Amgad,
Others have suggested closer to a 15 or 20:1 ratio. Do you find that you get enough student to student interaction in a course with only 10 students? That is one factor that other instructors said was difficult with smaller numbers. Of course, providing feedback is easier with 10 or so students.
Herbert Brown III
I think 10 to 1 is an appropriate ratio. A smaller ratio is better for student academic achievement and success. It's also important for retention rate when it comes to instructor evaluation!
Todd,
I would agree with your statements. Most people report on average 15-20:1 for a ratio, based on the same reasons you provide.
Herbert Brown III
Rebecca,
There is no set ratio; however, many people report a range of 15-20:1 for most classes they teach to get the right amount of interaction and timely feedback to students.
Herbert Brown III
William,
This is very specific to your courses and I am not sure this is the same for everyone, but you make some important points. The optimal course ratio can very greatly based on the type of course, the method of delivery, the assignments and interactions included, and much more. There is no ideal, but many people report a range of 15-20:1 for most classes to be able to provide the right amount of feedback to students in a timely manner while still allowing for dynamic discussions to take place in discussion forums, etc.
Herbert Brown III
I do not believe there is an optimal student-instructor ratio, as course content, assignments, and student ability all factor into the equation. As an instructor, I prefer 15 students. This is a number that is high enough to engage in interactive discussion, while small enough to give personal attention to each student.
It should be about the same. In order for us the instructor we need to monitor the postings the students make and give them feed back. The more we monitor the more they will interact with the course. It shows that you are holding them accountable with there participation with course and it also shows them that you care about their progress
It depends if it is a lecture class or a lab class. For a lecture class 30-35 is optimal, but for a lab class 20-25. With a lecture class you have 1-2 live/recorded chats that are 60 minutees long. You can explain the assignments with greater detail. In a lab have less assignments and less interactions with students. For PT instructors they get paid more for a 3.5 hr lecture class thus they do spend more time with students. For a 1.5 hr lecture class the instructors tend to spend less time with students partly because they get paid 1/4 the pay thus with less students they can manage them in less time. Pay shouldn't be the limiting factor, but it does make a difference from what I have seen from adjunct instructors. As a FT instructor, I teach three lecture classes with 35 students in each class which I've done for 9 yrs now. I am quite able to manage all three classes with quite a bit of interactions. I am online usually 7 days per week and several times per day. I have three days each week to grade assignments which I can do in 1-2 days. Could I do this if PT? No, it would be too many, so the student-instructor ratio depends on number of classes and if the instructor is PT or FT. The student matter also determines the numbers. Some classes like science that I teach can be more difficult to non-science students thus less students would be better. If I taught science students, the class sizes could be larger.
When I taught F2F FT, I taught 7 classes with a minimum of 25 per. Again the subject matter mattered. Three were non-major GenEd classes, and four were majors classes. I had fewer students in the majors classes and more perrsonal contact. In the GenEd classes more general topics and less student-instructor intercation.
Also if you teach an undergraduate class you can expect less students compared to an undergraduate class.
So to answer the question, there is no optimum online student--instructor ratio.
Bill Falls, Ph.D, Professor Online
Patrick,
Many people report an optimal ratio of 15-20:1 or so. Is this a hard number or do you think there are factors that would influence that optimal number up or down? One factor might be the ability to give students individual feedback as you mention, what might some other factors be?
Herbert Brown III
Jeannine,
Many people report an optimal ratio of 15-20:1 or so. Is this a hard number or do you think there are factors that would influence that optimal number up or down? What might some of those factors be?
Herbert Brown III
Because this is my first time teaching a course online. I would say an optimal student-instructor ration for me would be between 10-20 students. Student body of this size in a classroom would allow a first time online instructor to be able to give each student some detail attention to the assignments that they are posting.
I think the Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio is 15 or less, because you can divide the students into groups of five and have each group assign a time when they can meet with you via phone, or live collaroration. This gives the students an opportunity to work with their peers and at the same time get to know the instructor better.
Jeannine Wieland
Daniel,
I would say that your reflection is consistent with others. The ideal ratio of 15-20:1 for the average course. There are many factors that can influence the ideal size of a course including level of content, design of the course, writing intensity, etc.
Herbert Brown III
Simple question but can be very complex. The classes I enjoy are 15 or less. I like the connection made with smaller groups. I usually teach 3 online classes a term, so when I get 30 in a class, things can be tough. I sometimes question management s ideas on class size. One term, I had 2 identical classes. One class had 8 students, the other had 32. Crazy.
The bigger the class, the more problems can arise; connectivity, dialogue, one on ones, communication, etc.
Daneen,
I could see where a live chat session with that many students would be difficulty, at least to ensure everyone is interacting and the logistics of who is talking, needs to talk, chatting, etc.
Herbert Brown III
I may have misrepresented my main points. I agree that for a discussion forum 15-20 students is ideal for student interaction. However, in the context of live chat sessions 12 is more manageable in terms of managing. However, I have never conducted a live chat with more than 4 students at one time.
Erin,
I would say that many people report a 15-20:1 ratio for most of their courses so that would be in line with your 20 max. (or as it sounds that would be the high end). I agree each course is very different and based on the factors you have identified and others, I believe those should determine the ideal for a specific course.
Herbert Brown III
Daneen,
To me, 12 sounds a little low to be able to get the interaction from discussion forums and the ideal student to student interaction. My optimal is more in the 15-20:1 range. Have you found that more than 12 is difficult to handle, or what other factors are influencing your decision here?
Herbert Brown III
I honestly believe it depends. Each course can have vastly different learning outcomes and based on the type of course and what the student outcomes are we will have a different "ideal" student/faculty ratio. Some courses we teach have virtual labs (chemistry, physics, exercise physiology) and those classes require a great deal of student/faculty interaction. The class feels large with over 20 students.
I think that the best online student instrutor-ration is 12:1. In the online classes that I hava taught and am currently teaching, only three students on average participate in the live chats. If more students participated, it would be a more interactive learning environment.
