessity to enhance student intake. The large class size idea is not completely a new method as some units have been admitting up to 200 and even more students, particularly in their high demand courses. Recent articles from University of the Philippines, Los BaƱos, indicate that some math classes merged 5 classes
in a lecture class of 150 students. Nowadays, chemistry and biology courses have been taking in up to 120 students. The following are some advantages of Large Class Size (LCS) approach:

1. On research undertakings. A number of minor but similarly significant matters may be deal with by the large class size approach. Offering large classes, the school will be better able to offer faculty members an opportunity to perform research. The school must keep the best and the brightest in the faculty by balancing its application of the “up or out” policy with more time and opportunities for faculty members to study. Some faculty members cannot perform research, burdened as they are with their teaching duties. The large class size approach will help free up some of their time for these research undertakings. With research on equal footing as instruction among the school’s directives and as a ways of enhancing textbook knowledge, faculty members have to be actively engaged in the constant search for knowledge through research.

2. On graduate programs / faculty development program. Offering large classes, the school will be better able to provide faculty members an opportunity to pursue graduate studies. The minimum requirements for a faculty member to get permanent status involves his / her having completed at least a master’s or a professional degree, and a satisfactory teaching performance. Some faculty members cannot pursue graduate program, overburdened as they are with their teaching duties. The large class size approach will help free up some of their time for these research undertakings. Furthermore, by doing this, we hope to be able to help meet the school’s most desired vision of pursuing an all-graduate faculty.

3. On optimizing the use of school resources and increasing student intake. The large class size approach is a step towards addressing the need to improve the utilization of its resources and increasing student intake. The method is intended at encouraging units offering high demand courses to adopt in the long period and help address the necessity to enhance student intake with the same resources.

4. On scholarship program. The method is basically and excellent improvement to inspire many baccalaureate graduates to pursue graduate program by offering full-scholarship program through Graduate Teaching Assistant Program (GTAP). How is this possible?

Normally, a large class size approach requires one or two facilitators (responsible for helping the faculty in checking of students’ papers, attendance and assignment, and facilitating / controlling the activities) who are new graduates of their baccalaureate courses and who are interested to pursue master’s degree. The facilitators of the said teaching approach, at the discretion of school management may or may not receive salary or honorarium nut are entitled to study advanced program of their interest for free in exchange of their service rendered during the two-year assistance in the conduct of Large Class Size Approach. What is more interesting here is, these facilitators can be considered for hiring in the future-thus, giving more opportunities for the school to strengthen their faculty profile in terms of educational attainment for quality education and accreditation purposes. It is strongly advised that the school should only accept facilitators who are interested to pursue advanced program.

5. On time efficiency. Time efficiency on the part of the faculty. Given three same subjects with 1.5 hours per period, instead meeting all of them for three different periods (equivalent to 4.5 hours), all students shall only be met once for 1.5 hours only. Clearly, the faculty has saved three hours. Imagine what other good things can a faculty do for that number of hours he / she saved!

 6. Faculty deloading opportunity. The idea of large class size involving one or two facilitators provide the scheme of relieving the faculty of overburdened teaching and other academic responsibilities. The reduced number of hours (although class size is increased) from the usual or regular teaching loads and schedule plus the assistance from one or two facilitators enable  them to perform efficiently other related functions-especially their research undertakings.

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