Student Workload Research Articles

Accelerated Learning: A Study of Faculty and Student Experiences

In this study we explored faculty and student experiences of accelerated learning. We conducted interviews with faculty members who had delivered the same course in 12 and 6-week timeframes, and we analysed a student survey. Students reported overall positive experiences in the accelerated courses, particularly in the social aspects of learning, higher than usual motivation, and confidence in their learning. However, both faculty and students raised concerns about the scope and timing of assessment tasks, student workload expectations, faculty workload, and administration of courses. We offer recommendations regarding implementation, assessment practices, and management of learning in an accelerated timeframe.

Factors influencing students' performance in a Brazilian dental school

Comprehensive assessment of students' academic performance plays an important role in educational planning. The aim of this study was to investigate variables that influence student's performance in a retrospective sample including all undergraduate students who entered in a Brazilian dental school, in a 20-year period between 1984 and 2003 (n=1182). Demographic and educational variables were used to predict performance in the overall curriculum and course groups. Cluster analysis (K-means algorithm) categorized students into groups of higher, moderate or lower performance. Clusters of overall performance showed external validity, demonstrated by Chi-square test and ANOVA. Lower performance groups had the smallest number of students in overall performance and course groups clusters, ranging from 11.8% (clinical courses) to 19.2% (basic courses). Students' performance was more satisfactory in dental and clinical courses, rather than basic and non-clinical courses (p<0.001). Better student's performance was predicted by lower time elapsed between completion of high school and dental school admission, female gender, better rank in admission test, class attendance rate and student workload hours in teaching, research and extension (R(2)=0.491). Findings give evidence about predictors of undergraduate students' performance and reinforce the need for curricular reformulation focused on with improvement of integration among courses.

La aplicación del Sistema Europeo de Transferencia y Acumulación de Créditos : consideraciones sobre la noción de carga de trabajo y los procedimientos de cálculo

The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) is recognized today in the national legislation of all the countries that participate in the construction of the European Higher Education Area. In spite of this recognition, however, and although the process is already firmly underway, its practical application presents difficulties, uncertainties, and even risks. This study places special emphasis on the educational dimension of the system and then goes on to outline certain theoretical considerations on the ways in which student workload should be estimated.

Implications of integrating test-driven development into CS1/CS2 curricula

Many academic and industry professionals have called for more testing in computer science curricula. Test-driven development (TDD) has been proposed as a solution to improve testing in academia. This paper demonstrates how TDD can be integrated into existing course materials without reducing topic coverage. Two controlled experiments were conducted in a CS1/CS2 course in Winter 2008. Following a test-driven learning approach, unit testing was introduced at the beginning of the course and reinforced through example. Results indicate that while student work loads may increase with the incorporation of TDD, students are able to successfully develop unit tests while learning to program.

Gender and the 2003 Quality Reform in higher education in Norway

The Bologna Process in Europe aims to develop a coherent and compatible European higher educational system. In Norway, the Quality Reform in 2003 was the first step on implementing the Bologna Process. Internal quality assurance systems have produced several publications on internal indicators, such as student progress and teaching staff work loads, of the Quality Reform. To our knowledge, possible gender differences of these changes have yet to be evaluated. We therefore analyzed data on grades from the University of Oslo before and after the Quality Reform with regard to gender differences. Data on examinations from 1990 to spring 2007 (495,334 examinations) were analyzed using relative percentage graphs. The results show that female students have benefited more than males from the change of system: for several disciplines, male average grades were better than female average grades before the change, and female average grade were better than male average grades after the change. Male students show greater intrasex variability both before and after the introduction of the Quality Reform.

