If the definition of credit hour is “based on the number of classroom hours per week throughout a term” then how is it measured in online courses. What is the difference between a 4 credit hour online class and a 3 credit hour online class? Is the 4 credit hour class significantly more work? If so by how much? Is it harder to get a good grade too?
Credit hours are not based on “the number of classroom hours per week throughout a term”. Last semester I had a full online course that was 3 units.
How are credit hours based then? The more credits, the more work you should expect to do right?
In general, yes.
Credit hours generally indicate the amount of work for that class, but it’s difficult to make comparisons across departments. For example, a 3-unit course in CS or engineering would probably require much more work than a 5-unit foreign language course.
I think the measure of credit hours originates in the number of hours in the classroom. Three hours in class per week for a fall or spring semester would give you 3 credits. That assumes the student is studying outside the classroom for 6 hours a week. So, the total commitment to the course is 9 hours per week. That would be the same time commitment for a 3-credit online course that is teacher-led, and not self-paced, for one semester. Summer courses usually run double-time, however. Ymmv