Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Hours for Teaching and Preparation Rule of Thumb: 2-4 Hours of Prep for 1 Hour of Class

Many instructors may wonder how much prep time to spend on a class. Prep time can mean different things to different people. Many instructors assume prep time includes only the time spent getting ready for a particular class. Other instructors include meetings with students, advising, meetings with other faculty, professional development, and the numerous tasks and responsibilites of teaching.

The University of California at Berkeley included a discussion of actual preparation hours for class.
The newsletter contained the guidelines that distinguish between a class a teacher has taught before and a new class. For a class taught before, the teacher should plan to spend 2 hours out-of-class for each hour of class for preparation and grading. For a new class, the teacher should plan to spend 4 hours out-of-class for each hour of class.
The Office of Educational Development. Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching, Learning, Academic Planning and Facilities. "Instructor Preparation Time." 

Other experts concur. The DeCal site answers the question: "Developing a Course: How Much Planning Time Should I Allow for Getting a Good Class Together?"
"Most teachers spend at least two hours in prep time outside class for every hour spent inside class. Most teachers working with material for the first time spend three or more hours in prep per every one hour in class."»

Teaching and the Case Method Harvard Business School Press. "Spend a maximum of two hours prep time for each class hour."

43 comments:

  1. Useful post - I plan to reblog it again as addendum to ACA hours discussions, split between low ball prep time to keep courses or aim for mid range (but still low) ratio to be more accurate and qualify for health care and programs as well as wage and hours / full pay for hours worked

    Here the updated link for "Instructor Preparation Time"

    http://teaching.berkeley.edu/2006-7-instructor-preparation-time

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  2. Interesting piece on tenure citing your work http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/faisal-kutty-/abolishing-tenure_b_5573255.html

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    1. Thank you very much for sending this link! So many hours go into preparing for classes, and we must stand our ground to those who belittle or are ignorant of our efforts.

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  3. Is there a state law requiring employers to pay for prep time? Specifically Florida, at the college level?

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  4. Holly, this is a good question. This blog is from Washington State. Many adjunct faculty in Washington State are not paid for prep time, but the unemployment office will often count prep time hours so that adjuncts qualify for unemployment benefits, if they survive the numerous appeals. But this is an important point, that not only affects salary, but also workload.

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  5. How many hours on an average a content developer may take if he / she is writing a content which is to be delivered in a training room (standup training) in one hour or so approx.?

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  6. Dr. Jagannath,
    Thank you for your question. I'll offer my take on it, and would also like to hear from others. Generally, writing content probably adds to the prep. time. Some factors include the type of training delivery (computers? paper? books?); your familiarity with the content; the audience familiarity with the content; the assessment process. So, I don't know if there is an "average." Speaking from experience, the type of training you are describing, and writing the content, could take between 5 to 10 hours in preparation, maybe more, maybe less, but this is just my opinion.

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  7. depending on where you work - initially at the university it was about 1-2 hrs now after doing it for several years the need for prep time goes way down and if you administer exams online with self marking it is great to save time

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    1. Thank you for your comment. Another consideration is the subject. Writing teachers, for example, still have lots of grading, no matter how long they have been teaching. I like your time-saving suggestion! Also,consider the balance of goals and objectives while providing an education.

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  8. Dear "Stuff I Like,"
    I'm glad to read about lessening prep time. At the same time, for some profs, who teach classes such as writing, the prep time never goes down significantly. There's the everpresent question of whether prep time includes out-of-class student and faculty meetings, keeping up with research, professional development, etc. Best Regards to You!

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  9. I am a novice nurse educator, and I am presently negotiating with my school's Director of Nursing regarding hours of lecture/theory preparation. She is allowing me 3 hours s week for 11 hours of lecture. That includes study guide preparation and weekly exams - as well as development of discussion topics and special projects. She'd is adamnant that I should be spending my personal time in preparation for those items named. I am paid hourly and have been told to clock-in and out timely and never go over eight hours. I'm not agreeing with this direction. What are your thoughts?

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    1. As many people have noted, time is money, most famously Benjamin Franklin. I agree with you that 3 hours prep is not enough time for 11 hours of lecture, study guide, weekly exams, etc. Respectfully, your director is stealing your time and treating you as a sub-professional. You might begin keeping a daily log or notes of what you do and how much time it takes. Especially, new teachers need more prep time. Itemize what you are doing, and how the 3 hours is not nearly enough prep time. You can use your notes to make a case for more prep time. It's too bad that your director does not respect the teachers and the students and the profession, as she attemps to belittle the entire educational process.

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  10. I truly appreciate your response and will do as you have recommended. Thank you for your response.

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  11. Glad to respond, wish I could do more. Will look forward to any updates in your situation. Best Regards!

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  12. I teach 6 hours a day, it's my first year, so I should be spending 3-4 hours of prep per 1 hour of class... that's over 24 hours of work per day and would not include eating or sleeping. Lol I might go part time...

