Methods
13 / 14 14 / 15 – 21 / 22
CHE-30005 : Solids , Surfaces and Catalysis
CHE-30031 : Biologically Important Molecules
CHE-30006 : Synthesis Kinetics and Mechanism
CHE-30030 : a Chemistry Project ( 30 credit )
a
Full year modules
CHE-30038 Chemical Kinetics , photochemistry , and Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms
CHE-30039 Advanced Organic Chemistry
CHE -30042 Inorganic , Physical and Solid-State Chemistry becoming CHE-30056 Advanced Physical and Inorganic Chemistry
CHE 30050 : a Chemistry / Medicinal Chemistry Research Project CHE 30051 : a Chemistry / Medicinal Chemistry Dissertation
Table 1 : Semester 1 FHEQ level 6 Chemistry modules considered . All are 15-credit and single semester unless indicated . In all years , one 15-credit semester 1 module is omitted from analysis .
To bring context to this , the author ’ s teaching on one third year module is considered as a case study . In 13 / 14 this was a set of 6 lectures assessed through exam . This was expanded to 8 contact hours during the first curriculum review ( 14 / 15 ) and has remained at 8 hours since . The core concepts being assessed have been retained from the original material . The content was expanded with additional learning outcomes in 17 / 18 during the second curriculum review . The new material is assessed by coursework only , while the original material has been assessed by exam and latterly open book assessment ( OBA ).
Objectives of study :
• To reflect on the impact of curriculum changes on the author ’ s teaching as a microcosm for a more complex system
• To derive a student workload model for use in timetable design and assessment scheduling
• To highlight the impact of flipped teaching methodologies , pre- and during- pandemic on student workload
Methods
Planned timetables and assessment timetables for semester 1 level 6 from a selection of academic years were analysed . Timetables represented 12-week semesters and indicated the broad type of session and timeslot , regardless of the mode of delivery ( on campus , online ). Minor alterations to timetables were not included unless they were updated on the planned timetables . Since 20 / 21 timetables also included asynchronous content that students must do before another timetabled session such as viewing screencast content where flipped classroom methods are used . Assessment timetables represented 15-week semesters with due date and deadline but exclude formal university examinations . One 15-credit module has been discounted from analysis across all years because this represents option modules introduced in the curriculum review ( 14 / 15 ) where students have a choice of two modules with slightly different workload and assessment patterns . The compulsory modules are the focus of this work .
Semester Workload Week Maps
Workload heat maps were generated by identifying a set of broad categories ( detailed in Table 2 ) for the type of timetabled sessions and counting the number of each per teaching week of semester . The revision week and assessment weeks are not included in the heat maps . Scheduled sessions at Keele University are 50 minutes in length , however 1-hour slot have been used for convenience and scaled as appropriate .
Contact Time
13 / 14 16 / 17 18 / 19 19 / 20 20 / 21 21 / 22 71 69 69 69 52 59
0 0 0 0 62 34
Support 3 4 3 3 3 1
Project Time
Asynchronous
Summative Assessment a
Formative Assessment a
88 84 70 68 15 70
5 0 1 1 0 1
0 6 7 3 0 0
Exam or |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 b |
9 b |
OBA b |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total 176 172 159 153 141 174 a
These reflect the number of hours in the timetable for summative and formative assessment such as a 1-hour class test . b
In 20 / 21 , 3-hour examinations were replaced by open book assessments ( OBA ) to be completed within a 48-hour window per module , this was decreased to an 8-hour window in 21 / 22 . Guidance issued to students were that the OBA should take 3 hours with additional time available to prepare and upload answers .
Table 2 : Number of timetabled hours per semester for categories of learning event .
Contact time incorporates all sessions formally timetabled where a student must be present synchronously , such as lectures , laboratory classes and workshops . Support refers to induction sessions , and careers events if formally timetabled . Project time is accounted for separately and reflects the hours available to a student undertaking a 15-credit project involving experimental
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