Available October 12 – 18, 2026
Note: Contact the Teaching and Learning Center to view this week’s session, send email to [email protected]
Instructor workload is a definite concern for instructors teaching online courses. Both the development and facilitation of online courses can be work-intensive; however, the workload related to developing and teaching online courses doesn’t need to be overwhelming.
This 20-Minute Mentor will explore a variety of practical solutions instructors can use to manage the workload of online teaching.
Learning Goals
After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:
- Identify ways they can take into account workload considerations while they are planning and developing online courses
- Explain how the strategy of assigning less work could have a significant impact on instructor workload
- Describe how using certain feedback strategies to assess student work can positively influence instructor workload
- Pinpoint course development and facilitation practices that may be consistent “time stealers” and explore how to rectify those
- Understand the benefit of not “recreating the wheel” when developing and teaching online courses
Topics Covered
- Workload: number of courses, students, and assessments, how assessments are administered, and other job duties
- Assigned Work: avoiding busy work, focusing on what is important for students to know
- Adjusting Feedback: number of items to be graded, auto grade, audio/video feedback, LMS rubric function, peer review