Volunteer Assignment in a Large Class

• In Event: 3423 - Teaching and Learning Symposium Roundtable
  In Informal Discussion Roundtable: Table 4: Active Learning I

Abstract

A common approach when instructing large college classes with more than 300 students is the use of multiple-choice exams as an assignment and grading mechanism. Unfortunately, there are numerous drawbacks to this approach, most notably that it is a severe disadvantage to specific groups of students, and it limits the potential for student growth and development in the course. After teaching a large introductory Sociology course for four consecutive semesters, I decided to create an alternative assignment option geared towards students not interested in exams or looking for experiential learning opportunities. This alternative assignment option replaced the two exams in the course with 10 hours of volunteer service with an assigned organization, as well as a reflection assignment conducted after the completion of the service. Only 50 students in the course were eligible for this option, and they were selected after expressing interest in the alternative option to replace exams. This presentation will discuss the successes and challenges of this alternative assignment, providing guidance for instructors that are looking to create similar alternative options in large class settings.

Author

• Jared Strohl, University at Buffalo, SUNY