6.6 Managing workload

Although several studies show that the workload for online courses is not more than the workload for in-person teaching (Van de Vord & Pogue, 2012; Lazarus, 2019; Thompson, 2004), instructors often perceive the workload to be higher. This may be because the flow of tasks for online instructors is quite different. Since instructors teaching online may respond to student messages several times daily, the uninterrupted time-spans that many are used to ends up divided into shorter and less-productive units (Thompson, 2004). Online teaching also requires instructors’ to become proficient in learning technologies they may not have experience with. This and the intensity of teaching-related communication with students all add to instructors’ work time (Tynan, Ryan & Lamont-Mills, 2015).

A variety of strategies and recommendations have been developed to reduce the workload associated with online teaching (Lehman & Conceição, 2010; Ragan & Terheggen, 2003; Stevens, 2018). Here we highlight workload management strategies for two areas that instructors often struggle with, administrative tasks and interaction facilitation.

Administrative tasks involve communication, management, and support. At the beginning of course, help manage your workload by:

Ensuring students know what support resources are available to them. You can reduce the amount of time spent covering non-content specific questions by providing links to support services for technical skills, time management, and study skills. We recommend including links to the Chapman Learning Commons and the LT Hub Student Support sites in your course.
Providing a detailed syllabus. Limit the number of student queries on non-content related questions by being clear about the course requirements and your expectations. A detailed syllabus also creates a central area where students know to look for information throughout the course.
Defining the operating parameters of the course. Be clear and emphasize timelines and student responsibilities. This will help eliminate many questions from students about the frequency, response time, quality of the interactions, netiquette, policies concerning academic integrity and intellectual property.

During the course:

Send weekly announcements clarifying course expectations, highlighting weekly discussions, or informing students of any course changes.
Create a general discussion forum where you can publicly answer questions, rather than sending multiple emails repeating the same information for different students.
Provide a list of frequently asked questions about the course and each assignment that could be used across sections and terms.
Offer open virtual office hours that students can attend in a group. This allows you to respond to student questions or concerns collectively rather than individually.

Facilitative tasks involve faculty members interacting with students or encouraging them to interact with each other. To manage workload:

Develop an early sense of community in your course. If students feel connected to one another, they will be more likely to reach out to each other for support, saving you time on minor questions.
Create opportunities where students can interact and learn from each other. Ask students to peer-review each other’s work, integrate small-group activities prior to a whole-class activity, orask students to facilitate group discussions.
Develop a personal work schedule. Block regular times during the week to check and send students emails, post documents, hold online class discussions, maintain online office hours. Schedule these times in your calendar as you would a meeting, and avoid working outside of these times.
Learn about the technical support provided by the university, CTLT, and your instructional unit. Know what is covered and how to request it.
Share your experiences with your peers. Many instructors find it helpful to look at how colleagues have structured their online courses or to observe a synchronous class meeting. If your department hasn’t already arranged for these kinds of opportunities, reach out to your colleagues to discuss and share online practices.
Enlist assistance from TAs. Your TAs can assist with many activities in your online course, from holding office hours to taking on some of the teaching responsibilities. For more information about working with TAs online, please refer to Module 8: The role of teaching assistants in the online classroom.