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  13. You have used common sense to calculate and conclude that the 3-4 hours of needed, and/or advised, prep time simply isn't possible. Many other dedicated teachers, instructors, and professors are in your same boat, and they must find ways to be creative and effective in class, and also have a healthy, happy life that is free, and not that of a slave. AFter all, the purpose of education is to help make the world better, not work people to death. Will look forward to any updates in your situation. Best Regards!

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  14. So your blog states that for each hour of in-class time, instructors should be credited with an additional 2 hours prep time [at the least according to Berkeley Center for Teaching ans Learning]. Is this codified in Dept of Labor or individual state reg's?. I am part time community college instructor and cannot get an answer from DOL or State.

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    1. Again, just answering your interesting question. To the best of my knowledge, the guidelines are not codified, and that's a problem. In Washington State, our experiences are that the DOL and State seem to enable, and let the colleges and universities exploit the "part-time" faculty. That seems to be the reason that you can't get an answer. For many years, in Washington State, the Association for Higher Education has operated with no oversite at all, as it's not technically a "union," so the National Labor Relations Board, at least informally, claims it can't do anything. If you love your job, and love teaching, of course, do what you can to stay in the profession. Keep all your contracts, and a log of time and money you spend. This data may be helpful in the event of legal action. Again, sorry for the late answer and Best Wishes!

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  15. At my college, the administration wants to pay 1 hour of prep for every 4 hours of classroom instructions/lecture. Please give me some responses that I can use to justify that the ratio above is unreasonable. By the way, I am referring to adjunct instructor work at an undergraduate Bachelor program. Thank you

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    1. So sorry for this late response. Mostly, I would have advised to quote the Berkeley guidelines, which are the bare minimum needed, and certainly more time is often required. You might also check with your state unemployment office. There are sympathetic employees there who will try to get adjunct faculty more hours to qualify for UI benefits. They recognize that just counting classroom hours, with only one hour of prep, is not indicative of the amount of work necessary to prepare quality classes. Also, keep a log of your work, "clock in" and "clock out" so to speak. It's often startling how much work you are actually doing to prep for class. Best Wishes, and again, so sorry to be late in the reply.

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  16. At my college, the administration wants to pay 1 hour of prep for every 4 hours of classroom instructions/lecture. Please give me some responses that I can use to justify that the ratio above is unreasonable. By the way, I am referring to adjunct instructor work at an undergraduate Bachelor program. Thank you

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  17. Totally! I was taught this when I started my law exam preparation. LSAT Logic Games were my favorite that time and I made sure I practiced more than 4 hours because I really wanted to clear my exam. It’s not that easy because I cleared my exam in my second attempt.

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    1. Congratulation on clearing your exam and on your hard work!

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  18. Excellent blog, good to see someone is posting quality information. Thanks for sharing this useful information. Keep up the good work.
    Preparatory Courses in Lucknow

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    1. Thank you for your note, and sorry to be late to reply. Best Regards!

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  19. Nice blog provides many informative and helpful articles. Thanks for sharing the information. Looking for more updates in future.
    Preparatory Courses in Lucknow

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    1. Thanks, and sorry for the late reply. Yes, will be doing more updates. I do wish the updates were not just the problems facing "adjunct" faculty, but were notices that everyone would be earning professional salaries and receiving recognition for their outstanding, scholarly, and educational work!!! Until then, we'll carry on. Others have faced and overcome this type of oppression.

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  20. Very interesting piece, thank you!

    Could you please update the link to "Instructor Preparation Time." ?

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    1. Thank you for your note, and sorry for the late response. Thanks also for letting me know of the "dead" link to "Instructor Preparation Time." I have not been able to find it yet, but will keep looking. (It's a bit worrisome that it's disappeared). I did find this info for UC Berkeley Extension Instructor Handbook:
      http://instructorlink.berkeley.edu/instructor-handbook.pdf
      I just gave all 65 pages a quick glance, and can't find any guidelines regarding prep time. (Not to say they aren't there, just couldn't find them yet). However, the kind letter from the dean is unintentionally ironic, I believe, as a handbook to let teachers "focus on what you do best: teach." Most of the 65 pages are complex guidelines/rules that will take hours to read, understand, and implement. In fact, after skimming through the guide, my personal opinion is that the rule of thumb should be at least 5 hours of prep for one class hour, and perhaps more for new instructors! The requirements on the instructors are simply daunting. Meanwhile, I'll keep looking, or if anyone else finds the link to "Instructor Preparation Time," please let me know. Best Regards!

