Myth: Class Size Doesn’t Affect Learning Quality

Welcome to the Myth Series

Hello, and welcome to the Designing with Love Podcast. I am your host, Jackie Pellegrin, where my goal is to bring you information, tips, and tricks as an instructional designer. Hello, instructional designers and educators. Welcome to episode 151 of the Designing with Love Podcast. Today we're continuing our series called Myths in Instructional Design in Education, where we unpack common beliefs that shape how we design, teach, train, and support learning. In the last episode, we challenged the myth that interactivity requires fancy tools. We talked about why meaningful interaction is about what learners think, decide, practice, reflect on, or apply, not how advanced the tool is. In this episode, we're looking at another common myth. Class

Why Class Size Seems Irrelevant

size doesn't affect learning quality. This myth can show up when we assume the same design will work the same way, whether we have 12 learners, 40 learners, 100 learners, or more. But class size changes the learning conditions. It affects feedback, interaction, facilitation, connection, workload, and support. So grab your notebook, a cup of coffee, and settle in as we explore this topic together. Before we jump in, here's how this series will work. Each episode will focus on one common myth, why it has lasted, what we know instead, and how we can make stronger design decisions moving forward. Today's myth is class size doesn't affect learning quality. At first, this idea can sound practical. After all, we may not always control how many learners are in a course, workshop, training, or online section. We may be handed a roster, a platform, a deadline, and a set of outcomes and told to make it work. And sometimes, strong learning can happen in large groups. A large class can still be well structured, engaging, accessible, and meaningful. But the problem begins when we pretend class size has no impact on the design. A strategy that works beautifully with 15 learners may not work the same way with 75 learners. A discussion format that feels personal in a small class size may become overwhelming in a large one. Feedback that is manageable with a small group may become delayed or surface level when the group grows. Class size does not automatically determine quality, but it does affect what kind of design support learners and facilitators need. So

How the Myth Keeps Surviving

why has this myth lasted for so long? One reason is that class size is often treated as an administrative issue instead of a design issue. We may think of enrollment, staffing, scheduling, and budget before we think about interaction, feedback, and learner support. Another reason this myth persists is that good instructors and designers often work hard to make large learning environments successful. They adapt, improvise, answer questions, create resources, and support learners as best they can. But when learning works because people are stretching themselves behind the scenes, we may underestimate the amount of labor required. This myth also persists because technology can make large scale delivery look easier. A learning management system can enroll hundreds of learners. A webinar platform can hold hundreds of participants. An automated quiz can score instantly. But delivery is not the same as learning support. Scaling access is important, but if we scale access without scaling feedback, interaction, and support, learning quality can suffer.

What Size Changes in Practice

Here's where we need to shift the conversation. The issue is not that large classes cannot work. They can. The issue is that class size changes the design requirements. A more accurate way to think about it is this. Class size does affect learning quality because it shapes the amount and type of interaction, feedback, support, and connection learners can receive. In smaller classes, it may be easier to notice confusion, personalize feedback, build relationships, and adjust instruction in the moment. In larger classes, those things can still happen, but they usually need to be designed more intentionally. For example, learners may need clear instructions because the facilitator cannot answer every question individually. They may need structured peer interaction because whole group discussion may become too crowded. They may need rubrics, examples, checklists, or self-checks because individualized feedback may take longer. They may need multiple ways to ask questions because one communication channel may not be enough. They may need stronger navigation because getting lost in a large course can feel isolating. This is especially important in online and blended environments. Quality matters notes that online class size can affect both the student experience and the instructor experience, especially because interaction and communication are so central to online learning. So the better question is not can this class still work if it is large? The better question is what design supports need to change because of the size? So what

Scale-Aware Design That Holds Up

does this mean for us as instructional designers, educators, trainers, or learning leaders? It means we need to move from one size fits all design to scale aware design. Instead of asking, can I use the same activity with more learners? We might ask, how will this activity need to change at this scale? Instead of asking, how will I give everyone individual feedback? We might ask, what mix of feedback can support learners well? Instead of asking, how do I manage all of these discussions? We might ask, what structure will make participation meaningful and manageable? This might mean using smaller discussion groups instead of one large discussion space. It might mean using peer review with clear criteria. It might mean using exemplars so learners can compare their work to a model. It might mean creating a frequently asked question space so common questions are answered once and visible to everyone. It might mean using short check-ins, pulls, self-assessments, or reflection prompts to identify where learners are struggling. It might mean designing feedback in layers, automated feedback for simple checks, peer feedback for drafts, and instructor feedback for higher stakes work. The goal is not to make large classes feel exactly like small classes. The goal is to design the right support for the size and context of the learning experience.

Myth Reset for Better Decisions

Here's today's myth reset. Instead of believing class size doesn't affect learning quality, remember that class size shapes the design conditions for feedback, interaction, connection, and support. Small classes are not automatically effective. Large classes are not automatically ineffective, but the size of the learning group changes what learners and facilitators need. This week, look at one course, lesson, module, workshop, or training experience and ask yourself, does the design match the size of the group? That question can help us move from assuming the same design will work everywhere to designing more intentionally for scale. Today, we challenge the myth that class size does not affect learning quality. We looked at why this belief has lasted, what it gets wrong, and how we can replace it with a more realistic and design-centered approach. Your myth reset challenge this week is to review one learning experience with class size in mind. Ask yourself, how many learners are participating? How will learners ask questions? How will learners interact with each other? How will learners receive feedback? How will the facilitator know where learners are struggling? What support needs to be added, simplified, or scaled? Then choose one improvement you can make. Maybe you create small groups, add a rubric, build a FAQ space, provide an example, add a self-check, simplify instructions, or create a clearer feedback plan. The goal is not to control every class size. The goal is to design learning support that matches the reality of the class size. In the next episode, we'll continue the series by looking at another common myth. Instructional design is just making slides.

Closing Quote & Next Steps

Before I conclude this episode, here's an inspiring quote from educator Rita Pearson. Every child deserves a champion. That quote is a helpful reminder for this myth because learning quality is not only about content delivery, it is also about whether learners feel seen, supported, guided, and able to keep moving forward. In large class sizes, this kind of support does not happen by accident. It has to be designed with care. When we design for skill, we can create structures that help learners ask questions, receive feedback, connect with others, and feel less invisible in the learning experience. If this episode gave you something to think about, I'd love for you to share it with another educator, instructional designer, trainer, or learning leader who is ready to rethink what really works in learning. And don't forget to check out the companion myth reset case file for this episode. It will help you investigate the myth, review the design shift, and apply this week's challenge to your own course, lesson, module, or training experience. Thank you for joining me today as we open another case in our myths and instructional design and education series. As you move through the week, I hope this episode encourages you to pause before accepting a familiar belief as fact. Sometimes the best design decisions begin when we question what we have always assumed to be true. Until next time, keep learning, keep questioning, and keep designing with love. Thank you for taking some time to listen to this podcast episode today. Your support means the world to me. If you'd like to help keep the podcast going, you can share it with a friend or colleague, leave a heartfelt review, or offer a monetary contribution. Every act of support, big or small, makes a difference, and I'm truly thankful for you.