An introduction

Since the early 1960s class sizes in British higher education have rapidly increased and are now approaching what is common in mass education systems elsewhere. However, the methods of delivering courses and the assumptions underpinning these methods have not significantly changed.

Many fear that this increase in student numbers without related increases in numbers of staff will result in a decline in quality. After reviewing the research evidence on class size and quality we argue that without rapidly changing teaching and assessment methods there will be a dramatic decline in the quality of British higher education. Though radical changes in teaching methods do not guarantee holding on to quality, they do offer the possibility of maintaining or slowing down the decline in quality and achieving an effective mass higher education system.

After outlining the case studies of innovations described in subsequent chapters it is argued that this British experience is relevant to all mass education systems that are attempting to improve the quality of undergraduate education.

The focus is on classes in which the possibility of individual relationships between professor and student is precluded, in which not every student who wants to speak in class can be called on, and in which grading essay exams can take up every evening and weekend of the course.

Maryellen Weimer (1987), Teaching Large Classes Well, p.2

We stack ’em deep and teach ’em cheap.

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