Have you ever heard someone say, “Teaching online must be easier—you don’t even have to go to class!” If you’ve taught an online course, you probably laughed until you cried (or maybe just cried). The idea that online teaching is “less work” than face-to-face (F2F) teaching is one of those myths that just won’t go away.
Here’s the truth: online courses don’t eliminate workload, they shift it. Instead of standing in front of a classroom three times a week, you’re grading, giving feedback, and answering questions in a near-constant trickle (or flood) of emails and discussion posts. In fact, research shows that online teaching often requires equal or more time than traditional teaching.
In this post, we’ll walk through what the research actually says about faculty workload in online courses, why the myth persists, and how institutions can respond.
The Research Says… Bring Snacks, You’ll Be Busy
Here’s a snapshot of what multiple studies have found:
- At least 14% more time online. One widely cited study found that teaching online required at least 14% more time compared to teaching the same class face-to-face (Tomei, 2006; 2019 revisit).
- Individualized contact adds hours. Faculty who compared their own courses online vs. F2F reported more time online because of increased one-on-one communication (Cavanaugh, 2005).
- Time goes into grading and discussions. In a workload study across institutions, faculty reported spending 12.7 hours per week per online course (averaging 22 students), with nearly 40% of that time dedicated to grading and 30% on discussion facilitation (Mandernach & Holbeck, 2016).
- Class size = workload multiplier. When an online class nearly tripled in enrollment, instructor time went up 2.5× (Sorensen, 2015). That’s why many universities cap online sections at 20–25 students.
- Faculty know it’s a big lift. Surveys consistently show faculty cite time and workload as top barriers to teaching online (Lloyd, Byrne, & McCoy, 2012).
- Discipline-specific studies back it up. In nursing education, faculty spend more time evaluating student work online compared to face-to-face (Andersen & Avery, 2008).
Why the Myth Persists
So why do some chairs and administrators still believe online = easier?
- They see “no commute, no classroom,” and assume less time.
- They don’t see the invisible hours: late-night grading, discussion moderation, personalized feedback.
- Some studies don’t account for course development time, which can add dozens of hours before the semester even starts (Van de Vord & Pogue, 2012).
In short, what’s visible looks lighter, but what’s hidden is heavier.
What Departments Can Do
If we want sustainable online teaching, institutions need to rethink workload policies:
- Compensate for course development (stipends, release time, or formal workload credit).
- Set realistic enrollment caps, especially for writing- and discussion-heavy courses.
- Offer grading or TA support when class sizes grow.
- Encourage time tracking. Having faculty log where their time goes for one term provides local evidence to complement national research.
Conclusion
Teaching online isn’t “less work.” It’s different work—often more individualized, time-distributed, and labor-intensive. Recognizing that reality helps protect faculty wellbeing, ensures quality learning experiences, and builds trust between instructors and leadership.
So the next time someone says teaching online is easier, you can smile and reply: “Sure, if by easier you mean answering discussion posts at 11 PM while your cat judges you from across the room.”
References
- Andersen, K. M., & Avery, M. D. (2008). Faculty teaching time: A comparison of web-based and face-to-face graduate nursing courses. International journal of nursing education scholarship, 5(1), Article2. https://doi.org/10.2202/1548-923X.1539
- Cavanaugh, J. (2005). Teaching online: A time comparison. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.
- Lloyd, S., Byrne, M., & McCoy, T. (2012). Faculty-perceived barriers of online education. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching.
- Mandernach, B. J., & Holbeck, R. (2016). Teaching online: Where do faculty spend their time? Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.
- Sorensen, C. (2015). An examination of the relationship between online class size and instructor performance. Journal of Educators Online.
- Tomei, L. (2006). The impact of online teaching on faculty workload. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education.
- Van de Vord, R., & Pogue, K. (2012). Teaching time investment: Does online really take more time than face-to-face? International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning.