2015 IVABS student workload workshop
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The document discusses student workload and perceptions of workload. It notes that excess material can lead students to take a superficial approach to learning, lacking connections between concepts and an inability to select relevant information. Both teachers and students may perceive workload differently. The key is to reduce actual workload while also reducing the perceived workload through techniques like active learning, clear expectations, relevance, enthusiasm, and removing unnecessary "bad" workload.
2015 IVABS student workload workshop
- 1. Student workload workshop Liz Norman IVABS Student Workload Workshop, 3 September, 2015
- 2. Parkinson, Gilling & Suddaby (2006). Workload, study methods, and motivation of students within a BVSc program. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 33(2), 253-265. Why student workload is important
- 3. Why student workload is important excess material superficial approach lack of connections inability to be selective perception of overload
- 4. superficial approach Excess material leads to rote learning strategies Entwistle & Ramsden (1982) Understanding student learning. Kent, UK. Kember & Leung (1998) Influences upon students’ perceptions of workload. Educational Psychology, 18(3), 293-307 Kember & Leung (2006) Characterising a teaching and learning environment conducive to making demands on students while not making their workload excessive. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 185-198
- 5. lack of connections Superficial learning is unlikely to develop solid connected knowledge.
- 6. lack of connections Superficial learning is unlikely to develop solid connected knowledge. insufficient disconnected disordered connected ordered Biggs & Collis (1982) Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy (structure of the observed learning outcome). New York: Academic Press
- 7. inability to be selective Lack of connected knowledge leads to difficulty identifying relevant and irrelevant material.
- 8. perception of overload Teachers and students may have very different perceptions of the course workload
- 9. perception of overload Filename: Save date: 4/11/2014 excess material superficial approach lack of connections inability to be selective perception of overload
- 10. But what about… Studies of award winning teachers show that they place high demands on students Kember & McNaught (2006) Excellent university teaching: The Chinese University Press.
- 11. ‘Good’ vs ‘bad’ workload • Differential effect of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ workload on evaluations of teaching: • an increase in work the student considers valuable for learning is associated with increased course satisfaction. (up to a point) • an increase in work not considered valuable is negatively related. Marsh (2001) Distinguishing between good (useful) and bad workloads on students’ evaluations of teaching. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 183-212.
- 12. ‘Perceived’ vs ‘actual’ workload • Differential effect of ‘perceived’ and ‘actual’ workload • actual workload is only a minor contributor to variances in perceived workload • we can lower the perceived workload without reducing the amount of work Kember & Leung (1998) Influences upon students’ perceptions of workload. Educational Psychology, 18(3), 293-307 Kyndt, Berghmans, Dochy & Bulckens (2013) ‘Time is not enough.’ workload in higher education: A student perspective. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(4), 684-698.
- 13. What influences perceptions of workload? surface approach perceived workload Kember D, & Leung DYP (1998). Influences upon students’ perceptions of workload. Educational Psychology, 18(3), 293-307. Kember D (2004). Interpreting student workload and the factors which shape students' perceptions of their workload. Studies in Higher Education, 29(2), 165-184.
- 14. surface approach perceived workload Biggs & Collis (1982) Evaluating the quality of learning : The SOLO taxonomy (structure of the observed learning outcome). New York: Academic Press. assessment
- 15. Parkinson, Gilling & Suddaby (2006). Workload, study methods, and motivation of students within a BVSc program. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 33(2), 253-265.
- 16. What influences perceptions of workload? Complex interplay of factors including: • Surface vs deep learning approaches by the student • Assessment • Motivation and interest of the student • Time savers: clear structure, asking Qs • Contact hours (but not independent study time) • Projects – ‘active’ learning activities • Student-student relationships • Difficulty of the subject • Concentrated deadlines • Other stressors going on in the student’s life • English ability
- 17. So what can we do? • Reducing ‘bad’ workload • Reducing actual workload • Reducing perceptions of excessive workload
- 18. The problem: • Teaching small animal clinical endocrinology to 100 year-4 vet students • 32 hours worth of reading in their textbook • But only 11.4 hours of their time to learn it • Also less than 43% of class interested in this
- 19. Timetabled sessions • 6 hours lectures • 2 hours tutorials • 3.7 hours self study What I did • 5 hours case-based guided self study (individual or group) • 3 hours discussion sessions (with me) • 2 hours case-based workbook tutorials (with me) • 1.4 hours spare for any unanticipated reading and general tasks eg downloading materials, reading the instructions
- 21. How I controlled actual workload • Concentrated on key knowledge for new graduates • Did not reteach basic sciences • Used shorter readings (including abstracts) • Reduced ‘bad’ workload
- 22. How I controlled perceived workload • Relevance – introduction, clinical scenarios • Enthusiasm – motivation and interest • Active learning • Allowed students to share work and work in teams • Reduced contact hours (but not independent study time) • Clear structure and learning outcomes – they knew what they had to do • Discussion sessions extended what they had been doing, did not repeat it • Alignment of assessment • Reduced ‘bad’ workload
- 23. How I reduced ‘bad’ workload • Put all the materials into one download • Made the download easy to find on Stream • Made the document accessible for computers, tablets or print • Ensured the information they needed was in the readings • Provided page numbers for finding information • Provided clear instructions and clearly navigable documents (followed guidelines for good document layout) • Converted units for them where they were not si
- 24. Other examples? • How do you show students the relevance of your subject? • How do you make it clear what they should be doing to learn your subject? • How do you make sure the actual workload is not too high? • How do you ensure that the assessment is encouraging the type of learning we want? • What do you do to remove ‘bad’ workload?
- 25. Working out actual workload 1. Calculate the face-to-face time 2. Calculate the hours of exams or tests. Add on 9 hours of study for each hour of exam/test 3. List all the required learning activities and calculate the time for each eg reading material, self tests, videos to watch For reading work out the word count and allow 70 words per minute. 4. List any other assessments and calculate the time for each eg 5 hours to produce a 10 minute oral presentation 5. Calculate total
- 26. Some helpful metrics Student task Time to allow Reading time 70 words per min Examination/Test preparation time 9 hours per hr of exam/test Prep time for a 10 min oral presentation 5 hours Poster preparation 10 hours 1500 word assignment 10 hours Available student time (hours) = 10 x the credit value
- 27. Workload calculator and resources IVABS community Stream site http://stream.massey.ac.nz/course/view.php?id =11331
- 28. Why student workload is important excess material superficial approach lack of connections inability to be selective perception of overload http://www.slideshare.net/liznorman