Jun 24

How to Improve the Accuracy of Your Planned Class Sizes

In the previous article on the 'Impact of Inaccurate Planned Classes Sizes' the importance of planned class sizes were addressed an how getting it wrong will impact student experience. Drawing on our experience of working with leading universities on this very issues, we take a look how to improve on planned class size accuracy.
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The previous article addressed many of the issues resulting from teaching rooms being too big or small, and when there is no class size data to base decisions on. The need for accurate data on planned class sizes is key. But how can processes be improved?

Are your planned class sizes accurate?

One of the first steps is to determine whether your planned class sizes are accurate. In order to do this we recommend two approaches.

1. Compare the activity planned class sizes with the activity real class sizes

For many institutions, the majority of timetabled teaching activities now include individual student data, so as to create individual student timetables.

This information is not typically available during the timetable planning stages but becomes populated once students have enrolled and made their student module choices.
This is usually displayed within a timetable activity as the “real” class size.
We suggest that these “real” class sizes are compared against the “planned” class sizes, with all those activities with significant differences highlighted.

2. Compare the planned class sizes with the survey class sizes

Unfortunately, the “real” class sizes do not always represent the real class sizes, with timetable activities being delivered differently to that timetabled.

To give an example, an activity with 20 students booked into 1 space, might in fact only be taught to a subsection of these students each week - i.e. 10 one week, 10 the next week - or even be used for 1-1 tutorials for these 20 students.

There are also likely to be a significant number of timetabled activities that do not have “real” class sizes and therefore for these, this represents a useful method for checking whether these are accurate.

We suggest that these “real” class sizes are compared against the surveyed class sizes, with all those activities with significant differences highlighted.

Surveyed class sizes can be gathered via a teaching space utilisation survey. Another reasons for doing this, is that this comparison can also be used to highlight any attendance issues. If the real class size is proven to be correct, yet the surveyed class size is smaller, then that proportion of students have failed to attend.

Why are these planned class sizes inaccurate? 

There are many reasons why planned class sizes are inaccurate,. We always suggest that institutions investigate why this is the case by following these steps:

#1 Discuss issues with senior school/college/department, estates and timetabling staff.
Communication - or, quite often, the the lack of - is a major factor in causing inaccurate class sizes and can also be a major factor in stopping this problem from being solved. We encourage that this issue is discussed with senior school/college/department, estates and timetabling staff first, with the issues inaccurate planned class sizes causes discussed in detail. A group meeting is typically productive.

This step is usually very helpful in ensuring all parties understand the issue and why it needs to be solved, promoting engagement with the next step.
#2 Request feedback on those planned class sizes with significantly different “real” and surveyed class sizes

For this step, we suggest that all those timetabled activities with planned class sizes that are significantly different to the “real” and surveyed class sizes are sent to the schools/colleges/departments that are responsible for them, with feedback requested for each.

We highly recommend this is done via a spreadsheet, or similar, with feedback requested in the same document per activity.

We also highly recommend that this is done via senior staff, both for sending this request and for managing and receiving feedback. This ensures that staff engage with the process and provide accurate information. Collecting accurate information is critical to solving this issue.

Solving the issues

#1 Analyse and report on this information to senior school/college/department, estates and timetabling staff

Once feedback is received from each school, the next step is to analyse this information and report the findings to senior staff engaged throughout this process.

Again it is typically more productive to do this in a group setting, so thoughts and ideas can be discussed by all those effected.

The aim of this is to highlight what the issues are and any trends you have found, as well as to open the door to the next step.
#2 Consult with the school/college/department staff who provided the feedback, addressing the issues

The feedback is likely to be varied, consisting of problems that are easy to solve and other that take more time and energy. 

A sensible next step is to discuss this feedback with those responsible for providing this information in the first place, with the aim of pinpointing the reasons for these inaccurate planned class sizes.

It is key to not see each feedback response provided as an individual issue, but rather see why these have occurred in the first place. For example, has there been a communication breakdown and if so, why and how can this be resolved in the future? Is this a process issue, if so which process and why? etc.

Discussing this with the staff who are responsible for managing the timetable data for each school, will help you to uncover the answers to these questions together and build a plan for the resolving them.

#3 Make the changes!
By now you will hopefully have pinpointed the issues causing inaccurate planned class sizes and therefore the next step is to solve them. As noted in the previous section, there are likely to be some quick wins but also some more complicated issues that need to be resolved.

Escentral Consultancy

This process takes time. It also takes skills and diplomacy. As trusted consultants, we are able to work alongside every member of your team to find where the issues are and suggest solutions. Get in touch via [email protected] 
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