It’s very interesting to see how larger classes affects the effectiveness or productivity of a class that is based in a PBL curriculum. This year my classes are a tiny bit larger than they have been in the past. Generally, the class size has been between 12-15, and this year one of my section is as large as 17. I do think that this affects a students’ ability to get their questions answered, focus on listening to a student description of their process, see which process is correct, take good notes, and even to show respect when others are talking. It is honestly difficult enough to create a sense of community of learners with a small class – but what can you do with a larger class?

In my workshops, I have always promoted group work and discussion about the problems, but I am finding that difficult to manage as a facilitator, and when left to their devices, oftentimes students cannot facilitate a discussion themselves (even the most focused students). What I have found effective is putting them in deliberate pairs at the board to discuss their solutions. Why at the board, you may ask – why not just have them sit at their desks and show their work they did in their notebooks? Their is definitely an advantage to the physical act of getting up out of their chairs and writing (showing) the work again on the board that gives a sense of ownership for the work. It also gives a sense of scholarship when two are working together in discussion at a board (picture Charlie and Amita on Numb3rs working on a problem just writing in down on paper – not as dramatic). Students can sense this themselves. Students being at the board also gives the teachers a broad view of who’s working and who’s not – the work is all public and with a quick scan, you can see what is being done (and more importantly, what is not). In my experience, students have shown a lot of excitement when a solution has come to frution at the board – a lot more than when sitting at desks or the table.

It is the comraderie in a community of learners that grows when working together for a common purpose and there is nothing better than sharing ideas and problem solving that does that in PBL. Of course, you surely need one thing – enough board space!