Can students spare the time? Estimates of online course workload

Literature on student workload focuses on land-based courses. Online students primarily participate by typing or reading.

An online program was assessed for concerns about increased student workload using a qualitative design.

A qualitative case study method was used to assess online course activities to determine workload in five courses. Courses were explored using Barre and Esarey's (2016) estimator. Course faculty were included in assessment discussions and in course revisions. A data collection tool was developed to determine workload expectations for the courses' first week, a heavy week, and a light week. Within each of these weeks, activities included all writing, all reading, discussion posts, and literature searches. Workload assessment rules gauged student time on task, focusing on page density, text difficulty, reading or writing purpose and number of revisions. Authors developed a guideline for student evidence search time.

Workloads in most courses were over the required institutional credit hours by 6-24 h per week.

Using the Assessment of Student Workload and the data collection tool, faculty were able to review the courses and consider reading rates and out of class hours for activities improving alignment with institutional credit guidelines.