Time Management 

Managing larger sections requires strong organization, clear communication, and strategies that promote peer collaboration. Bigger classes can foster rich peer learning—here are some tips to balance engagement with efficiency. 

Preparation & Organization 

  • Prep your course as early as possible. 
  • Enter due dates for all graded items in Brightspace and in your syllabus. Be sure you’ve indicated to Brightspace that you want all graded items to show on the calendar. 
  • Download your Classlist into an Excel Sheet. Add columns for weekly notes and student info.  Add notes for each student from the Introduction Board to pepper throughout your interactions with them.  Use this sheet to keep track of who you have responded to in each discussion board (aim to respond to ½ of the class each week.) 
    • How to Download a Classlist 
      • Click Grades & Feedback on the Green Bar >  Grades > Export 
      • Choose the columns you wish to export (e.g. First and Last Name) 
  • Map out a weekly routine for announcements, grading, and live sessions. 
  • Share pacing tips with students. 

Communication 

  • Use announcements and email blasts strategically—avoid overload. 
  • Post 2-3 weekly announcement (text + short video in one) with deadlines and key info. 
  • Direct all course-related questions to the Q&A board. Subscribe to it for notifications. 
  • Set expectations for communication and response times. 
  • Offer an optional live Q&A (e.g., Teams or Zoom) early in the term to reduce individual inquiries. 

Facilitation 

  • Rotate discussion responses to engage different students each week (keep track of who you responded to on your classlist sheet). 
  • Focus on connecting ideas and asking collaborative questions. In your responses, ask questions designed to grow the conversation and deepen learning. 
  • Consider assigning rotating discussion roles (leader, resource sharer, etc.) to build student agency. 

Assessment & Feedback 

  • Create feedback banks for common assignments so that you can copy/paste text to reduce repetitive effort. 
  • Use rubrics to provide consistency and to highlight improvement areas. 
  • Provide audio/video feedback with captions for accessibility. 
  • Use surveys for mid-c2lourse feedback and Brightspace reports to identify students who need support. 

Resources