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    2. Thanks for letting me know the link to Berkeley "Instructor Preparation Time" is gone, as is the link to DeCal site. The loss is worrisome. I did find a UC Berkeley Extension Instructor Handbook at this link
      http://instructorlink.berkeley.edu/instructor-handbook.pdf
      The 65 pages are daunting, and during a quick skim through, I saw no guidelines for prep time. Ironically, though the purpose of the handbook is to let teachers teach, all the legal rules and guidelines, both reading and implementing them, will take up tons of time, and take time away from actual course prep. After reading this, I think that Berkeley and other institutions should allow about 7 to 10 hours prep time for one class hour!

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  21. This is really fascinating, You are a very professional blogger. I’ve joined your rss feed and sit up for searching for more of your great post. Also, I have shared your site in my social networks! click here

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  22. So sorry to just be catching up on the replies. For your inquiry, I suggest running an internet search, as this is unknown to me. Best Regards!

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  23. Thank you, and sorry for the late reply!

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  24. I have just been (tentatively) offered a part-time position at my local university. Classes start in five weeks. I have never taught before, let alone done any substantive research on the subject of the course. I am hoping the lecturer who is hiring me will give me a syllabus or two to review, but I’m still worried that with five weeks I will not have time to properly develop the course. My time during the week at this time is limited because I work another part-time job. Do you have any advice?

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  25. I teach a 1 credit lab and it falls on a tuesday before thanksgiving my students are caught and in fact ahead of the schedule can I cancel class at my discretion? I am being told I have to have F2F class.

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  26. I teach a 1 credit lab that occurs on Tuesday, I want to cancel class due to the Thanksgiving day holiday. My students are ahead of schedule. I am being told they have to have F2F can admin dictate my course?

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    1. Hello,
      Thank you for your interesting question. Here are some possible replies. Regarding to your last question, "...can admin dictate my course?" Yes and no. Yes, admin and departments work with faculty to develop curriculum and meet accreditation requirements for class hours. No, admin should no interfere in academic freedom.
      Regarding canceling a class due to Thanksgiving, lots of schools don't have class on the Wed. before Thanksgiving. So, canceling the class on Tuesday would give students and faculty more time to prep for the holiday. I understand that admin would be under pressure if all faculty canceled classes on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. So, canceling class on Tuesday is another yes and no reply.
      You mention that your students are ahead of schedule. (Good work:)
      Another thought is the term "cancel." It all depends on your school, admin, past practices, etc. Speaking as someone who attended college in the 1970s, teachers/professors seemed to cancel classes all the time. As long as the curriculum objectives were me, this practice seemed fine.
      Into the 1980s, with a more "college as corporation, and students as clients," it seemed that we were under a microscope, regarding missing and/or canceling classes.
      This led to a rephrasing of the word "cancel."
      Instead, we began to use the term, "independent study" day. For example, "On Tuesday, you have an independent study day. Please visit the library and/or research online for your next assignment after Thanksgiving."
      Again, depending on the administration/department chair, this strategy was either approved or disapproved.
      You didn't write about your contract terms.
      Are you classified as full-time with contract, full-time waiting for tenure, one year full-time, or classified or mis-classified as "adjunct" or "part-time"?
      If your job situation is shaky, then as always, we stay professional, and tell whoever told you that you can't cancel class, that you will hold it as scheduled. Situations change so much. In the early 1980s, our writing department told us we only needed to hold class for Mon. and Tues. and to hold conferences W,Th,F. The composition director said it didn't bother him at all if students didn't make appointments for conferences. Just give them the grade they earn. This situation was very good for the writing process! But when I returned 15 years later to teach at the same college, the new composition director insisted that we hold classes 5 days a week, and conference in the hallway. (Not an easy thing to do, and the conferences were open to anyone walking down the hall.).
      So, I'd like to say that you can cancel class whenever needed, but don't want you to get into hot water. From a contract standpoint, check the contract about missing or canceling classes. That is the legal guideline. If you get time, write about what you decided to do.

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    2. Sorry, I meant to type As long as the curriculum objectives were MET, this practice seemed fine.

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  27. Hello, Thank you for the information on this blog. What are your thoughts on how much time it takes to develop a course? Is there a rule of thumb or guideline that should be used? I've developed a number of courses, and it depends on the content, etc., but I'd like to know as I have the opportunity to do some program development and want to be sure I am being compensated fairly. Thank you, Christina

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    1. Christina,
      There are a few ways to look at compensation for course development. First, you could call your state's unemployment office, to see how many hours they would consider course development. They usually have guidelines, though they tend to under estimate this important work. For my opinion, I think developing a course should get you as much as if you were teaching the course. In the best of worlds, double that. My experience has been that this important service usually gets a minimum to nothing. I've been paid $500 and I've been paid nothing, as the course development was considered part of the professional duties. If you have time, let this blog know how you were compensated. Sorry for the late reply! I've been away from computers.

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  28. When preparing individual reading lessons for students on an IEP , what is an average time per lesson and what time can be allotted for assessing lessons progress after each lesson? I have 12 IEP individual students on reading goals and 2 behavioral classrooms for reading with 5 separate reading levels.

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