Actively Engaging Large Classes in Tanzanian Universities

Abstract

Abstract The prevalence of large classes in African universities is the result of increasing student enrolment which does not match the teaching and learning resources that are available. Tensions for individual pedagogues emanate from excessively large classes including the constraints of inadequate resources, anonymity of students, poor participation of students and difficulties with timely continuous assessment of huge quantities of written work. University authorities appointed to leadership roles should hold themselves responsible for enhancing lecturers’ pedagogy skills to order to improve both teachers’ and students’ commitment to the learning process. Strategies to promote active engagement of students include regularly updating lecturers’ competency in producing well-organized lectures and active learning strategies, strengthening seminar discussions, designing pre-lecture activities, and devising strategies to learn students’ identities.