Abstract:

Within the academic development framework of a Master's degree course, where each classroom practice session has traditionally been organized to combine short lectures with practical exercises related to the material covered in those lectures, the problem of student performance and satisfaction among those combining studies with work has been identified for years. Previous studies seemed to indicate that, for these students with work-life balance challenges, the ideal solution would have been to offer them entirely online training, so that their work schedule would not interfere with their academic schedule. In this case, questioning this approach, feedback has been gathered over several academic years, and an ad-hoc planning solution has been proposed for these students, in contrast to students pursuing the same studies who do not have these work-life balance issues. This ad-hoc planning involved consolidating and combining all theoretical content into intensive lecture sessions for students with work-life balance difficulties, while freeing up time for asynchronous home work. For students without such difficulties, the traditional lecture format, consisting of short theoretical modules and in-class work, was maintained. This study has gathered prior student feedback, the ad-hoc approach offered to the students, and evidence of performance and satisfaction after its implementation. It has been shown that reorganizing the sequence of theoretical and practical content to free up time for asynchronous work has improved learning outcomes for students with work-life balance difficulties. It has also been shown that the traditional format remains preferred for students without these difficulties.

Keywords:

Teaching model, remote, distribution of teaching load, conciliation, balance.