622 Proc. 10 th Australasian Conference on Information Systems, 1999 Active Learning in IS Education: Choosing Effective Strategies for Teaching Large Classes in Higher Education Annette Mills-Jones Department of Accountancy, Finance, and Information Systems University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand. a.jones@afis.canterbury.ac.nz Abstract This study investigates teaching with active learning techniques, as a means of enhancing student motivation and learning in large IS classes. The combination of traditional lectures with active learning techniques to promote participation in large classes is explored. Implications for IS teaching, student learning, and future research are also presented. Keywords IS Education, Active Learning, Cooperative Learning, Large Classes. INTRODUCTION With rising enrolments and decreased funding large classes have become a norm for higher education. Although large classes facilitate a common background for participants and are economically desirable, they present a number of challenges to the educator. One of the greater challenges in dealing with large classes lies in how to effectively engage students in a learning process that improves student learning and achieves higher education goals. BACKGROUND The Lecture Approach Traditional pedagogy of higher education utilises the lecture as the most common means of face-to- face instruction, especially in the large class setting. The lecture approach has a number of advantages. Lectures present a minimum threat to students and can be used to communicate intrinsic interest on topics, convey large amounts of factual information, address large groups (which is often economically viable), support teacher control, and foster learning by listening which is particularly advantageous for those who learn best in this manner (Nelson 1999). However it is the latter aspects of teacher-centredness and passive learning that are most criticised (Felder 1999, Jenkins 1994). Indeed, Jenkins (1994) suggests that higher education goals involving understanding and the application and evaluation of ideas, are not readily achieved in a passive learning environment. Other criticisms include lack of feedback to the lecturer and student about student learning, inability to sustain student attention, poor recall of lecture material, and the assumption that all students learn at the same rate, with the same level of understanding, and use similar learning strategies (Jenkins 1994, Nelson 1999).