College students and instructors: question about scheduling a long class . . .

[BamaTanya]

The schedule for an upcoming class I'm teaching is different than the typical semester because it's designed for working adults. The class time is 5-9 in the evenings. What kind of break(s) should I schedule? Obviously, students can't be expected to sit for 4 hours, especially after working a long day. I'm not even certain food and drinks are allowed in the building where we'll meet . . . (I need to find out about that!)

Ideas welcome! tia

Edited February 7, 2010 by BamaTanya

[athena1277]

When I took and evening class like that a few years ago, we had a 10 minute break about 1/2 way through. Plenty of time to use the restroom and grab a snack. There were some vending machines in the building. It was a computer class, so we were not allowed to bring food/drinks in the classroom.

[Melinda in VT]

When are they (you) supposed to eat?

 

I confess: I have a very short attention span. I would *want* breaks every hour or so. At a minimum, I'd want a 20 min break at the two-hour mark.

 

But I am not cut out for a four-hour evening class, so take that all with a grain of salt. When I was in college, I preferred to be finished with class by noon.

[BamaTanya]

When are they (you) supposed to eat?

 

 

 

I'm wondering the same thing! If they're coming from work, they're likely to be starving! If food is allowed in the classroom, I won't say anything if they're eating during class . . .

[myfunnybunch]

I took an evening class from 5-9:00 when I was in grad school. The instructor scheduled a 15-minute break midway through the class. But even more helpful for maintaining attention after a long day was the class structure: Lecture time was broken up by small-group discussion and activities followed by a whole-group discussion followed by some more lecture time. The transitions and discussions broke up the class time into chunks that felt more manageable.

 

Please check on food. Many students brought dinner to class!

 

Cat

[LibrarianMom]

I took an evening class from 5-9:00 when I was in grad school. The instructor scheduled a 15-minute break midway through the class. But even more helpful for maintaining attention after a long day was the class structure: Lecture time was broken up by small-group discussion and activities followed by a whole-group discussion followed by some more lecture time. The transitions and discussions broke up the class time into chunks that felt more manageable.

 

Please check on food. Many students brought dinner to class!

 

Cat

 

:iagree: I was just getting ready to respond that in addition to the typical mid-way break, lots of active learning techniques are going to be critical to keep everyone engaged in the class.

[G5052]

I know that this was an issue that came up when the college I work for was reaccredited. We have to put how long the break will be and approximately when it will be in each classroom syllabus.

 

I agree that the best approach is to vary your methods to keep them focused. IMHO any evening class is a struggle for students.

[meet me in paris]

A 15 minute break for a 4-hour class is plenty. I wouldn't do multiple breaks - that gets tedious to a lot of students and makes them feel like they're wasting their time. As a student I would always rather plow through and get out earlier. :)

[Tap]

I took an evening class from 5-9:00 when I was in grad school. The instructor scheduled a 15-minute break midway through the class. But even more helpful for maintaining attention after a long day was the class structure: Lecture time was broken up by small-group discussion and activities followed by a whole-group discussion followed by some more lecture time. The transitions and discussions broke up the class time into chunks that felt more manageable.

 

Please check on food. Many students brought dinner to class!

 

Cat

 

:iagree:

 

Except I don't think eating is appropriate in class, it is distracting to me when other people are making food noises while I am trying to listen to someone speak. People should be able to eat before class.

[edithcrawley]

:iagree:

 

Except I don't think eating is appropriate in class, it is distracting to me when other people are making food noises while I am trying to listen to someone speak. People should be able to eat before class.

 

 

If it is an evening class, a lot people may have just gotten off from work and not had time to eat beforehand. I've been in many college classes where students were eating/drinking things and it really isn't a big deal. Most people do their best to bring "quiet foods" such as sandwiches, and if they did have something loud and crunchy, they would either save it for the break, or sit in the back and eat it. I think hearing lots of rumbling stomachs would be a lot more distracting than people eating food.

[anabelneri]

My undergrad had 3 to 4 hour classes all the time -- class was either 9-noon or 1-5pm or both, depending on the subject. We usually had one break in the middle of the class.

 

I'd probably poll the class at the beginning -- do they want a shorter bathroom break in the middle and potentially end sooner, or do they want a longer (20 min?) break so they can eat/network/whatever? Chances are good, with a working crowd, they'll have pretty strong opinions about it one way or the other.

 

:)

Anabel

[JFSinIL]

I agree with everyone who recommends breaking up the activities and having a decent break halfway though - I had one professor, a MAN, who would talk at us for four hours without a break - HE didn't need a break, so why should we? All the female students (and some of the guys) would just have to slip out of the classroom and rush to the bathroom, missing a bit of the lecture. AAARRGH!!!