New Technologies for Sustainable Teaching and Learning: A Case Study from Slovenia on Diminishing Student Workload and Increasing Motivation Through ICT

If education is to become culturally appropriate and improve environmental, societal and economic conditions, it needs to consider that current cultural development across the globe is increasingly connected with the use of new information and communication technologies. A close analysis of a blended higher vocational education course design and its two annual implementation cycles in different schools shows that careful

Location-Based Learning: Considerations for Developing and Implementing Destination-Partnered Authentic-Experiential Learning

An increased emphasis on institutional status provides opportunities to develop and implement location-based educational initiatives. Location-Based Learning (LBL) is one of these initiatives, providing a student-centred authentic-experiential learning environment. The article presents considerations for the development and implementation of LBL, presented in three categories: student, destination choice and relationship. Key considerations are, first, to create accurate and achievable expectations of student workload and responsibility. Second, select an emerging destination to partner with. Third, start and continue providing benefits for the destination. Finally, consider the personal investment against the return before starting.

Field of Study and Students' Workload in Higher Education

There is a growing recognition of the importance of `field of study' in social research. However, few of the existing studies explore the extent to which different fields of study facilitate or constrain opportunities to engage in employment and students' perceptions of their work load in higher education. This article aims to explore the workload of higher education students across different fields of study in comparative perspective. Contrasting Ireland and Austria enables us to explore the way in which the institutional context influences student workload. Analyses of the survey data were conducted to explore the extent to which field of study influenced time spent at formal classes, on personal study and in term-time employment. Regression models were used to estimate the effect of field of study, controlling for a number of factors, including higher education institution, personal characteristics and other potential constraints on student time. Finally, we analyse the effect of student workload on overall satisfaction levels.

Development of a new MOODLE module for a basic course on computer architecture

This work describes a new Moodle module, CTpractices , developed to give support to the practical content of a basic computer organization course. Within a constructivist pedagocical aproach Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment)[1], a very popular Learning Management Systema (LMS), provides a highly configurable web-based interface that includes a wide range of activities which are, in general, sufficient for a standard course. Nevertheless, when dealing with specific subjects, some functional features are missed, as it is the case when teaching a basic course on computer architecture, an essential topic in the computer science curricula. It involves practical assignments consisting on the design and simulation of elementary processors by means of CAD tools making use of schematic or VHDL design entries. Currently the University of Malaga is making an increasing effort oriented to the successfull implementation of the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) system. This involves changing the teaching practices carried out traditionally [2], looking towards the developing of assessment mechanisms in order to increase the student?s active effort. In our course, in order to better guide the students, teachers should perform a functional evaluation using a simulation tool to verify whether the students? designs work or not according to the specifications. This is a very time consuming task, becoming a common bottleneck when looking for a continuous assessment of students. One key element of the new CTpractices module is the automatic checking and verification engine that keeps information about the current state of students work, supplying automatic assessment features and feedback to the student. Teachers can modify the project description and define different testing benches. The module stores historical information concerning the results of the different evaluations, extracting statistics and metrics which are very useful when determining the student workload in the context of the ETS model. Additionally, this new module is oriented to promote a collaborative teamwork allowing to define student teams in a more operative way than built-in moodle groups. Other basic aspects supported are material repository, deadlines, hosting, etc. The new module inherits a part of its functionality from a specific LMS previously developed by the authors, that has been in use from academic year 2004 [3], widely proving its usefulness. It has been re-designed according to the Moodle philosophy, making possible to easily extend its application to other similar subjects. The choice for Moodle is motivated by its modular organization based on free software like PHP and MySQL. From the developer point of view, this allows to add new modules using well-known interfaces. As Moodle is currently used by the Virtual Campus of our university, this new module breaks the isolation of the previous platform as refers to activities like forums, messages or event signaling.

