Penn State recently released a study saying its students prefer to take part in classes smaller than the large lectures usually held in large buildings.

What new revelation does this study reveal? The benefits of smaller classes are quite numerous. Professors get to give the students individual attention and are better able to judge the needs of the classes. Students will find it easier to pay attention and learn in classes if they feel they can engage the instructor on a one-to-one basis. The university said it was pleased that students, on average, took six classes with more than 200 students in it. However, that figure is disputable.

About one-third of the students surveyed began their Penn State careers outside of University Park. At the Commonwealth Campuses, many students can fulfill most, if not all, of their general education requirements. On average, the largest classes are general education courses at main campus. So, one-third of the sample did not go through the typical process that a University Park student goes through, but they still count toward the survey.

Also, the university should publish the number of students from each college that was surveyed. Some advanced classes in the Smeal College of Business are extremely large, while many advanced classes in the College of Communications are relatively much smaller.

Another factor which could skew the survey is the types of classes people are taking. Penn State says it offers more than 2,300 course sections with under 20 students. But, there is not a listing as to what the classes are. If the courses were one-credit seminar courses, then that figure is inflating the university's claims of student-friendly, small classes.

It is understood that the university needs to do studies like these for ranking and recruitment purposes, but complete transparency is important. When a student comes to University Park, the published findings should be consistent with what one experiences. If there is a disconnect between the findings and actual experiences, it can only hurt Penn State in the long run because it creates a negative stigma. Complete openness in how the study was conducted will not only help the university retain students (because they knew exactly what they were getting into), but raise its overall reputation because people will know there is no spin involved.

The results of the study were good for the university's administrators, but they must think of how Penn State can improve if it is to stay an elite university. If it does not, other schools will get better and pass Penn State.