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Interpreting student workload and the factors which shape students' perceptions of their workload

Bibliographic Data

ID5082945
AuthorsDavid Kember (0000-0002-1134-3741, Chinese University of Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2004
Volume29
Issue2
Pages165-184
Publication date2004-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0307507042000190778
OpenAlexW1969829335
LanguageEN
Citations received47

This article examines the nature of student workload and how perceptions of it are formed. Inferences are drawn from five detailed case studies, taken from a wider sample of university students who completed an hourly diary for one week. A subsample was also interviewed. Perceptions of workload are not synonymous with time spent studying, but can be weakly influenced by them. There are both class effects from contextual variables and individual differences within a class. Perceptions of workload are influenced by content, difficulty, type of assessment, teacher–student and student–student relationships. Workload and surface approaches to learning are interrelated, in what appears to be a complex reciprocal relationship. It is possible to inspire students to work long hours towards high quality learning outcomes if attention is paid to teaching approaches, assessment and curriculum design in the broadest sense. It is, therefore, important to have open evaluation systems which gather feedback on a wide array of curriculum variables

Curriculum · Higher education · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Perception · Reciprocal · Workload · Computer Science · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology · Student Assessment and Feedback

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Unique citing works47
Citations per year2,35
Citation span2006 - 2026 (21)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 44
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