2008 Woodie Awards
Large classes counter Hopkins's 12:1 student/teacher ratio
Issue date: 10/9/08
Kirwan agrees that some subjects require more focus than is provided in a more detached large class.
"I'm okay with large classes for intro courses but classes like Biochem and Orgo need small classes to learn the concepts."
The limited number of classrooms on campus, however, may provide sizable hurdles to achieving a goal of small class sizes.
Large classes often present a difficult task to the Registrar's scheduling desk as they assign lecture halls for the course and numerous rooms for the sections.
"The scheduling on this campus is always a challenge. The challenges vary from year to year. The biggest challenge this year was the closing of Gilman Hall," Todd Bullock of the Registrar's scheduling desk said.
Those students without large major requirements and intro classes enjoy the benefits of active class discussions and even seminar-style meetings.
"I'm a classics major. I don't have a class with more than 15 people in it. I like being in really small classes because I get to know the professor, and a lot of my classes are discussion-based, so it's easier to see what's going on," freshman Rose Schneider said.
Not all students have a problem with large classes though. Much of the material in intro classes is a review of subjects covered in high school and previous courses, so the need for increased teacher-student interaction is minimized.
"My Physics, Chemistry and Bio classes are big. They're all really easy so I don't really need teachers. Sections are just as easy," freshman Jeffrey Lio said.
"I think morning classes should be really big so we could sleep," freshman Sruthi Sakamuri said.
While too many classes with over 100 students may not be favorable, the number of large courses may be left at a healthy minimum.
"The overall goal is to offer as many courses as possible and have a diverse range of offerings rather than only focusing on the size of the classes," Bullock said.
For students like Kirwan, that may mean many more mornings of yawn-filled notetaking in the midst of hundreds of others students.
In terms of comparing class sizes with those at competing schools such as Harvard and Duke, Bullock noted that it is more important for students to focus on the quality of the courses than on the number of peers in each class.
"I'm okay with large classes for intro courses but classes like Biochem and Orgo need small classes to learn the concepts."
The limited number of classrooms on campus, however, may provide sizable hurdles to achieving a goal of small class sizes.
Large classes often present a difficult task to the Registrar's scheduling desk as they assign lecture halls for the course and numerous rooms for the sections.
"The scheduling on this campus is always a challenge. The challenges vary from year to year. The biggest challenge this year was the closing of Gilman Hall," Todd Bullock of the Registrar's scheduling desk said.
Those students without large major requirements and intro classes enjoy the benefits of active class discussions and even seminar-style meetings.
"I'm a classics major. I don't have a class with more than 15 people in it. I like being in really small classes because I get to know the professor, and a lot of my classes are discussion-based, so it's easier to see what's going on," freshman Rose Schneider said.
Not all students have a problem with large classes though. Much of the material in intro classes is a review of subjects covered in high school and previous courses, so the need for increased teacher-student interaction is minimized.
"My Physics, Chemistry and Bio classes are big. They're all really easy so I don't really need teachers. Sections are just as easy," freshman Jeffrey Lio said.
"I think morning classes should be really big so we could sleep," freshman Sruthi Sakamuri said.
While too many classes with over 100 students may not be favorable, the number of large courses may be left at a healthy minimum.
"The overall goal is to offer as many courses as possible and have a diverse range of offerings rather than only focusing on the size of the classes," Bullock said.
For students like Kirwan, that may mean many more mornings of yawn-filled notetaking in the midst of hundreds of others students.
In terms of comparing class sizes with those at competing schools such as Harvard and Duke, Bullock noted that it is more important for students to focus on the quality of the courses than on the number of peers in each class.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Y HALO THAR
posted 10/10/08 @ 4:56 PM EST
VERY NICE ARTICLE GOOD LEAD YOU MAKING
RW
posted 10/11/08 @ 1:13 AM EST
Great Article.
JHU definitely has the financial resources. I've taken classes at Harvard before so I can definitely tell you that the Calc class that I took at Harvard was definitely far more intimate and more one-on-one interaction than the one I took at Hopkins. (Continued…)
Phead128
RW
posted 10/11/08 @ 1:15 AM EST
Great Article.
JHU definitely has the financial resources. I've taken classes at Harvard before so I can definitely tell you that the Calc class that I took at Harvard was definitely far more intimate and more one-on-one interaction than the one I took at Hopkins. (Continued…)
Donna Iannelli
posted 10/11/08 @ 9:18 AM EST
As a parent paying a large tuition bill, it is disheartening to see that a university with the reputation that Hopkins has would tolerate classes of 700 students. (Continued…)
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