The Effects of Increased Workloads on Online Instruction

Abstract

The workload increase for California State University instructors has been significant, as has been the reduction in resources and support. Online instructors are facing the same set of circumstances as their campus-based peers, yet the impact of said circumstances has not been fully realized. Still most instructors want to do be effective in their teaching practices and will do what it takes to facilitate student learning. This paper examines the impact of budget cuts on online instructors, including increases in online class sizes and loss of student -instructor interaction. The research is clear regarding the importance of interaction in relation to academic success; however, it is mixed with regard to optimal online class size. The author suggests strategies to maintain teaching effectiveness during the current crisis by increasing interaction through the use of small group discussions, the use of facilitators, etc.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Toward an Evidence-Based Framework for Determining Online Course Enrollment Sizes in Higher Education

“…Few students are capable of complex learning without focused facilitation from knowledgeable experts. Arbaugh & Benbunan-Fich, 2005;Bain, 2004;Benbunan-Fich et al, 2005;Bozkurt et al, 2015;Chu, Zhang, Chen, Chan, Lee, Zou, & Lau, 2017;Curriculum Committee, 2012;El Tantawi, Abdelsalem, Mourady, & Elrifae, 2015;Holtslander, Racine, Furniss, Burles, & Turner, 2012;Holzweiss et al, 2014;Jones, 2015;Kim, 2013;Legg, Adelman, & Levitt, 2009;Mandel & Sussmuth, 2011;Maringe & Sing, 2014;Picciano, 2017;Ravenna, 2012;Schellens & Valcke, 2006;Schwartz, 2014;Taft et al, 2011;Williams, Jaramillo, & Pesko, 2015 Bloom's taxonomy: A classic in education theory, categories of learning level align in a pyramid, from simple/concrete (lower levels) to complex/abstract (higher levels). Each category contains subcategories.…”

“…Evaluation: forming judgments about the value of materials and methods for specific purposes The revised taxonomy (2001) added Level 7: 7. Creation: generating, developing, designing, planning, or producing Armstrong, n.d.;Bloom et al, 1956;Holzweiss et al, 2014;Meyer, 2006;Ravenna, 2012;Taft et al, 2011 Theory Description Sources Use of the CoI model enhances student learning and satisfaction. Numerous studies have confirmed the value of the CoI.…”

“…Many university administrators pursued market expansion through the development of online courses, and with them an increase in student enrollment for purposes of revenue generation and/or cost reduction Chapman & Ludlow, 2010;Colwell & Jenks, 2004;Diette & Raghav, 2015;Jones, 2015;Maringe & Sing, 2014;Mupinga & Maughan, 2008;Pelech et al, 2013;. In the rapidly changing technology-driven conditions within universities, an upward creep of online class sizes emerged and began to raise faculty concerns that educational effectiveness could be threatened (Jones, 2015;Ravenna, 2012;Seethamraju, 2014;Smith, Brashen, Minor, & Anthony, 2015;Snowball, 2014). Indeed, throughout this period of online growth there appears to have been little systematic application of learning theory principles to decisions on a cluster of issues arising for online courses: class sizes, effective pedagogical methods, rising university costs and revenues, faculty workload, and accommodating diverse student learning needs (Tynan et al, 2015;Mupinga & Maughan, 2008).…”

“…Alternatively, perhaps findings on class sizes could lead to implications that would be perceived as a threat to university finances, or pique political sensitivities regarding varying populations' access to equal educational opportunity (Colwell & Jenks, 2004;Curriculum Committee, 2011Diette & Raghav, 2015;Maringe & Sing, 2014;. Whatever the reasons, no existing convergence of research evidence provides guidance for determining optimal online class sizes at different educational levels and under varying contextual conditions-that is, no one size fits all (Beattie & Thiele, 2016;Bettinger, Doss, Loeb, Rogers, & Taylor, 2017;Bristol & Kyarsgaard, 2012;Chapman & Ludlow, 2010;Cheng, 2011;Colwell & Jenks, 2004;Curriculum Committee, 2012;Freeman, 2015;Haynie, 2014;Hewitt & Brett, 2007;Horning, 2007;Johnson, 2010;Kim, 2013;Lee, Dapremont, & Sasser, 2011;Liu, 2012;Mandernach & Holbeck, 2016;Morrison, 2015;Mupinga & Maughan, 2008;Parks-Stamm, Zafonte, & Palenque, 2016;Qiu, Hewitt, & Brett, 2012;Ravenna, 2012;Roby, Ashe, Singh, & Clark, 2013;Seaton & Schwier, 2014;Shaw, 2013;Sorensen, 2014Sorensen, , 2015Taft, Perkowski, & Martin, 2011;Tynan et al, 2015;Walls, 2016;Watson et al, 2016).…”

Beyond Being There: Practices that Establish Presence, Engage Students and Influence Intellectual Curiosity in a Structured Online Learning Environment

“…This is particularly important in graduate level education, where expectations of academic rigor and achievement are greater (Bowden, 2012). It is evident that the level of presence and degree of visible involvement demonstrated by the instructor is dependent upon the teaching strategy and personal preferences of the instructor (Ravenna, 2012). However, it is also evident that the level of teaching presence can dramatically influence the quality of facilitation that leads to successful learning in asynchronous environments (Costley, 2015;Hung & Chou, 2015;Rovai, 2007).…”