How much work can we expect of students in a course?
There are lots of discussions around the concept of ‘contact hours’, which nevertheless is the standard measuring unit for face-to-face teaching. A common estimate is that for every hour of classroom time, students spend a minimum of two hours out-of-class study for readings, assignments, etc. Contact hours vary from one discipline to another, and a reasonable estimate for a three-credit undergraduate course is roughly equivalent to about 8-9 hours study a week, for a total of about 100 hours over 13 weeks. Online and blended learning environments allow instructors to develop courses around structures that best meet the needs of learners and the preferred teaching method of the instructor.
Finding the right dosage between face-to-face and out-of-class activities can be a challenge. One approach is to start assessing how much work instructors are currently expecting of students in their course. Using the Rice Course Workload Estimator, instructors can assess what they are currently expecting students to do outside the classroom: https://cte.rice.edu/workload#howcalculated
Source: Teaching in a Blended Learning Environment, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, Spring 2019. Accessed on November 14, 2019: https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/31129/pages/planning-your-course-structure