The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio
In the online courses I have taught the class usually consists of 35 students in the beginning. Usually that drops to about 25 by the time the course actually gets started. By the end of the course there are about 15 that have maintained the requirements of the course. I think I would have been all right with the 35. I think as long as the instructor can efficiently work with the students and respond and be available then the ratio can work.
Debbie,
I agree, my upper preferred limit would be 16. Of course administration does not always agree with those lower numbers; however, the lower the student to teacher ratio, the more personal feedback a teacher can give a student. A smaller ratio is vital in classes that require extensive interaction and writing courses that require substantial feedback.
Herbert Brown III
Rebecca, I have to ask if you are taking an online course at a college right now?
I believe the group from 12-24 is the perfect ratio and it is much more effective with 12 than the higher end of that range. For most faculty it is difficult to dedicate the grading time and response time in online communication for groups larger than this.
What is an optimal online student-instructor ratio? Justify your answer.
Debbie,
This seems to be a very realistic number based upon the courses I have taught and the time that was required to be supportive of the students in a way that contributed to their success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jennifer,
Thank you for sharing this information about class load and student ratios. My college is still struggling with how all of this translates out and what the student enrollment caps should be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Tamara,
Thank you for these comments about the challenges of dealing with class sizes and time constraints. Realities of life impact us all and as a result we need to develop coping strategies that will enable us to be the best professionals we can be while surviving.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You have my vote. I really think we push it with classes at 30 or higher.
I still stand by my comment of no more than a 15 to 1 instructor/student ratio in online to give the student the necessary attention and have time for the required interaction.
Debbie
I think the "optimal number" should be determined based on what the university or school requires as far as instructor-student interaction. For example, if University "A" states that for every 3 discussion posts made to a forum, 1 discussion post should be made from the instructor, this can become quite overwhelming if you have 30 students are who are required to make a minimum of 3 posts to each forum per week. In this scenario, I believe that a smaller classroom is better because the instructor does not feel rushed to provide feedback and they can spend more time bettering the overall quality of their post.
On the opposite side of the argument, if University "B" only requires minimal discussion postings from the instructor (i.e. to help refocus a discussion or provide clarity), then a larger classroom number would not be near as overwhelming due to the fewer requirements mandated for participation.
Oh heavens, I have been entertaining this question for years and find myself vacillating between what "Tamara the facilitator" believes and what "Tamara the life-changer/do-gooder" believes.
One side of me feels that if it is just a matter of quality delivery of curriculum--then (within our platform) 20-25 students is reasonable. However, the side of me that is genuinely committed to the idea of guiding, mentoring, and supporting students through the academic journey--feels that less than 20 students is ideal.
And surely anyone can agree that the fewer students an instructor has the easier it is to accomplish everything expected within the parameters of a "20-25 hour work week" (I try not to chuckle when I mention those numbers).
Of course, I am sure that there are some superhuman instructors out there that can accomplish everything in 20-25 hours. If this describes you, please write a book, I will read it. But for those of us who are parents of tiny children full-time and instructors part-time, we frequently find ourselves having to make strategic choices based on our class size.
For example, if a student emails me wanting to visit about her performance in class and maybe exploring a career in Psychology--I am always thrilled and happy to discuss. But! If I have a class of 26, the time spent on her response is going to differ from the response that I might have time to compose with a class of 12. And its not for lack of desire--but simply because as an adjunct instructor--any extra time spent with students inherently cuts into family time. And as a parent I struggle with this because while my children come first, I do feel a very strong almost maternal desire to do everything I can to connect with those students who have sought me out.
In closing, I do believe that most everything depends on the platform, expectations of the institution, and personality and outside obligations of the instructor.
Kathleen,
As of teach both onsite and online classes I can appreciate your remarks because they apply in both situations. My institution is doubling the size of all classes next session to raise revenue without incurring any additional costs. So the smallest class onsite I will have will be 70 students. We are still working on the class size of the online classes. My point is there is a fine line when you lose direction with your instruction due to the lack of interaction with students and we are trying to convince our college of that.
Students like interaction and ongoing feedback from their instructors and we need to always strive to provide it. We are going to have to be more creative in doing so though with the size of classes increasing.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have not taught my first online course but i am preparing to. I have recieved 2 degree though through online college. I have had as many as 30 students in my class and as little as 15. I do notice that in smaller groups there was much more feed back from the instructor than when the class was large. I enjoy personal instructor feedback on my posts so when I am in a larger class I do miss that personal feel.
Elena,
Certainly worth more than 2 cents. Very good. Thank you for your contribution.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
I think it depends on the course. Some courses, such as a computer programming course, may require greater interaction between a student and teacher than, say, an intro to computers class. When I teach intro to computers, I am fine with 15-20 students in a section. For a programming class, I would only want 10-12.
I think that 20:1 would be a good ratio. I learned that with more than 30 students it is a bit more difficult to offer students individualized approach.
I know it is important to welcome every student individually, and to offer meaningful, not scripted feedback to students' assignments. Only then do they benefit from the course and do not feel they are teaching themselves.
That is why I think less than 30 is a good ratio.
Francis, I agree with the ratio you suggested, (15-1). Although I listed my "ideal" ratio as 10-1, I think that 15-1 is a more realistic ratio to expect to justify the cost of running the course.
Elena Martignon
I have been teaching online for the past 10 years and have seen class sizes vary from 2 students (independent study) to 37. In my experience with teaching very hands-on classes, such as the ones that I facilitate, that the most optimal student-instructor ratio is 10 students. It takes me on average one hour a week per student, which rounds my teaching input to 10 hours a week per class. 10 students is a good class size that allows for a good level of student interaction. As an instructor, when teaching the classes of 10 students, I am able to spend an adequate amount of time working with each student throughout the week, critiquing the submissions from the prior unit, providing detailed grading feedback and participating in the weekly discussions. Students seem to be comfortable within the class of this size. Just my 2 cents. Thank you! Elena Martignon
Joseph,
Excellent observations. The management dynamics are often predominant factors, as well.
Dr. S. David Vaillancourt
