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THREAD on student workload, cognitive load, number of hours per credit hour, etc. - inspired by this excellent blog post by @betsy_barre https://cat.wfu.edu/2021/01/the-workload-dilemma/
It's not a surprise to anyone that I've thought a lot about time and about how to be kinder and gentler to students.
It's not a surprise to anyone that I've thought a lot about time and about how to be kinder and gentler to students.
I taught FOUR courses across 2 institutions and 3 levels (1 undergrad, 1 Masters and 2 PhD)
Read these two pieces to understand my thinking, don't just read this thread:
* http://www.raulpacheco.org/2020/10/reconsidering-the-zoom-university-synchronic-asynchronic-and-online-teaching-and-learning/
* http://www.raulpacheco.org/2020/10/teaching-and-pedagogy-in-the-zoom-covid19-pandemic-times-reducing-reading-workload-and-making-my-courses-more-practical-and-pragmatic/
2 things concern me:
1) assumptions
2) lack of data
Read these two pieces to understand my thinking, don't just read this thread:
* http://www.raulpacheco.org/2020/10/reconsidering-the-zoom-university-synchronic-asynchronic-and-online-teaching-and-learning/
* http://www.raulpacheco.org/2020/10/teaching-and-pedagogy-in-the-zoom-covid19-pandemic-times-reducing-reading-workload-and-making-my-courses-more-practical-and-pragmatic/
2 things concern me:
1) assumptions
2) lack of data
On 1) There's an assumption that students should spend 1-3 hours per credit hour per course. A 3 hour/week class would require 3-9 hours worth of studying. If a student takes 4, 3-credit courses you are talking about 4x[3,9] hours worth of studying ON TOP of IN-CLASS hours.
If math doesn't fail me, that means that a student during regular times would need anything between 12 and 36 hours of their time to STUDY (wait until I add the 12 hours of in-class time). So that's anywhere between 24 and 48 hours of school-related work.
That's... INSANE.
That's... INSANE.
Yesterday I only had 2 online meetings that required my brain to be functional and I could not wake up at 4am as I normally do - I have 4 meetings scheduled for today and that means I'm going to end up absolutely destroyed by tonight (even with a nap).
We need to reconsider.
We need to reconsider.
My cognitive ability to THINK, let alone PRODUCE anything is vastly reduced by *gestures broadly* everything happening around me. I am a senior professor with a permanent job, a very decent salary, who is healthy and whose care responsibilities are significantly low. *I* struggle
I don't have much data (only 4 courses, plus one in the summer), but in my evaluations, students clearly marked that they appreciated and value empathy.
I DO know for a fact that doing all this online work is taking a toll on my students. My thesis students tell me this, too.
I DO know for a fact that doing all this online work is taking a toll on my students. My thesis students tell me this, too.
And on the other side of the equation, it takes a toll on everyone else in higher education - faculty, families of students AND faculty, staff, etc.
Personally, I think we need to lower expectations, workload AND levels of stress, and just Chill The Fuck Out.
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Personally, I think we need to lower expectations, workload AND levels of stress, and just Chill The Fuck Out.
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