[JFSinIL]

:iagree:

 

Except I don't think eating is appropriate in class, it is distracting to me when other people are making food noises while I am trying to listen to someone speak. People should be able to eat before class.

 

The same professor who gave no breaks did not like us eating in class - HE got to have his dinner before class so no need for food!!! I worked and had to gobble a sandwich on the "L" on my way from work to class. The "L" is a nasty place to eat (and not legal, either.)

[Dobela]

Check with the school and see what is allowed first. When I was in grad school all of my classes were that long and at night. I often ate in the car on the way to class. An occassional prof would allow eating in class but it depended on space (did we use desks or tables with more space) and the rules for that building. Either way I didn't usually eat more than a snack in class because it was hard to follow and write and eat and the same time. We would also take about a 15 minute break in the middle. Some profs would ask if we wanted a break or wanted to press on so that we could leave earlier. Another would regularly start class 15 minutes late so that everyone could eat before class - but then we had to stay later to compensate. Honestly, since I had to drive 45 minutes to class I hated staying later and would have preferred that we didn't have those long breaks or started late.

 

My favorite classes were those with lots of student participation as well. It was a pain for me to prepare my presentations but those are the classes I learned the most from.

[Tap]

If it is an evening class, a lot people may have just gotten off from work and not had time to eat beforehand. I've been in many college classes where students were eating/drinking things and it really isn't a big deal. Most people do their best to bring "quiet foods" such as sandwiches, and if they did have something loud and crunchy, they would either save it for the break, or sit in the back and eat it. I think hearing lots of rumbling stomachs would be a lot more distracting than people eating food.

 

 

I used to take a class like this one (4hr evening class). We didn't eat in class and everyone just planned accordingly, some eating before and some eating on break. I have been in classes/meeting with people bringing in full meals and I don't think it is usually necessary and can be planned around.

[SonshineLearner]

My dad teaches these often. Last time he did a World Religion class, my daughter sat through... 9-3 with a half hour lunch... and maybe two ... 10 minute breaks... :-)

[mysterious_jedi]

As a current undergrad student, I think breaks are totally necessary in a class that long :). In organic chemistry, on the occasions that my professor used the 4-hour lab slot for lectures, he would take a five or ten minute break every hour or so. He said it was to take advantage of the 50-minute lecture time that is "programmed" into us. However, people who are working instead of taking classes full time may have a different attention span.

 

In that case, I would recommend what others are saying, a longer break halfway through.

 

Also, like others were saying, mixing it up with discussion or other activities makes a huge difference. Anyone who's had a lab class knows how much worse it is trying to pay attention through a three or four hour lecture than a three or four hour lab.

 

Just my $.2

[MaMa2005]

DH is a college professor. His opinion is to go for 1 hour 45 minutes then give a 15 minute break. Then go for the next two hours. When he has classes this long, food is allowed in the classroom. He also suggested that by keeping the break short, just try to finish up early. For a class this length, he would try to finish at least 30 minutes early. Of course, this doesn't work if you are teaching where you don't have that flexibility.

 

He also said that if you give them more than a 15 or 20 minute break, many will disappear and not return for the last part of the class.

 

HTH

[cathmom]

The community college I teach for mandates 10 minute breaks per hour. So when I taught a 2.5 hour class, they deserved 25 minutes of break time. You are not allowed to take it at the end, even if the students agree! What I ended up doing was starting 5 minutes late (since some students would not be on time), take a ten minute break about an hour into the class, and then another short break about 45 minutes from the end.

 

I took a lot of 3 hour night classes that had one 15 min. break, but for a 4 hour class, I would want two breaks, something like this:

 

5 PM class starts

6 PM 10-15 minute break (this would allow people to eat if necessary)

7:30 10 minute break

9 PM class over

[LizzyBee]

A 15 minute break for a 4-hour class is plenty. I wouldn't do multiple breaks - that gets tedious to a lot of students and makes them feel like they're wasting their time. As a student I would always rather plow through and get out earlier. :)

 

:iagree: I went to night school for 2.5 years to finish my degree. Most of my classes were 3 hours rather than 4, most of them were lecture format, and we had one break. We would bring a snack or get something from the vending machines.

Edited February 14, 2010 by LizzyBee

[sleepymommy]

I would think a short break (5 min) at 6pm and 8pm, and a bit longer in the middle (about 10 mins) around 7pm would be good. Sometimes people just need to stand up and stretch or run to the restroom.