What does ‘student contact time’ mean?
‘Student contact time’ refers to the tutor-mediated time allocated to teaching, provision of guidance and feedback to students. This time includes activities that take place in face-to-face contexts such as on-campus seminars, labs, studios and workshops, as well as off-site work-based learning, placements and educational visits. Student contact time also includes tutor-mediated activities that take place in online environments. Online contact time can be synchronous (using real-time environments such as Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor-moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis). Online contact time is always characterised by personalised tutor presence and input within a specified time-frame.
This definition is based on the one provided by the QAA (see page four of the Contact Hours document) who define it as the amount of time that you spend learning in contact with teaching or associated staff, when studying for a particular course, which may include office hours, interaction by email or other media and feedback on assessed work. They also note that “contact time may also take a virtual rather than face-to-face form”. (QAA 2011). Typically, this would be through NILE but may include other technology-aided means. UON has defined it as ‘Student contact time’ refers to the tutor-mediated time allocated to teaching, provision of guidance and feedback to students. This time includes activities that take place in face-to-face contexts such as on-campus seminars, labs, studios and workshops, as well as off-site work-based learning, placements and educational visits. Student contact time also includes tutor-mediated activities that take place in online environments. Online contact time can be synchronous (using real-time environments such as … Blackboard Collaborate) or asynchronous (using tools such as tutor-moderated discussion forums, blogs or wikis). Online contact hours are always characterised by personalised tutor presence and input within a specified time-frame’. (UON2). It would not include emails or other messages that were not part of a tutor-mediated session.
Student contact time, together with time allocated for independent study and assessment, determines the total student study hours for a module or programme. Although there are separate hours allocated for each of these activities, they should always be clearly linked together in order to support effective learning.
The University of Northampton defines high quality contact time as structured, focused, purposeful and interactive.
Types of ‘student contact time’
The terms described below are primarily used in Module Specifications and other Quality processes and paperwork to provide a measure of consistency:
Interactive Small Group Sessions
These are face-to-face interactive sessions, for example seminars or workshops. These sessions will normally be taught in groups of up to 30. Specialist space is not typically required. These are face-to-face interactive sessions, for example seminars or workshops. These sessions will normally be taught in groups of up to 30. Specialist space is not typically required.
Specialist Space Sessions
These are face-to-face sessions, usually in small groups, that make use of specialist space, for example laboratory sessions.
Interactive Large Group Teaching
These are face-to-face interactive sessions, for example team based learning or workshops. These sessions will normally be taught in groups greater than 30. Specialist space is not typically required.
Lectures
Reserved for those occasions where there is a requirement to bring a cohort together (e.g. guest lectures, cohort induction).
Off-site Activities
On some courses, the opportunity for fieldwork putting what students have learned into practice, as well as expanding knowledge of a given subject, or visit an environment linked to the course.
Work-Based or Placement Learning
This refers to any period of planned activity whereby students engage with a third-party work-place as an integral part of their programme of study, and where supervision of the student is provided by the tutor or the third-party.
Online Learning Activities with Tutor Input
This category comprises sessions where students work individually or in groups on learning activities that are categorised primarily by being facilitated online (through NILE). They are part of a package of work that could include something to read, watch or listen to, followed by active online engagement including interaction with the tutor. They may be synchronous or asynchronous. These activities are likely to feed into face-to-face sessions either as preparation, follow-up, or midway through an activity, or any combination thereof. They are an integral part of the learning and teaching for the module.