Teaching and learning strategies and evaluation changes for the adaptation of the Chemical Engineering degree to EHES

An integrated learning methodology has been developed and implemented in order to adapt the Chemical Engineering degree in the University of Valladolid (Spain) to the European Higher Education Space (EHES) philosophy. It was necessary to modify the objectives and theoretical contents of the different subjects and also the learning methodology, considering the general chemical engineering skills and also the transferable skills reached by the students, according to the recommendations of the European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) for chemical engineering education in Bologna two-cycle degree system. This methodology has been applied to the seventh semester of a 5 years Chemical Engineering degree. The main objectives of the proposed strategy were: • To provide to the student with a holistic, integrated and applied vision of the different subjects involved in chemical engineering, coordinating all of them and planning common activities as a case study based on an industrial process. • To help students to develop transferable skills by means of designing suitable teaching and learning strategies. • To prepare the students for the long-life learning. General and particular objectives were defined adapting the course to the EHES philosophy. In this sense, the programmes in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired were designed, the total student workload to get the objectives of the programme was estimated and the entire course was programmed and planned in a detailed schedule. A course guide was elaborated including all this information, resulting in a useful instrument for teachers and students. This methodology was complemented with the evaluation of the global learning process. The evaluation made was based on the next two aspects: • Student learning evaluation. Tutorial sessions, written reports, oral presentations, discussion sessions and partial and final written exams were considered. • Learning methodology evaluation. External evaluation requires carrying out inquiries, both to students and teachers involved.

New Challenges in Legal Education: Developing an Appropriate Response to the Issue of Student Workload

This article discusses a new approach to teaching civil dispute resolution at university. Students in the first-year law subject Dispute Resolution witnessed a civil dispute in the classroom by watching a simulated dispute on DVD. The DVD covered the major aspects of dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation and court hearings. The following is a discussion of the pedagogical goals behind this approach, in particular the importance of incorporating a variety of instructional methods in the teaching of law and the value of contextual learning. It also provides some preliminary findings on the effectiveness of this method of teaching, based on initial feedback from both teachers and students of Dispute Resolution.

Teaching About the Nexus Between Law and Society: From Pedagogy to Andragogy

The purpose of this paper is to make an informed contribution to the discussion about appropriate responses to the critical issue of student workload in legal education. This paper will argue that the most appropriate response is to modify aspects of curriculum design. This option can reduce student perceptions of heavy workload without compromising educational outcomes. The paper considers the findings of a project to rigorously explore the issue of student workload and to develop an appropriate response for a postgraduate online practical legal education program. The authors submit that many of the recommendations from the project are potentially transferable to other teaching contexts.

Transferrable credit system and student workload in CRUCH universities

On the one hand, the paper describes and analyzes the results of the first nation-wide measurement of student academic workload at universities that are part of the Council of Chilean University Presidents (CRUCH), based on a select sample of academic programs. On the other hand, the paper describes the Transferable Credit System (known as SCT in Chile) established by CRUCH in late August 2006.

Estudio sobre la introducción del Sistema de Transferencia de Créditos Europeo en Pediatría y modificaciones de la metodología docente

Spanish medical faculties have initiated the new curriculum reform process within the framework of the European Higher Education Area and are required to incorporate the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) to new syllabi before 2010. To test the introduction of the ECTS in pediatrics and modify the teaching methodology. The theoretical and practical programs were adapted; academic objectives and a student evaluation system were established. Students were surveyed on starting the second term of the 2004-05 academic year before the theory examination and again on terminating the academic year: a 5-point Likert-type scale was used for responses. Priorities for generic and specific competencies selected by students were compared with those selected by the National Deans Conference (NDC). The results were analyzed using non-parametric tests. Fifteen credits became 11 ECTS, with 297 student working hours. The theory program was reduced from 80 to 52 lessons. The students prepared 14 tutor-supervised case presentations. The teaching staff considered that learning of theory was similar to previous years (66 %) and that practical learning improved (73.3 %). The students thought the program should continue (73.2 %) but 98.8 % considered the workload excessive. The students believed that their practical training and their ability to prepare and make case presentations significantly improved during the semester. Academic performance was significantly higher than that in students of the previous year. Students agreed with NDC priorities for 9/9 general and 4/17 specific competencies. Estimation of workload by students was significantly higher than that by staff, and 73.3 % of the students believed that workload should be reduced and the examination system improved. Introducing the ECTS improved academic performance, practical training, and self-directed learning. The project was satisfactory for staff and students. Student workload was underestimated.

