An attempt to estimate students' workload

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Pedagogy
• Student Workload Assessment
• Educational Measurement

Background:

• The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) aims to standardize student workload across European universities.
• Accurate measurement of student workload is challenging, often relying on anecdotal evidence.
• Understanding actual student effort is crucial for curriculum design and student support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate student-reported workload in a veterinary degree program.
• To examine the relationship between student workload, contact hours, independent study, and academic performance.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of ECTS in reflecting actual student effort.

Main Methods:

• Survey of veterinary students at the University of Ljubljana to estimate total workload.
• Data collection on attendance at contact hours, time spent on independent study, and examination preparation.
• Correlation analysis between reported workload, contact hours, independent study, and final grades.

Main Results:

• Significant variation in workload exists between courses, irrespective of ECTS credit assignment.
• Contact hours were the strongest predictor of both actual student workload and academic success.
• Regular attendance at contact hours positively influenced grades, while total workload showed a weak correlation.

Conclusions:

• ECTS credits may not accurately reflect the actual student workload required for course completion.
• Contact time and regular attendance appear more critical for student success than total self-reported workload.
• Further research is needed to understand the interplay between teaching, learning, and self-directed study in higher education.