This past spring, the CTEI Journal Club read and discussed an article from the October 2024 edition of Cell Biology Education – Life Science Education journal titled: Exploring Variations in STEM Instructors’ Approaches to Office Hours. This article presents findings from a study that examined how STEM instructors from one institution perceive and conduct office hours. This study is somewhat unique in that most of the existing literature around this topic focuses on the student experience during office hours and how it impacts academic performance rather than how instructors structure and manage office hours.  

In the study, the authors conducted interviews with 18 STEM instructors who had class sizes ranging from 10-80 students. They were asked to describe a typical office hour (where they were held, who attended, the type of instruction they gave) and also a successful and unsuccessful office hour.  They were also asked if their approach to office hours has changed over time and whether or not they ever discussed office hour strategies with other instructors (Forsythe et al., 2024). Reponses were summarized into three categories:  

• Promotion of office hours 
• Modality of office hours 
• Management of office hours 

Within each category, the responses varied from student-centric (students’ interest in mind) to instructor-centric (instructor’s self interest in mind). 

To promote office hours, instructors shared several examples of student-centric strategies: sending personalized outreach, encouraging peer collaboration, providing frequent reminders, and offering incentives like snacks or games. Some instructors were unsure of the value of office hours or felt that office hours are busy enough already and took a more instructor-centric approach by not promoting them at all.   

For modality, some instructors said they prefer drop-in office hours while others prefer them to be scheduled. Senior instructors often preferred scheduled office hours to avoid conflicts with other responsibilities, such as research (Forsythe et al., 2024). There were also differences in holding office hours online vs. in person; some instructors believe that meeting in-person allowed them to get to know students better. Others preferred Zoom, stating that it’s not only more convenient for themselves, but also for students.   

As for managing office hours, instructors teaching more than one class per semester discussed holding separate office hours for each class or combining them for students in any of their classes. Those who chose to combine them believe that it offers students greater flexibility in attending and, if the course content allows, promotes student interaction (Forsythe et al., 2024). Another issue was how to manage high attendance and how difficult it can be to answer all student questions. Several instructors make an effort to answer questions in order and also recruit other students in the session to help out. Some instructors communicate their strategies to students ahead of time to manage student expectations during the session.  

When asked about barriers and challenges associated with holding office hours, several instructors in the study voiced frustration over the lack of training and wondered about the availability of guidelines or best practices. Many admitted feeling uncomfortable during the sessions and were unsure if they were taking the most effective approach with students. A number of instructors also noted that this topic is rarely discussed and expressed interest in opportunities to share experiences and strategies with their colleagues. 

During the journal club meeting, JHU instructors sympathized with the faculty in the article and shared their own experiences with office hours. One topic that came up was how to involve teaching assistants (TAs) in office hours.  An instructor shared that she holds joint office hours with TAs and they work alongside each other with students in small groups. Another instructor explained that she flipped part of her lecture and incorporated a weekly group office hour—held with both herself and the teaching assistants—into the regular class meeting time to make it easier for students to attend. 

The group also addressed concerns related to attendance. One instructor noted that many students are unaware of the value of office hours—as an opportunity to seek extra help, ask questions, and advocate for themselves—and, as a result, often choose not to attend. Another commented that students who historically have done really well academically are conditioned not to ask for help. Other instructors offered the following suggestions to help boost attendance: 

• Make sure students know what office hours are; they may have been called something else in grade school, such as “coach class” or “drop-in hours.” 

• Provide consistent reminders throughout the semester.  

• Hold office hours in public places to put people at ease. 

• Set up a meeting with students (as a group or individually) early in the semester and describe how office hours will work. 

• Schedule office hours close to assignment deadlines as a motivator for students to attend. 

Do you have any experiences, tips, or advice to share with colleagues about holding office hours? Please share in the comments section below. 

Amy Brusini, Senior Instructional Designer
Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation 

Image source: Pexels

References:

Forsythe, D., Green, R.M., & Hsu, J.L. (2024). Exploring variations in STEM instructors’ approaches to office hours. CBE – Life Sciences Education, 23(4). https://www.lifescied.org/doi/10.1187/cbe.24-03-0109