A four-pronged approach to support students in large classes - combining safeness, sense of belonging, primary school strategies with EdTech for a successful approach

Large classes at university level conjure up an image of bored students, lost in a multitude of disengaged faces. The lecturer is at the front of the room, sharing their expertise with the masses. However, this is not an engaging way to learn, and not all large classes look like this. This paper shows how an approach that combines fostering a sense of belonging, a safe space for questions, and a basic strategy from the primary school context (think-pair-share) with the use of educational technology can result in engaged students and successful teaching, learning, and assessment. The discipline is computer science with a class of 180 students, but the approach could be applied in any discipline. It involves the academic creating a safe environment for students and scaffolding their independent learning by providing digital resources that enable them to self-assess and prepare for credit-bearing assessments in the module.