Workload, Study Methods, and Motivation of Students within a BVSc Program

The workloads, study methods, and motivation of students in a five-year BVSc program were studied using questionnaires and focus groups. Students in each year of the program were asked, on three occasions over an academic year, to record details of their out-of-class study time for each course they were taking and to record the study methods they used, how they prioritized their time between subjects, and how they allocated time to study and leisure activities. Mean response rates were 57% (range: 43-85%). Overall mean out-of-class study time ranged from 19 hours per week in Year 2 to 28 hours per week in Year 4. Study time was related to the level of interest the student had in the subject, the demands of assessments, and the number of subjects being studied. Study methods were related to students' perceptions of the requirements of the subject as well as to their interest in it. Reliance on memorization and the use of set study materials were the predominant methods for courses with low interest scores, whereas higher interest was associated with a broad range of study methods. Leisure time was ring-fenced, especially when workloads were high. Students' motivation was high when they were studying subjects that were new or were seen as relevant to clinical practice; when working with animals or with enthusiastic faculty members; and when involved in subjects more tightly focused on the ultimate goal of becoming a practitioner. It was poor when students were faced with high workloads, disciplines becoming "stale," excessive detail, and low perceptions of relevance. Constant assessment activities were also seen as a burden. In terms of good learning practices, workload and the demands of assessment were considered to be antagonistic. A tension between these perceptions of students and the values of faculty in terms of the development of critical thinking skills in the program is evident.

Síndrome de burnout e fatores associados: um estudo epidemiológico com professores

This article presents the results of an epidemiological study on burnout syndrome among private school teachers in Greater Metropolitan Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, testing possible associations with demographic, work-related, and stress-related variables. The target population consisted of 217 teachers, of whom 190 participated (87.5%). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout, together with a questionnaire to record the other variables. The results showed that teachers have a low score in the three dimensions comprising burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal fulfillment at work. Demographic variables did not show any association with burnout, while occupational variables, workload, and number of students were associated with emotional exhaustion. Bad conduct by students, family expectations, and limited participation in institutional decisions were the stress factors associated with burnout.

A PBL Experience in the Teaching of Computer Graphics

Abstract Project‐Based Learning (PBL) is an educational strategy to improve student's learning capability that, in recent years, has had a progressive acceptance in undergraduate studies. This methodology is based on solving a problem or project in a student working group. In this way, PBL focuses on learning the necessary tools to correctly find a solution to given problems. Since the learning initiative is transferred to the student, the PBL method promotes students own abilities. This allows a better assessment of the true workload that carries out the student in the subject. It follows that the methodology conforms to the guidelines of the Bologna document, which quantifies the student workload in a subject by means of the European credit transfer system (ECTS). PBL is currently applied in undergraduate studies needing strong practical training such as medicine, nursing or law sciences. Although this is also the case in engineering studies, amazingly, few experiences have been reported. In this paper we propose to use PBL in the educational organization of the Computer Graphics subjects in the Computer Science degree. Our PBL project focuses in the development of a C++ graphical environment based on the OpenGL libraries for visualization and handling of different graphical objects. The starting point is a basic skeleton that already includes lighting functions, perspective projection with mouse interaction to change the point of view and three predefined objects. Students have to complete this skeleton by adding their own functions to solve the project. A total number of 10 projects have been proposed and successfully solved. The exercises range from human face rendering to articulated objects, such as robot arms or puppets. In the present paper we extensively report the statement and educational objectives for two of the projects: solar system visualization and a chess game. We report our earlier educational experience based on the standard classroom theoretical, problem and practice sessions and the reasons that motivated searching for other learning methods. We have mainly chosen PBL because it improves the student learning initiative. We have applied the PBL educational model since the beginning of the second semester. The student's feedback increases in his interest for the subject. We present a comparative study of the teachers' and students' workload between PBL and the classic teaching approach, which suggests that the workload increase in PBL is not as high as it seems.

