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 Courses
Fall
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 Majors
Traditional Majors
Non-Traditional 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
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 nontrads…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)
• Non-Traditional
Students (48 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)
– 4 hour time blocks (8)
– No disadvantages (6)
– Pace of course is too fast
(31)
“rushed time
frame…temporary
learning, not life-long
learning…”