Maria is a first-year instructor in the history department. She has been assigned to a large-scale lecture taking place in a campus auditorium. This is Maria’s first experience teaching in a large lecture hall. A majority of her teaching experiences required her to lecture for 30-40 students, while her current course seats 250.
The auditorium seating is constructed like a stadium with rows raising from the lectern at the front of the room. Before the first class session, Maria reflected on how to establish rapport and make connections in a class with so many students. On the first day, Maria encourages students to sit in the front rows of the lecture hall and fill in seats to create a greater feeling of intimacy during lecture. She also encourages her students to come down the stairs and meet her at the lectern before or after class to introduce themselves. She also encourages her students to mix up their seating throughout the term in an effort to meet new peers and potentially make new friends.
As the term progresses, Maria is pleased to see that many of her students are following her guidance. They are varying their seating, sitting closer to the front of the room, introducing themselves and checking in with her before and after class. However, after administering a mid-term feedback survey, Maria is made aware by several students that the tailored seating for people of size and people who use wheelchairs is located in the mid-level walkway of the auditorium. Additionally, they bring to her attention that the area near the lectern is not wheelchair accessible and no accessible seating options are available toward the front of class. Maria feels disappointment in herself upon receiving the feedback, as she is becoming aware that her focus on creating community in her class centered the needs of able-bodied students rather than students with disabilities. Maria follows up with her department chair about moving her course to a more accessible learning space, and she is informed that no alternative spaces are available.
Maria is a bit flummoxed about what to do. She wants to connect with her students, but the acoustics of the lecture hall require her to stay at the lectern. Maria again consults with her department chair and asks for specialized audio equipment to help her move freely from the lectern. Maria’s chair obliges and equips her with a mobile microphone and a presentation clicker with laser pointer. With her new equipment, she commits to walking the auditorium several times during lecture to be near each section of students, and also makes a point to visit and check in with students before and after class and during in-class discussion.
- The Issue: Maria struggles to build community in her large lecture classroom and is particularly challenged about how to reach and engage students who are marginalized by the design of the classroom for their mobility and spatial needs.
- The Deliberation: Maria explores whether moving her course is possible, and further pursues technology solutions to enable her mobility during lecture.
- The Growth: Maria recognizes that she was centering the needs of able-bodied students in deliberating community building solutions for her classroom. She also realizes that she is able to advance her own community learning goals by adapting her instructional style to account for the structural limitations of her learning space.