I’ve taught classes with up to 250 students, several times: so my comments and experience might not stretch to 500 – where many students might feel extremely isolated. My experience with dialogue – once the numbers get toward 100 and more – is, first of all, about “power.” There is “much more” power available with larger numbers, than with only a few. My observations are that it takes a lot more “nerve,” self-trust, trust in their teacher – to ask or respond to questions – than with fewer students. In a sense, their teacher “possesses” or is granted more power, is a “larger” presence – and the poser of questions have more to gain or to lose in the interactions: more is “at risk.” Here, Teaching as Dialogue usually will actively involve about 20 students who are active and pursuing of their teacher. As the teacher responds to their questions or issues fairly personally, some history of interaction and dialogue develops, and seems to grant a sense of community (rather, about 20 senses of community – as the “silent” students seem to identify with/against other students who engage with their teacher). That is, Teaching as Dialogue can be very “effective” for many students, irrespective of the size – and even gains power and memory as the situation grows with respect to its numbers and power, and their teacher actually “gains” in the dialogue, and in their experience and memories. (And the power, itself, can be discussed as part of the dialogue, comparing this class with other smaller classes.)

I’ve taught classes with up to 250 students, several times: so my comments and experience might not stretch to 500 – where many students might feel extremely isolated. My experience with dialogue – once the numbers get toward 100 and more – is, first of all, about “power.” There is “much more” power available with larger numbers, than with only a few. My observations are that it takes a lot more “nerve,” self-trust, trust in their teacher – to ask or respond to questions – than with fewer students. In a sense, their teacher “possesses” or is granted more power, is a “larger” presence – and the poser of questions have more to gain or to lose in the interactions: more is “at risk.” Here, Teaching as Dialogue usually will actively involve about 20 students who are active and pursuing of their teacher. As the teacher responds to their questions or issues fairly personally, some history of interaction and dialogue develops, and seems to grant a sense of community (rather, about 20 senses of community – as the “silent” students seem to identify with/against other students who engage with their teacher). That is, Teaching as Dialogue can be very “effective” for many students, irrespective of the size – and even gains power and memory as the situation grows with respect to its numbers and power, and their teacher actually “gains” in the dialogue, and in their experience and memories. (And the power, itself, can be discussed as part of the dialogue, comparing this class with other smaller classes.)