Michael,
That ratio, or the 15-20:1 range is what most people find to be optimal ratios for most of their classes. Of course writing intensive classes might be better served with a few less, while other types of courses might be able to handle a few more.
Herbert Brown III
Interesting question. I have to admit I had to google this one. I, personally have found this to be dependent on the student's familiarity with the format of the program. If I have all new online students, I want a small number so I can focus on helping students familiarize themselves within the course.Once students are familiar with the navigation, the course work can be a breeze.
I think 10-15 students for me is the optimal class size. It allows for there to be enough students to have them really connect and interact while being very manageable in terms of class management.
SUSAN,
Well articulated. Could this ratio be different in different types of courses or levels of courses (Grad. or Undergrad) or do you think it is pretty much the same regardless?
Herbert Brown III
In my opinion the optimal online student-teacher ratio would be 20:1. The reason for this is the class size is the same as an on campus size. The 20 to 1 ratio is still manageable for the instructor to not only teach but also keep up with her or his grading and extra help. It also allows for the instructor to have time to provide extra help and attention to the students who need it. This ratio is also, small enough to allow for the instructor to be aware of the students who are struggling or need a boost.
Kevin,
Did you mean 5:1 or is that a typo? I don't know of any schools that would go for a 5:1 ratio and I don't see how you can get meaningful discussions going with only 5 students. Most people have found that 15 or 20:1 was a good ratio for them so that you can give appropriate feedback and the discussion forums can generate a good threaded discussion among the students.
Herbert Brown III
The optimal student to instructor ratio would be 5 to 1. This will allow the instructor to participate in each of the students replies and questions and keep the discussion going.
Eyad,
My personal experience is that online does take a bit more time and I like to have a few less students than I have in a traditional class because of the extra time required to provide the same level of feedback to each individual student.
Herbert Brown III
The optimal online student-instructor ratio from having experience in both the online as well as on ground teaching is a little bit the same. When I taught hands-on culinary classes I had a 25 student to 1 instructor ratio and it gave me the opportunity to reach each student in class in a timely manner. When teaching online having the same amount of students made me feel rushed at times and with that I felt that I wished I had less students. Getting online students feedback in a timely manner sometimes makes you feel like you didn't respond quick enough and takes a toll on your abilities.
Tanya,
Very well articulated. Many people report an optimal ratio of about 15-20; however, as you have found there are many factors that actually influence the ideal number of students in any one course or program.
Herbert Brown III
I think the best ratio is 20-30 students. Discussion forums are not as lively when the counts go below twenty. The higher the number the more likely the group will have at least five solid students who will be the student leaders in the forums. Plus, the more students you put into the mix the better chances students will connect to someone like minded. I often see students pair up and challenge each other or communicate back and forth with specific students because they enjoy each others online company. THe more students the more chances for positive interactions. However, too many and it can be cumbersome for the teacher to grade and for the students to read through all of the responses. Too many students will overwhelm the forums. On the other hand, I have taught in classes where there are five or less students online and it can be hard on students and I often have to stand in for those missing students to keep the conversation going. It is not impossible but it doesn't provide the variety and diversity a larger classroom can have.
KIM,
Most people would agree that a 15 or 20:1 ratio is ideal for most courses. However, that could differ depending on the course content, level, course design, etc.
Herbert Brown III
My opinion on student instructor optimal ratio is 10-15. The amount of student participation is important for the "life" of the discussion. However if there is to many participants the instructor would not be able to engage in meaningful converstion with each student.
Niki,
I agree that the quality of the questions is paramount in the design and delivery of the course. However, if you have too few students you might not get as robust a discussion and with too many students it is hard to interact with all of them and ensure they feel your "presence" in the course.
Herbert Brown III
I have taken a class with less than 15 students and I felt that the discussion thread was excellent because of open ended questions that lead to a debate. I don't think the number of students has all that much to do with it as much as the quality of the question that will allow students to run with it.
Billie,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am glad that you are being very interactive with your students. I believe we all need to do that. Your optimal ratio is pretty consistent with what others have found.
Herbert Brown III
I am relatively new to online teaching, but this term I am teaching 3 online classes, one is a class of 30 the others started in the mid 20's. I would prefer a range of 18-22 per class. I am very interactive with each student and I find that once you extend past 24 it becomes difficult to track all comments, posts, etc. and still stay engaged in what the students are posting.
Erika,
Most people would agree with you that 15/20-1 is an ideal online ratio for most classes. There are many variables that could affect that ratio higher or lower. You hit an important point, the amount of time to provide the same level of feedback to students is higher.
Herbert Brown III
In general, people would assume that an online instructor can teach more students than a Face-to-Face instructor because they might think it is less work for an online instructor. I beg to differ since an online instructor must provide more feedback on each assignment/discussion post. As an online instructor, there aren't many ways to communicate with my students about their work and so when I am providing feedback, I am trying to be as detailed as possible. I put in a lot of time when it comes to grading my students' work and so I would say that 20-1 is a reasonable student-instructor ratio.
James,
Well put, these are all vital criteria for figuring optimal ratios. The key point is there is no one ratio that fits all courses and content. The 15-20 seems to fit many courses.
Herbert Brown III
