While every student’s experience is different, certain guidelines have been established to assure that the credit assigned for each course is representative of higher education best practices. As a general rule, for each credit hour assigned, students will spend 15 hours directly engaged with course materials and 30 hours preparing for class. Students may spend more or less time completing a course because of their learning styles and academic experiences.
Preparation can be classified in a number of ways.
Reading assignments are based on the number of pages you are expected to read each week and the level of complexity of those reading materials (whether they contain a large number of technical terms or difficult concepts). Written assignments are generally based on the number of pages you are expected to produce, as noted in the assignment description. Studying for exams is estimated by the number of hours you would be expected to spend reviewing material to be fully prepared.
Direct engagement
Direct engagement includes reviewing websites, posting and participating in discussion forums, reading other students’ posted materials, listening to audio content, reviewing PowerPoint presentations, and taking exams.
Week 1: Review the syllabus thoroughly. Make sure you understand the course expectations and how to navigate the virtual classroom
Post your bio in the appropriate folder. You may wish to schedule a time to walk through the online classroom with a Dunlap-Stone University representative. These tasks combined should take about one hour.
Weekly: Review the weekly lecture and assignments document and plan your activities for the week.
Carefully note due dates and expectations. Note any questions for your instructor. Confirm that you have all of the assigned readings and can access any supplemental materials. You may wish to review your personal and professional obligations and schedule when you can complete the week’s coursework. This step should take about one hour per week.
Weekly: Read the lecture
Weekly: Read the lecture. Depending on the length of the lecture within the weekly assignment document, reviewing and understanding the lecture for the week may take about half an hour. Generally, the lecture will highlight the areas within your other assigned readings that will be the most critical to focus on. Complete other readings.
Weekly: Online classroom discussion should take about five hours per week
Weekly: Online classroom discussion should take about five hours per week. To meet the discussion question and participation requirements, answer the designated number of discussion questions completely, referencing your reading whenever possible. Be sure to read each of your classmates’ postings, comment meaningfully, and review your instructor’s posts.
Weekly: Submitting your assignments should take up to half an hour per week, depending on the number of assignments.
Weekly: Submitting your assignments should take up to half an hour per week, depending on the number of assignments. Make sure that you carefully review how your instructor wants you to post the assignments. Before submitting your assignment, read the submission and take extra care to check for grammar and spelling errors. Make sure you have listed references and that your submission is in a readable format, typically a .doc attachment. Give yourself this extra time for a thorough review.
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