Subjective Cognitive Workload, Interactivity and Feedback in a Web-based Writing Program

This investigation compares and analyses the experiences and subjective cognitive workload of students undertaking a lesson on an aspect of micro-level writing skills in a web-based and paperbased version. Both versions of the lesson were based on the principles of interactive learning, specifically on a modified version of Chou’s (2003) model. The analysis is based on two quantitative and qualitative questionnaires and subjective cognitive workload is examined using the NASATLX. Analysis showed that while students were positive about the lesson in both modes, they experienced a higher subjective cognitive workload with the web-based lesson. The paper speculates that this difference may be accounted for by different approaches to providing feedback to students, and suggests that this factor be tested by future research.

An Attempt to Estimate Students’ Workload

Following the recent introduction of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) into several European university programs, a new interest has developed in determining students' workload. ECTS credits are numerical values describing the student workload required to complete course units; ECTS has the potential to facilitate comparison and create transparency between institutional curricula. ECTS credits are frequently listed alongside institutional credits in course outlines and module summaries. Measuring student workload has been difficult; to a large extent, estimates are based only upon anecdotal and casual information. To gather more systematic information, we asked students at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, to estimate the actual total workload they committed to fulfill their coursework obligations for specific subjects in the veterinary degree program by reporting their attendance at defined contact hours and their estimated time for outside study, including the time required for examinations and other activities. Students also reported the final grades they received for these subjects. The results show that certain courses require much more work than others, independent of credit unit assignment. Generally, the courses with more contact hours tend also to demand more independent work; the best predictor of both actual student workload and student success is the amount of contact time in which they participate. The data failed to show any strong connection between students' total workload and grades they received; rather, they showed some evidence that regular presence at contact hours was the most positive influence on grades. Less frequent presence at lectures tended to indicate less time spent on independent study. It was also found that pre-clinical and clinical courses tended to require more work from students than other, more general subjects. While the present study does not provide conclusive evidence, it does indicate the need for further inquiry into the nature of the relationship between teaching and learning in higher education and for evaluation of the benefits (or otherwise) of more "self-directed" study.

Integrating Ecohealth into a Medical School Curriculum: A Vision of the Future at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine

University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine is undergoing an historical transition which has involved departmental reorganization and creation of several new departments including the Division of Ecology and Health. In establishing this new unit, the US medical school leadership recognized the importance of addressing the cultural and ecological dimensions of health in research and education programs toward achieving the medical school’s vision to become the premier US medical school in the Asia-Pacific region. The Division’s establishment also was compelled by school’s mission to serve the unique health needs of the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, particularly those of indigenous populations with particularly high rates of chronic disease and significant community health issues. This especially depends on innovative, community-based, ecological approaches to research and practice, and integrating concepts at the interface of ecological and health sciences into the medical curriculum. Planning and beginning to implement this integration is one the Division’s early objectives. The approach being taken is based on the use of themes emerging from the new biomedical–behavioral synthesis and the application of ecological concepts, principles, and models. The former involves existing basic science subject matter already taught, which can be conceptually framed and interrelated in terms of the latter. Together, these themes and an ecohealth perspective will facilitate basic science learning by providing a more comprehensive and meaningful conceptual matrix to interrelate basic science concepts and facts. The opportunities and impediments to integrating ecohealth within the curriculum take the form of bridges and barriers. Opportunities exist where linkages can be, and already have been, made between disciplines and departments to encourage interdisciplinary learning and transdisciplinary problem-solving drawing on ecological themes and concepts. Apprehension toward unfamiliar scientific territory and competing demands represent significant barriers. These are nonetheless believed to be surmountable over time, especially by exploiting ecohealth’s transdisciplinary dimension to facilitate and enrich the learning experience, rather than adding ecohealth-related subject matter as a learning objective to an already full curriculum and student workload.