8 Week Course Survey

An Examination of the Perceived Learning Environment of Accelerated

vs. Traditional Courses

Definitions

• Traditional course: meets 2.5 hours per week, two or three times per week for 16 weeks– 37.5 hours of seat time

• 8-week course: meets 4 hours, once per week for 8 weeks– 32 hours of seat time– 3 ten minute breaks => 28 hours of seat time

Who Takes Evening Courses?EVENING COURSES 2008-09

Category Fall 2008 Spring 2009

Trad < 25 38.4% 47.1%

Non Trad > 25 61.6% 52.9%

FR 5.1% 7.3%

SO 8.9% 10.0%

JR 14.0% 16.9%

SR 30.4% 33.3%

GR 33.6% 28.0%

Athlete 21.4% 23.9%

Majors of Students in Evening CoursesFall Spring Fall Spring Fall Spring

ACCT 16 13 FIN 3 5 PSY 10 8

ART 4 11 GBUS 22 28 RADT 2 0

BIOL 7 16 HIST 4 6 SCED 22 10

BMGT 5 0 IT 4 9 SOC 4 5

BSNT 4 3 MATH 5 2 SWK 2 2

COMM 5 2 MBA 6 2 THEO 1 0

COUN 1 4 MGT 15 18 UNDE 11 12

CRJU 17 27 MKT 1 12 LBST 0 1

ELED 19 24 OTA 7 5 CHEM 0 1

SONO 0 4 PREN 1 0 ENTR 0 1

Group Participants

Faculty Survey• N = 51• 32 Members of Arts and

Sciences• 19 Members of Professional

Studies

Student Survey• N = 178• 98 Traditional Students• 78 Non-Traditional Students

Student MajorsTraditional Majors• Accounting 1• Science 22• Business 8• Humanities 5• Criminal Justice 2• Education 7• Healthcare Science 1• History 3• Information Technology 4• Liberal Studies 2• MBA 1• Nursing 6• OT 1• Psychology 4• Radiologic Tech 3• Theology 1• Undecided 3

Non-Traditional Majors• Associates degree 1• Counseling 2• Biology 1• Business 8• Education 9• ESL 2• History 1• Liberal Arts 2• Graduate 17• Nursing 6• OTA 2• Radiology Tech 1• Respiratory Care 1• Education 2• Theology 1• MIS 2

Faculty: Volume of Material

• 69% report covering nearly identical volumes of material

• Of 20 Comments, 16 cited fewer assignments or topics covered

“…students become disgruntled if asked to read the same volume of material…”

“…research papers are shorter and amount of required research is less…”

“…hold 8 week course papers to lower standards…”

Faculty Data: 4 Hour Time Blocks

• 64% report keeping students for entire 4 hour time block

• 68% disagree that students learn effectively for 4 hours

“…students cannot take anymore information…after 3 hours…even with multiple breaks…”

Faculty: Overall Learning Environment

• 9% believe learning environment is better in 8 week format

• 62% believe learning environment is better in traditional format

“…it completely depends on the subject...”“…students get out of class what they put into it…”“…quality is same if not quantity…”

Faculty: Other Scheduling Options

• 33% like current scheduling format and do not want any changes

• 75% would like to explore other scheduling options

• 79% agree that some courses work better in 8 week format and others work better in traditional format

“…[2nd 8 week courses important for athletes and students who withdraw from courses]…”

Faculty: Accelerated Course Attributes

• 52% to 13% prefer 16 week format over 8 week format

• 54% to 31% prefer one meeting time per week• 20% to 59% prefer 4 hour meeting time“…4 hour class is unreasonable…”“…3 hours max…”“…1 night per week meets needs of non-trads…

growing population…”

Student: Quality/Quantity of Learning

• 70% of TR and 85% of NT believe volume of work is the same

• 77% of TR and 78% of NT believe quality of work is the same

• 68% of TR and 73% of NT believe they learn as much in 8 week format

Student: Attributes of Accelerated Courses

• 64% of TR disagree they learn effectively for 4 hours

• 57% of NT agree they learn effectively for 4 hours

• 4 TR and 4 NT students report that All Courses meet for 2.5 hours or less

• The majority of students and faculty prefer 8 week courses have both TR and NT students

Students: 8 Week Offerings

• TR students do not want to make any changes in current scheduling of 8 week courses (53% to 28%)– But: 63% would like to explore other scheduling

options• NT students do not want to make any changes

(63% to 29%)– But: 56% would like to explore other scheduling

options

16 Week/2 hour per Night Option

• TR students are evenly split over 16 week model over 8 week model (52% to 49%)

• NT students prefer current 8 week model over 16 week model (50% to 42%)

Attributes of Accelerated Course• Important that courses meet 8 weeks vs. 16

weeks?– TR: 25% agree; 48% disagree– NT: 52% agree; 39% disagree

• Important that courses meet once per week?– TR: 39% agree; 48% disagree– NT: 73% agree; 7% disagree

• Like 4 hour time blocks?– TR: 66% do not like 4 hr blocks; 27% like them– NT: 38% do not like 4 hr blocks; 67% like them

Attributes of Accelerated Course

• Need accelerated courses?– TR: 38% agree; 34% disagree– NT: 73% agree; 18% disagree

• Should accelerated courses include a technological supplement to make up for less seat time?– TR: 41% agree; 39% disagree– NT: 56% agree; 28% disagree

Students: Variety of Formats?

• TR: 68% agree; 11% disagree• NT: 77% agree; 12% disagree

Overall Learning Environment

• The same in either format– TR: 59% agree; NT: 74% agree

• Better in 8 week format– TR: 63% disagree; NT: 49% disagree (39% agree)

• Better in traditional format– TR: 61% agree; NT: 50% disagree

Advantages of 8 week format

• Traditional students (50 responses)– Finish quickly (43)

• Non-Traditional Students (50 responses)– Finish course more

quickly (33)

Disadvantages of 8 week format

• Traditional Students (55 responses)– 4 hour time blocks (21)“…lose focus after 2 hours,

then the next 2 hours are hell…”

– Pace of course is too fast to learn material (20)

• Non-Traditional Students (48 responses)– 4 hour time blocks (8)– No disadvantages (6)– Pace of course is too fast

(31)“rushed time frame…

temporary learning, not life-long learning…”