The mass class and teaching assistants: A case for discussion exercises

Sociology courses, particularly introductory courses, with 200 or more students are increasingly being offered in U.S. colleges and universities. Within the “mass class” structure, teaching assistants are often utilized to instruct students in smaller discussion sessions. This creates unique conditions of instruction for both professors and teaching assistants. For instance, professors are faced with coordinating teaching assistants’ activities, while teaching assistants need to develop skills relating to provoking discussion. Both must deal with effects of a hierarchy of instruction. After discussing these conditions we present structured classroom exercises that focus on sociological concepts typically presented in introductory courses to help teaching assistants create an engaging learning experience, attain teaching skills, and facilitate the professor’s coordination of instruction.