Learning Hours
In the Course Descriptor there will be two important numbers to note:
- the number of Credits for the course
- the number of Learning Hours.
NZQA will have approved the number of credits.
Each credit equals 10 Learning Hours. For example, if a course has 15 credits, there will be 150 Learning Hours allocated to the course.
Ākonga may enter into a contract with StudyLink and TEC for the course duration: for example, if the course is 16 weeks long, the student may be able to apply for living costs for that time.
Learning Hours are essentially a contract with ākonga and show the amount of time an 'average' learner should take to complete the course.
It is essential to bear these hours in mind when planning your teaching for the course; otherwise, ākonga could be given too much or too little work for one specific course. If the learner workload is too high, it can lead to lower success rates, so it is essential to be realistic when planning the course workload and assessments.
How will you inform learners of the time commitment required to complete the course successfully? You could do this in your first lecture, at orientation or on your Course Moodle page.
