Engaging large first year classes in tertiary education poses a number of significant challenges, many of which have been addressed in the literature. One area that has not received the kind of attention it warrants is the context within which student learning takes place. This paper reports on the processes used to engage a large first year management class in an Australian university and how the context of the classes shaped activities and student responses to these activities. A key finding was the explicit acknowledgement of the role of context in shaping student behaviours and thus impacting on student engagement and learning outcomes.