Describe Your Current Course Workload Compared to Last Fall and Explain

 

 

 

On September 24, 2020 we asked 581 registered student contacts:

Describe your current course workload compared to last fall:
1. Much Lighter
2. Slightly Lighter
3. The same
4. Slightly heavier
5. Much heavier
Please explain.

We received 405 responses to the request that students describe their current workload according to the provided scale (70% response rate).

• Much Lighter: 1.5%
• Slightly Lighter: 8.4%
• The same: 13.1%
• Slightly heavier: 35.8%
• Much heavier: 36.8%
• Other/Not Applicable: 4.4%

We received 182 responses explaining the workload description selected, which we analyzed and consolidated into seven categories (31% response rate):

• Heavier because of compressed semester (pace, same amount of work in less time, more frequent assessments/assignments): 27.1%
• Heavier because of additional work to make up for less in person instruction: 22.2%
• Heavier because course requirements take more time, effort, and energy: 18.0%
• Variation due to individual choices or circumstances: 14.7%
• Other/Not applicable: 8.3%
• Heavier because of wellness/emotional well-being factors: 6.4%
• Workload the same: 3.4%

Student feedback regarding the challenges imposed by the compressed Fall 2020 semester informed the university administration's decision to maintain standard start and end dates for Spring 2021 (pdf).

Comment Summaries by Category

Heavier Due to the Compressed Semester:

• The compressed semester results in students doing a lot more work per week
• The pace at which courses cover material has increased due to condensed semester and not cutting any content
• There is little reprieve from writing essays, taking tests, and studying for class
• Assigning midterms/quizzes/tests/classes over the weekend means there are no breaks and no opportunity to catch up/get ahead

Heavier Due to Additional Work to Make up for Less In-Person Instruction:

• Professors are assigning extra readings/other work to try to make up for the lack of in-person time
• To make up for less productive online classes professors are relying more on out-of-class assignments
• The supplemental work to make up the missed hours ends up being homework; it feels as though it would've been better to simply let those hours go for the semester
• There is an expectation that students will cover a lot of work outside of class

Heavier Due to Course Requirements Taking More Time, Effort, and Energy:

• Recorded lectures take longer because they require pausing to take notes. Lab assignments take longer without partners and TAs immediately nearby to help.
• It takes longer to draft emails to ask questions rather than asking when in-person with a professor
• Flipped classes require significantly more effort
• Students are having to teach themselves course material

Heavier or Lighter Due to Individual Choices:

• Students are taking more credits, are involved in more extra-curricular activities, or are taking upper level or harder courses so the workload is heavier
• Students are taking fewer credits or aren't involved in as many extra-curricular activities, so the workload is lighter

Other/Not Applicable:

• Heavier due to Professor behaviors/perceived beliefs (assigning things on the fly, thinking online is easier, thinking because there are less social activities happening there is more time to work on coursework)
• Lighter due to Professor behaviors/perceived beliefs (granting extensions, assigning fewer readings, assigning less homework)
• Life event caused student to fall behind and find it difficult to catch up
• Taking fewer credits but the courses are more difficult
• Student developed effective time management strategies in the spring to manage increased workload
• Student was in high school last year

Heavier Due to Wellness/Emotional Well-Being:

• There is less separation between work/school and relaxation because almost everything is done from the same physical location
• Limited outlet for stress which compounds things
• Hard to manage course work while physically ill
• Feeling isolated and depressed due to limited ways to interact with other students in social settings
• Motivation and focus are more difficult this semester

Workload the Same:

• Workload is about the same however the experience of lab sciences isn't as rich
• The amount of work has not changed significantly
• Some classes are lighter and some are heavier so it ends up balancing