how many hours per week does it take to teach an online college course

by Prof. Ressie Bailey 8 min read

That would be 15 hours a week of class work for an easy online class, 18 for a moderate class, and 21 for a tough class. Now you have to fit those numbers into your schedule. If you study seven days a week, you'll need to fit at least two hours of studying every day (2.5 for a medium class and 3 hours for a hard class) into your schedule.

The data showed that teaching each online course required 3 to 7 hours per week, with the greatest number of emails and amount of time required during the first and last 2-weeks of the semesters. Participation in and grading of the discussions took the greatest amount of time and remained steady across the semester.Sep 3, 2003

Full Answer

How many hours per week do you need for online classes?

If you take summer courses and a full course load each semester, you may be able to finish a bit more quickly, but these approximate lengths are fairly standard. How Many Hours Per Week Do You Need for Online Courses? The 135 hours of coursework is typically relegated to actual time in the virtual classroom.

How much time should you spend on online learning?

On top of that, you will need to spend about 3 hours per week reading for the class, which may be a physical textbook or an online text. You will also need to spend 4 to 5 hours on homework, papers, tests, and other assignments. This adds up to 7 to 8 hours a week on top of the classroom hours. How to Accelerate Online Learning

How long is an online degree program?

While some programs have weekly deadlines for assignments and discussion posts, for many programs, they can earn credit for the course as long as they are completing the full 135 hours by the end of the term. How Long are Online Degree Programs? Online degree programs take the same amount of time as in-class programs for most students.

How long does it take to create an online course?

Depending on the length and detail of the course, it can take anywhere between 25 – 500 hours to create an online course. For a mini course with just 4 or 5 videos you could create it in a couple of days. An in-depth flagship course with multiple modules and lessons could take 8 weeks or more to complete.

How many hours a week should an online class take?

You should plan to devote a minimum of three hours per week per credit, plus an additional hour per class each week to review materials. For instance, for a three-credit online course, you will need nine hours of study time and one hour of review time each week.

How many hours do online professors work?

It may be as little as one hour per week, per class. On the outside, you could even figure two hours. In the online environment, however, that fixed number may prove unnecessary. You may keep no office hours, preferring to respond to student questions via email.

How many hours is the average online course?

Based on what we've seen at Thinkific, the most profitable course length on average is between 10–25 hours. Just below that, 5-10 hour courses are about 75% as profitable. And at the higher range, longer courses—25–100 hours—are slightly less profitable than those.

How many hours should I be working on online classes?

You should probably allow 3 hours per week to read/listen to the online content for each course you take. This doesn't include assignments outside of class. Graduate study is more demanding than undergraduate study, so you should plan for 3 hours offline prep for every hour you spend “in class.”

How many hours does a college professor work per week?

On average, faculty participants reported working 61 hours per week – more than 50 percent over the traditional 40-hour work week. They worked 10 hours per day Monday to Friday and about that much on Saturday and Sunday combined.

Is being an online professor easy?

It's not always easy, though. Some remote instructors said they sometimes struggled to cultivate the sort of engagement with students that can be achieved in closer proximity, whether students and instructors are in a classroom together or interacting primarily online.

How long are online classes a day?

One of the many advantages of online schools is that they will require less time from you compared to traditional schools. But then again, it is highly dependent on the online school that you or your child is enrolled in. On average, students spend four hours online.

How many hours a week is a college class?

The average college student spends 15 hours a week in class. However, this weekly time commitment can vary depending on how many semester credit hours you take. As a college student, you set your class schedule. The typical college student also devotes 14 hours and 30 minutes to independent study.

How long should an online learning module be?

This should be 10 -15 minutes maximum. Green, is 'good to know'. It needs to be short, sharp or if longer requires gamification or great interactivity. This is generally 2-5 minutes or could be longer if it's engaging.

How many hours is online class in college?

Thus, many online courses run the same length as their on-campus counterparts. This means that a semester-based schedule will include approximately 15 weeks of work for 9 hours per week or 135 hours total for the semester for each 3-credit course.

