Can Downsizing College Class Sizes Augment Student Outcomes? An Investigation of the Effects of Class Size on Student Learning.

The article focuses on the identification of the impact of class size on student learning through course evaluations in the U.S. The negative effect on student learning by the maintenance of large class sizes at the introductory course level while cutting down classes at the upperclassman level is suggested by the lower grades in subsequent classes attained by students who took large introductory classes as compared to those students who did not take that route. The concern for the negative impact by faculty research demands on general education programs is the basis for the fear of negligence for undergraduate teaching mission among research universities.