The Impact of Online Teaching on Faculty Load – Revisited

Abstract

In 2006, The Impact of Online Teaching on Faculty Load: Computing the Ideal Class Size for Online Courses, shared the results of early research into the ideal class sizes for traditional (i.e., face-to-face) and online courses based on faculty load. The research was limited to a single instructional technology class taught at the graduate level in both formats. The initial study analyzed the impact of distance learning demands on faculty teaching load and computed the ideal class size for both traditional and online courses. It determined that the ideal class size for graduate courses in technology was 17 students for traditional and 12 students for the distance learning format. This article expands the initial research by examining two universities and their: (1) undergraduate, graduate (i.e., master's), and doctoral-level courses; (2) traditional, online, and hybrid formats; (3) both 8- and 15-week terms; and, (4) three academic disciplines of general psychology, education, and business. Ideal class sizes are presented for a wider range of post-secondary courses.