How many hours of online classes are allowed for college students?

01/4HRD Ministry recommends no more than 3 hours of online classes per day for students.

How do you schedule an online class time?

15 Top Tips To Make A Personal Schedule for Online CollegeList Priorities. One of the first things that you should do is list your priorities and responsibilities. ... Schedule Sleep. ... Avoid Rigidity. ... Consistent Small Tasks. ... Schedule Space and Time. ... Too Much Time. ... Keep Study Close. ... Understand Limits and Say No.More items...

How long should my e-learning course be?

The length of an e-learning course depends on what is being taught and how in-depth the training is. There is no set length that online course need...

How many hours are required to create one hour of e-learning

It can take between 2 – 100 hours to create each hour of online course content. It depends on how familiar you are with the content being taught, t...

How long does it take to create a curriculum?

The length of time it takes to create a curriculum will depend on the individual, and it can differ from person to person. It can take anywhere fro...

How much does it cost to create an online course?

On a small budget, you can develop a professional-looking online course for $350 to $1,000. Equipment, the software, hosting, and promotion can all...

How many hours does an online course take?

This means that a semester-based schedule will include approximately 15 weeks of work for 9 hours per week or 135 hours total for the semester for each 3-credit course.

How long does it take to take an online class?

To better understand how much time an online class takes, consider a breakdown of what you will need to do each week. Typically, each 3-credit course will require you to spend three hours a week listening to or reading the actual coursework, similar to the three hours you would spend with in-person instruction in a traditional classroom.

How many hours of coursework is required for a virtual classroom?

The 135 hours of coursework is typically relegated to actual time in the virtual classroom. In other words, this is the time you spend reading materials, interacting in online forums, or watching your instructor’s videos. This is not the amount of time you will spend on your homework and assignments.

Why is online coursework important?

Another benefit of online coursework is the ability to save some money. While the credit hours may be priced the same as on-campus credits at the same school, you can continue living at home and avoid the costs of commuting to campus.

Why do people choose online courses?

Greater Flexibility. Flexibility in when and where to study is one of the biggest reasons many students choose online courses or online degree programs. These programs can often fit in around work schedules when on-campus programs do not. This can allow a college student to pursue a degree even while working full-time.

What is online education?

Online education provides the opportunity to earn a degree and take classes from a school that isn’t near your home. If you have a particular interest in a school that is far from where you live, you have the freedom to earn that degree without the need to relocate. This means access to higher quality education for many students.

What does it mean to take a class online?

Earning a degree or taking a class online may mean you will have to learn some new tech skills. Online students must become adept at using technology like video chatting and online forums to attend class and interact with students and professors.

How many hours of academic work is 3 credit?

As such, a 3-credit course is equivalent to 135 hours.

What is remote teaching?

With remote teaching, planning student workload takes on a new significance. Students, like faculty and staff, are experiencing extraordinary and challenging personal circumstances. The demands of trying to understand the organizational structure of each course within Zoom and Moodle, the digital literacy skills needed to learn remotely (that not all possess equally), the time management skills needed to stay on top of asynchronous course work (Moodle) are all contributing to increased student anxiety and stress.

How long does it take to create an online course?

Depending on the length and detail of the course, it can take anywhere between 25 – 500 hours to create an online course. For a mini course with just 4 or 5 videos you could create it in a couple of days. An in-depth flagship course with multiple modules and lessons could take 8 weeks or more to complete. These numbers just provide ...

How long is an e-learning course?

There is no set length that online course needs to be. Some short courses may be just 20-30 minutes, whereas some in depth courses may be many hours of lessons.

How long does it take to create a curriculum?

It can take anywhere from 5 – 150 hours to create each hour of online content.

How much does a starter course cost?

A typical price to sell a starter course might be $50 – $200.

Office Hours in the Online Classroom

To begin, the first thing to find out is this: What office hours am I expected to keep? Typically, those office hours will be factored in per class. It may be as little as one hour per week, per class. On the outside, you could even figure two hours.

