Effective Adult Learning - Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

The content and activities appropriate for your course
should be tied directly to the learning needs and objectives
that you have defined. To be most effective, they should be
tailored to your audience.
How large should my class be?
Based on current literature, the best class size estimate is
approximately 15 students per classroom if you are teaching
face-to-face, although debate still rages around a specific
number. Smaller class sizes make it easier to break into
groups or work on activities and use other learning methods
besides lecture.
Higher order thinking skills tend to be learned most
effectively by creating, evaluating, and analyzing content.
Keep in mind that the more complex your material, the
more time and activities you may need to provide your
students, so they have plenty of opportunities to grasp the
complexities.
Higher Order Thinking Skills
Creating
Evaluating
Analyzing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering
Lower Order Thinking Skills
Class Size and
Thinking Skills
Higher order thinking
skills, like creating,
evaluating, and analyzing,
can be attained more
easily in smaller classes
with group activities.
Lower order thinking
skills, like memorizing
and remembering, need
less interaction. Thus,
they aren’t as tied to class
size.
(Courtesy: Churches, A. Educator’s eZine,
April 2008)
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