College instructors report consistently that 8:00 a.m. (or earlier) classes produce higher levels of attrition than classes held later in the day. A pair of articles in Inside Higher Ed. illuminates the issue. Here's a link to a piece by Dean Dad, which also provides access to an earlier article by Juanita M. Eagleson, who teaches at the Community College of the District of Columbia. Both posts are worth reading in their entirety.
Leaving aside for a moment the fact that schools schedule classes based on capacity, not convenience, the current emphasis on retention may justify exploring whether these faculty observations hold up under statistical scrutiny (dissertation anyone?). Mere anecdotes are downright sinful in the contemporary arena of "data-driven" policy.
Dean Dad's article makes a call for such research. He also nails an important methodological dilemma that will have to be worked out:
Typically, the early-morning sections fill last, meaning they’re often the only options left for late registrants. We know that late registrants have higher drop/fail rates than students who sign up early. So do worse numbers at 8 a.m. reflect the time slot itself, or the higher proportion of late registrants?
If certain faculty prefer early morning classes, or volunteer to teach them, will their success scores (real or hypothetical) suffer as a result? We once assumed it was the student's responsibility to make scheduling choices, perhaps to learn from the consequences of their decisions.
Online courses may not be the answer either—at least for the typical community college student. See this recent research from the Community College Research Center.
Faculty members are often told that we must "meet students where they are." Where are they at 8:00 a.m? Don't ask.
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