to be weak by Kember and Leung ( 2006 ) with a greater link between the teaching and learning environment , particularly in motivating students to produce high-quality work . Workload may be a significant cause of student difficulties with Bowyer ( 2012 ) noting that “ there are many causes of student difficulties such as stress , poor time management , employment pressure while studying and life issues to name a few . However , a major cause is student workload ”. Finally affective domain characteristics of students such as ability , motivation , and effort should be considered ( Maslach et al ., 2001 ). Mismatch between expectation and demand may lead to study burnout characterised by three stages : exhaustion due to study demands ; becoming cynical and detached towards one ’ s studies ; and finally , feelings of inadequacy ( Meriläinen , 2014 ). Nicolaou ( 2022 ) found correlations between perceived workload and students ’ enthusiasm towards the subject when investigating enthusiasm amongst Oxford undergraduate students .
The second is objective workload and depends on how much time is appropriate for an average student to spend on a topic , defined or influenced by institutional protocols and procedures and national guidance ( The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education , 2021a ). Objective workload may be represented quantitatively through timetables and workload models .
A workload model is a method of evaluating time provided within and demanded by the curriculum for study . The most obvious feature of a workload model is objective workload and that lies within the control of the teaching team . Many courses are characterised by higher demands for self-directed study time to participate fully in contact time activities . Related factors are the quantity of work required , the type and timing of assessments , the level of difficulty of work and the requirement for independent study . Less obviously institutional resources such as access to teachers , study space , and learning resources may influence workload . Meriläinen ( 2014 ) proposed a model for a workload model that addressed many of the subjective and objective aspects of workload and this enables advice to be given to students on how to manage their studies such as a recommended maximum number of hours of paid employment per week ( Curtis , 2007 ), or the number of hours that study requires ( The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education , 2021b ) individual factors including the impact of a long commute . While many of the influences proposed by Meriläinen ( 2014 ) are outside of the control of teaching staff or indeed the institution , key aspects such as the number of contact hours , the difficulty of the material , the timing and nature of assessments , and the availability of supporting resource are within scope . By charting the evolution of a course over 10 years through the lens of objective workload it is possible to see the impact of teaching innovations such as the flipped classroom , the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and these observations can be used to propose a student workload model to ensure the expectations and reality are closer .
Within Keele , modules follow the Higher Education Credit Framework for England with one credit notionally representing 10 hours of study ( The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education , 2021a ). Third year chemistry students ( FHEQ level 6 ) studying BSc Single Honours chemistry or specialising in chemistry ( formerly major route ) have six compulsory core modules ( 90 credits ), and choice of two from four option modules ( 30 credits ). Four taught modules ( 3 core and 1 option ) are in semester 1 , two taught modules ( 1 core , 1 option ) are in semester 2 , and two modules run through both semesters . This creates an imbalance in credit loading with 75 credits ( 60 + 7.5 + 7.5 ) being nominally completed in semester 1 , and 45 ( 30 + 7.5 + 7.5 ) in semester 2 . Prior to 2014 / 15 , students studied 3 or 4 compulsory core modules in semester 1 plus half of a 30-credit project module . The organisation of semester 1 option modules in terms of workload are different , and they are discounted from this analysis . Semester 1 of third year was selected for this investigation on the basis that the major route is comparable to BSc Single Honours chemistry allowing comparison from 13 / 14 onwards , and it has a significant contribution to the degree outcome . The option modules are discounted from this analysis which omits the impact of 15 credits ( or approximately 10 hours per week of effort ). Table 1 outlines the modules reviewed .
A workload model must also work for all students and allow for a student ’ s personal circumstances and the impact of that on their capacity to study . Many aspects of life cannot be regulated with guidance such as health , caring responsibilities , and other
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