Does length matter?

Submitted by Christina Van on
Duration
-
Abstract

EMCC has expanded our course offerings to include courses completed in 5-, 8-, 10-, and 16- week timeframes. Does the length of time a class runs affect student satisfaction, performance outcomes, or both?  Relatedly, do students perceive their satisfaction or performance to be related to course length? With all other variables constant, does the length matter at all? I will investigate these questions using a questionnaire I developed in August 2014 intended produce quantitative data to learn more about the impact of differing course length on student satisfaction and learning outcomes. In this initial analysis, I will compare an 8-wk online PSY 101 to a 16-wk online 101, keeping instructor, course content, and semester constant to isolate the variable of interest.

Completed Full Cycle
No
Course Number
psy101
Files
Rating
Average: 4.3 (3 votes)

Comments

Becky Baranowski Sun, 08/24/2014 - 9:52am

We need to do the same thing in math.  This is great.  Can the math instructors "borrow" your assessment and tweak it to our courses?

Bronwen Steele Thu, 09/11/2014 - 4:28pm

It will be very interesting to learn about your results.

Heather Muns Mon, 09/15/2014 - 3:05pm

I love this.  We sometimes feel pushed to offer condensed classes for RDG and I have always felt that it wasn't a good idea.  I look forward to seeing what you discover in your classes.  

Peter Turner Mon, 09/15/2014 - 6:35pm

Can't wait until you share the results! But be sure you contact Rene and Jim at OPIE to ensure you are not duplicating their efforts.

Christina Van Thu, 01/22/2015 - 10:17am

I cannot  "close the loop" temporarily- but here is an update on my progress. For the CATS I ran last semester 3 data sets were created, necessary for comparison. Upon return from break I found that 2:3 datasets were erased irretrievably from the server, making analysis impossible. This (Spring 15) semester I am gathering this data again, from an 8-week and 16- week respectively. Check back!

Jennifer Copeland Sat, 02/21/2015 - 10:53am

Looking forward to seeing the update. Last year I tought a 5 week Hybrid Com 225 course. I spent quite a bit of time making sure that all concepts and objectives were covered and met. I was excited to report 100% retention and all of these students passed. Many of my traditional 16 week Hybrid and Online courses have at least a 15-20% drop rate. I feel on a personal note the fast paced constent engagement was a benefit and I'm looking forward to seeing similar results this summer.