Time Spent in the Online Classroom

Next, how long will your class actually run? If your course is “live,” offered through a feed, then you will naturally factor in the time of the actual class meeting. An hour? Three hours? That depends on the class.

Prep Work and Grading

We all know that prep work and grading takes time—sometimes lots of time. The majority of the time spent on the online class could very well fall into this category. But again, it all depends!

What Does the Federal Government Say?

In order for colleges to comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) the federal government set some standards. They are as follows:

Organize Your Online Teaching Work Week

One advantage in teaching an online course is that you can really determine your own schedule. Need to take Friday off? You can. Want to work on Saturday for a few hours to make up for it? You can do that as well. Mornings, evenings, in either case, it is what works for you— and also what kind of parameters you establish with the students.

The Bottom Line (Literally)

So how many hours does an online adjunct work? As a baseline, say roughly twice the number of credit hours a week. But to be realistic, if not a bit liberal, you could multiply the credit hours by 2.5 instead. If you’re teaching a 4-credit hour class, give yourself 10 hours, factor it onto your calendar, and stick with it.

Recommended Study Time Amount for a Bachelor's Course

With over 6 million Americans pursuing a degree online, it's important to know how these programs work [ 1 ].

7 Tips for Online Learning

Online courses look different than the traditional classroom. So to get your degree, you’ll need to follow these tips on the best way to pass an online class.

Are Online Classes Easier or Harder?

Online schools teach the same material you will find in a regular class, which means the work isn’t any harder.

4 Factors that Will Affect Success

Here are some factors that will make or break success when a student chooses to pursue an online degree. The degree to which you succeed depends on the number of hours you spend pursuing your degree.

How Many Hours a Week Should be Spent on an Online Course?

There really is no perfect number to how many hours you should study for your online school courses.

How many hours is a credit hour?

Each credit hour corresponds to a minimum of 3 hours of student engagement per week for a traditional 14-week course or 6 hours per week for a 7-week course.

How many hours are there in AIC?

This time may be spent on discussions, readings and lectures, study and research, and assignments. Most courses at AIC are three credit hours. Credits to be earned. Hours per week, 7-week course. Hours per week, 8-week course. Hours per week, 14-week course. 1 credit.

How many hours of study time do I need to take online classes?

If you attended class three hours a week, you'd then have 6, 9, or 12 hours of study time per week. Now apply that to online classes. Assume you're going to have to take part in class discussion or do homework to replace the class time.

How much time should I spend in online classes?

Here's how to estimate how much time online classes take. Many schools say you should study two hours for every hour you spend in a class for an easy class, three for an average class, and four for a hard class. If you attended class three hours a week, you'd then have 6, 9, or 12 hours of study time per week. Now apply that to online classes.

How many hours a week should I teach?

However, if you are more teaching faculty at a university, you are going to teach about 15-20 hours per week. You are also likely to teach 3-6 courses per semester.

How many hours do professors work?

The average number of hours that professors work in a week is anywhere from 35-75 hours per week. Yes, that is a large variance, and you will get different answers by looking at different blog post or studies, and there are many reasons why there is this variance, and here are some answers to these questions about how many hours professors actually ...

Do emailing people count as work as a professor?

It also depends on the overall objective of your career. For example, those activities that don’t advance your career, such as emailing people unless it is related to research, don’t really count towards work as a professor in my eyes.

Do academics have different work schedules?

People have different work schedules as academics. This largely depends on what is occurring in your life, and how you best work. Sometimes you work more, and sometimes you work less depending on what is happening in your life.

Is an assistant professor full time?

Yes, it is full-time, and it simply means that you did not get tenure yet. It does not mean that you are an assistant to the professor, which is sometimes confusing. Once you get tenure you become an associate professor. The main job of an assistant professor is to do research, rather than teach or do service.

Do professors work full time?

Yes, professors generally work full-time. Our work is spread out among many different activities, and that is why it is difficult to answer how many hours you work for week. For example, you might do research, teach, or do you service activities, and each one is important. Most professors have their favorites at what they like to do, ...

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