Workload Manageability
A page within Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning (CATL)
A balanced workload can enhance students' academic experiences and success, fostering deeper engagement with the material as well as better understanding, retention, and motivation. This balance acknowledges students' time and cognitive capacity, promoting high-quality learning outcomes. Conversely, excessive workload can result in superficial learning, burnout, and reduced motivation. By reflecting on workload manageability, instructors can cultivate a positive and successful educational environment.
Understanding Student Responses
Students may find a workload manageable and achievable for several reasons:
- Reasonable Volume: The amount of work is thoughtfully calibrated to fit reasonably within the given time frame, ensuring students can handle it effectively.
- Appropriate Complexity: Assignments are designed to align with students' current skill levels, providing a stimulating challenge that is neither too easy nor too difficult.
- Purposeful Guidelines: Each assignment comes with comprehensive and straightforward instructions, helping students understand expectations and reducing perceived difficulty.
- Adequate Resources: Students have access to sufficient resources such as learning guides, tutoring services, study groups, and student hours, to effectively complete their tasks.
- Tailored Support: Workload expectations consider external commitments and students' health needs, offering flexibility and support when needed for a productive academic experience.
- Student Agency: Expectations around workload are crafted to empower students, promoting their sense of control and responsibility in managing their academic tasks.
Teaching Strategy Toolbox
To improve workload manageability and enhance student perceptions of the learning environment, instructors can use or adapt the strategies listed below. We recommend building on what you are already doing and incorporating strategies selectively.
Workload Distribution
- Strategic Planning of the Course Calendar: Carefully plan the course calendar to evenly space out major assignments, projects, and exams, ensuring that students have adequate time to prepare for each without feeling overwhelmed.
- Staggered Deadlines: Implement staggered deadlines for different assignments and activities, preventing clustering of due dates and allowing students to focus on one task at a time.
- Regular, Smaller Assessments: Incorporate smaller, more frequent assessments like quizzes or short reflective essays to maintain a steady workload and provide ongoing feedback without overburdening students.
- Preview of Upcoming Assignments: Regularly inform students about upcoming assignments and expectations, allowing them to plan and manage their time effectively.
- Flexibility and Adjustments Based on Feedback: Remain open to student feedback regarding the workload and be willing to make adjustments if necessary to ensure that the distribution of assignments remains manageable and fair for all students.
Support Resources
- Study Planning: Organize or recommend workshops and skill-building materials on time management, study strategies, and stress management to help students develop the skills necessary for effectively managing their academic workload. Have students develop a study schedule and plan how they are going to use their time.
- Regular Student Hours: Schedule and communicate regular office hours where students can seek one-on-one assistance, ask questions, and discuss concerns about their coursework and workload.
- Referrals to Tutoring Services: Actively inform students about available tutoring services, either through the institution or external platforms, and encourage them to utilize these resources for additional support.
- Online Resource Hub: Create an online repository of resources, such as lecture notes, supplementary reading materials, study guides, and tutorial videos, accessible to students at any time.
- Peer Mentoring Programs: Facilitate or promote peer mentoring programs where senior or more experienced students can offer guidance and support to their juniors in managing coursework and understanding complex topics.
Assignment Design
- Formative Assessments: Implement regular, low-stakes assessments to gauge student understanding and progress, allowing for adjustments in teaching and assignment design as needed.
- Differentiated Instruction: Tailor teaching methods and materials to accommodate different learners, ensuring that each student can engage with the content in a way that suits them best.
- Feedback Loops: Establish a system for ongoing, constructive feedback, enabling students to understand their strengths and areas for improvement, and to see their progress over time.
- Collaborative Learning Opportunities: Encourage group work and peer-to-peer learning, where students can benefit from diverse perspectives and support each other in understanding complex concepts.
- Resource Accessibility: Provide various resources, such as study guides, supplemental readings, and online tools, to support students in completing assignments and reinforce learning outside the classroom.
Clear Communication
- Detailed Syllabus and Assignment Guidelines: Offer a comprehensive syllabus and detailed assignment sheets that clearly outline the objectives, expectations, deadlines, and grading criteria for each task.
- Interactive Instructional Sessions: Conduct interactive sessions where instructors explain assignments and expectations and students can ask questions and seek clarifications in real-time.
- Visual Aids and Examples: Use visual aids, such as flowcharts or diagrams, and provide examples of completed assignments to illustrate what is expected in terms of content, format, and quality.
- Consistent Communication Channels: Establish and maintain consistent communication channels, such as email updates, online forums, or regular announcements, to remind students of upcoming deadlines and expectations.
- Student Hours and Support Sessions: Offer regular office hours and additional support sessions where students can receive individualized guidance and clarification on assignments and course expectations.
Regular Feedback
- Timely Feedback After Assessments: Provide feedback promptly after assignments and tests, ensuring that students can apply the insights gained to their future work while the material is still fresh in their minds.
- Individualized Comments: Tailor feedback to each student, highlighting their specific strengths and areas for improvement, making it more personal and relevant.
- Use of Rubrics: Employ clear, detailed rubrics that outline the criteria for success, helping students understand how their work is evaluated and where they stand in relation to these benchmarks.
- Incorporation of Peer Review: Facilitate peer review sessions where students can give and receive feedback from their classmates, fostering a collaborative learning environment and diverse perspectives.
- Ongoing Dialogue and Support: Create opportunities for one-on-one discussions with students about their progress, either through office hours or scheduled meetings, allowing for more in-depth feedback and guidance.
Flexible Deadlines
- Personalized Extension Requests: Allow students to request deadline extensions on a case-by-case basis, considering individual circumstances such as health issues, personal emergencies, or significant life events.
- Buffer Periods: Incorporate buffer periods after the initial deadline, offering a short additional time frame for submissions without penalty, to accommodate unexpected challenges.
- Advance Notice of Deadlines: Communicate all deadlines well in advance, and remind students periodically, so they can plan their schedules effectively and request extensions if needed.
- Optional Assignment Submission Windows: Offer a window of time, rather than a specific due date, within which assignments can be submitted, giving students the flexibility to manage their time according to their individual needs.
- Consideration of Special Circumstances: Be open to adjusting deadlines in response to widespread or exceptional circumstances, such as technical issues, natural disasters, or significant events impacting the student body.
Contact Us
CATL staff members are here to support your teaching improvement efforts and would enjoy meeting with you to discuss how to tailor strategies for your unique learning environments. Contact us to arrange a consultation.