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Relationship between the length of class and student success in a comparative vertebrate zoology course: a case study

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the attention span of a typical student is about 10 to 15 minutes, while most university classes last at least 50 minutes, arguing against long lectures as a pedagogical strategy. Active learning approaches have been shown to engage students and improve the retention of material learned; however it is unclear what the optimal length of the class should be. Here, we compare student success in a comparative vertebrate zoology class that met once per week (total class length: 3 hours 30 minutes with 10 minute breaks after 50 minutes intervals; 7 students) and one that met four times a week (class length: 50 minutes; 16 students). The class was taught during the spring and fall semesters, 2012, by the same instructor with a comparable variety of active learning approaches. Final and intermediate course grades will be compared to assess student success. Student achievement in the laboratory portion of the course, which had a comparable structure in the two semesters (class length: 3 hours 50 minutes) will be used as a control. Qualitative results from student evaluations will also be presented.