Chapter 2: Teaching Large Online Classes: Strategies to Structure and Support Supersized Learning

This chapter examines the challenge of designing effective personalized learning for teaching large online classes while providing research-based solutions that focus on collaboration, predictive analytic tools, and the issue of cognitive load. One evidence-based solution entails reducing cognitive load through intentional design structures. The second support tool for teaching large online or blended courses includes implementation of structured collaborative learning experiences, thus building a community of inquiry (Garrison et al., 1999) where social presence, teacher presence, and cognitive presence take place in the course. A third support tool involves using predictive analytics software to create customized emails for students as virtual outreach and support. The overarching guiding question that focuses the chapter is: “What evidence-based strategies can instructors use to reduce learner cognitive overload, foster strategic virtual outreach, and support collaborative learning through both structure (course design) and teacher presence in large online and blended courses?” Although the focus of the examples and literature is on university-based online courses, the authors also draw on literature from massively open online courses (MOOCs) to provide suggestions and insight into teaching large online courses.