Workload Estimator
The Workload Estimator 2.0 is an interactive, research-informed tool developed by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Wake Forest University to help instructors estimate student time-on-task for their courses. By accounting for core activities—such as reading, writing, discussion posts, exams, videos, and class meetings—the estimator generates a detailed projection of weekly and total student workload based on customizable course inputs. This supports transparent syllabus design, equitable workload planning, and evidence-informed curriculum decisions that align instructional expectations with student experience.
Research & design: Betsy Barre, Alan Brown, Justin Esarey
Change inputs to update estimates instantly.
CLASS DURATION (WEEKS)
Total number of weeks in the term/semester — used to compute semester totals.
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Default pages/hour values are chosen from research-informed matrices. Use override to set a custom rate.
WRITING ASSIGNMENTS (Per semester)
Default hours/page values are used unless you override.
VIDEOS / PODCASTS
DISCUSSION POSTS
EXAMS
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
CLASS MEETINGS
Used to compute per-week averages (default 15).
Estimator outputs
Pages/hour: —
Hours/page: —
Discussion hrs/wk: —
Independent (out-of-class): —
Contact (engaged): —
Total (weekly): —
Semester (term) totals
Independent (term): —
Contact (term): —
Total (term): —
Notes
- Pages/hour and hours/page values use the same matrices as the original estimator.
- Text post time = (words × posts) / 250. AV post time = (minutes × posts) / 3.
- Semester totals = weekly estimate × Class Duration (weeks).
