The Benefits of 8-week Terms in College
At The Institute, courses are structured on 8-week terms and a flipped classroom model. This allows students to engage in material via various means (video, podcast, books, assignments) and then come to class and workshop the material with their professors.
At the Institute, we are always working to make education better for our students. If something isn't working or can be improved, we change it. Receptivity to feedback and the flexibility to change courses are two hallmarks of wisdom. We want to be wise in how we structure our programs.
Last year at the prompting of Institute President Gregg Garner, we made a significant change at The Institute: We split the customary 16-week semester into two quarters. Instead of taking 4-6 classes at a time, students now take 2-3. This rearrangement of the academic year comes with some significant upsides, which I’ll review here.
There’s only so much room in your brain at one time. 8 week courses allow students the freedom to focus on fewer subjects in a more condensed timeline.
The new schedule allows students to focus on fewer subjects at a time.
4-6 different subjects are a lot for a student to juggle at one time. The overburdened schedule scatters mental resources so that students cover a lot of ground but never dig deeply into any one area. With the new format, students can focus on 2-3 subjects at a time. This change allows for more intense focus resulting in deeper learning.
Watch Institute President Gregg Garner and Professor Brandon Galford discuss the change to 8-week terms as it relates to student flexibility. Our students now have more time to work, serve, and socialize, while still getting the same amount of content.
The new academic schedule also offers increased scheduling flexibility.
Life changes fast, and sometimes life events can upend a student's plan. If a student falls ill, for example, during the last few weeks of a 16-week semester, then it cancels half a year. Or if a student cannot begin classes during a particular time, the wait to catch courses can be lengthy. An 8-week semester mitigates these problems by offering classes more consistently throughout the academic year.
At The Institute, every Finals Week is kicked off with a “Finals Party” where faculty, staff and alumni surround students for a night of study help, final reviews, food, and fellowship ahead of Finals Week. With our new schedule, we doubled the amount of parties each year.
8-week terms provide quicker successes and more breaks.
Our students' test scores have improved with this change, likely because there is less time to forget the material. Students can actualize and celebrate more quickly won successes and enjoy regular breaks every eight weeks.
Our weekly workshops hold students accountable to the fast paced nature of the 8-week term. They are the highlight of the week, where professors and students work through material to ensure progress and understanding.
It’s faster and more intense, but it prepares you better for the real world.
One potential downside of an 8-week course also turns out to be one of its greatest strengths. It's true that an 8-week course by itself is faster, more intense, and requires a high degree of motivation and time management. Although this can be difficult for students who prefer a more relaxed speed, the increased intensity is more consistent with the expectations of the real world. As The Institute supports our students in managing their time and focus, we prepare them for the expectations and challenges they will face in their future careers and ministry.
A small change can make a big difference. It can also require a lot of work. Although the change has required our teachers to reformat classes and adapt to a new schedule, we've been happy to do it, knowing that the result will be better outcomes for those we care most about: our students.
