Overtime Studies — Is More Learning Always Better?

What is this research about?

Students’ workload within various courses can differ depending on the course requirements and whether instruction is taking place in-person or online. With online education, students are required to complete a variety of tasks on their own and commit a different amount of time to their courses. In this study, the authors used a case study approach to better understand students’ workload in asynchronous online courses.

Asynchronous final year courses were analyzed within the School of Nursing at Oregon Health and Sciences University in the United States. A total of five courses were included in the case study methodology: three three-credit courses and two single-credit courses. The authors assessed the average weekly workload of each course. A three-week sample from each course was taken for assessment, including the first week to account for course orientation materials.

Faculty members that were teaching each course were included in discussions to share their perspectives of assessments and workload estimates. To assess students’ workload, the authors built upon a previous estimator of workload (Barre, 2016). Barre’s estimator allows educators to approximate student workload or time-on-task using a calculator that accounts for both faculty input about assignments as well as evidence-informed estimates. Methods of determining workload differed depending on the task being measured. For example, estimates of reading time were calculated using page density, text difficulty and purpose of the reading. Time estimates for written assignments were explored using a work sample provided by the instructors and Barre’s formulas for page density, expectation of writing level and drafting or revision requirements.

Expanding on Barre’s (2016) workload estimates, the authors added online and specific course elements to determine rules for assessing workload time-on-task for a variety of online components that Barre’s estimator did not cover. For example, the authors assessed written course  instructions and forum discussions.

Barre’s (201 6) estimator provides educators with a starting point to guide their course development. However, it is important to note that use of Barre’s estimator in this study results in various limitations. The estimator does not take into account individual differences that may affect student work time on tasks. In addition, although Barre’s estimator utilizes evidence- informed estimates, the estimator has not yet been validated.

What did the researchers find?

At the university where the study took place, policy states that for each course credit, there should be about one hour of instruction per week per term. For each hour of instruction, students are expected to complete two hours of course preparation.

Following the assessment of all five courses, the authors found that the two single-credit courses were close to the credit hour recommendations for average weekly workload. However, weekly hours of the three-credit courses exceeded the credit hour recommendations. Although the expected weekly workload of these courses is nine hours, the study found that estimated workload ranged from 15 to 33 hours.

For one of the three-credit courses, course orientation materials during the first week of class also increased the number of hours. With 2.7 hours required for course overview, students had to put in over ten hours in their first week alone . Faculty should remember to consider course overview hours in order to better account for students’ workload.

In addition, faculty perceptions of workload were often incorrect. Weeks that faculty perceived to involve a lighter workload often required a greater number of hours compared to presumed ‘heavier’ weeks. This suggests that faculty perception of student workload may not always align with student experiences.

Understanding these findings may prompt educators to further consider the steps involved in completing various online activities. By breaking down activities into smaller steps, faculty can account for any intermediary tasks involved in student workload. For example, beyond article reading time, instructors need to consider the time to search for articles and find related evidence.

How can you use this research?

The authors of this study proposed several ways educators can use these findings in their teaching practices:

• Educators can seek regular input from students to better understand how they are managing their workload and remain skeptical of the accuracy of faculty estimates of student workload.
• Educators can also take into consideration how student needs may change over time. For example, students who are new to a program may feel less confident in online communication and need to devote more time to course material to reduce anxiety.
• Educators may want to adopt a “less is more” approach towards online discussion posts. Rather than focusing on longer or a greater number of posts, more emphasis can be placed on insightful writing.
• Course content should focus on critical learning activities, with educators minimizing supportive – but unnecessary – materials that can add to student workload.

Moreover, the research conducted in this study can propel further research beyond the nursing curriculum for greater generalizability. The authors noted that methods used  in this study, such as the Barre’s (2016) estimator, should be further assessed for replicability.

Finally, faculty and educational staff should further consider how a heavier workload may impact students’ lives. Understanding what an underestimation of students’ workload means for students could encourage faculty and institutions to better value the importance of students’ time.

Kathlynn Northrup-Snyder, RN, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University (United States).

Renee M. Menkens, MS, RN, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University (United States).

Michelle A. Ross is a Staff RN affiliated with Oregon Health Sciences University (United States).

Twitter: @OHSUNursing.

Reference:

Northrup-Snyder, K., Menkens, R. M., & Ross, M. A. (2020). Can students spare the time? Estimates of online course workload. Nurse Education Today, 90, 104428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2020.104428

Also see:

Barre, E. (2016). How Much Should We Assign? Estimating Out of Class Workload. Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved from https://cte.rice.edu/blogarchive/2016/07/11/workload