Many academics are facing the challenge of poor student engagement, particularly in terms of lecture attendance beyond the first few weeks of semester, when numerous assessment items and other priorities vie for the students’ time. Some academics have found themselves addressing almost empty rooms by mid semester, despite their best efforts to offer a challenging and authentic classroom experience. This can be dispiriting, and has caused some teachers to introduce weekly in-class assessment items in an attempt to force attendance, only to compound the problem of over-assessment. This paper discusses an alternative approach to enhancing engagement, through the introduction of intensive mode delivery (IMD) in a third-year science unit at a large metropolitan university. The paper focuses on the staff experience, including the expectations, perceived benefits and challenges, the level of student engagement experienced, staff satisfaction and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery model. The results showed that despite some identified roadblocks and perceived difficulties, the teaching team had a strong preference for the intensive model over the standard delivery mode. Although student opinions were divided concerning their preferences, the staff were impressed by the students’ greater engagement, depth of learning and almost 100% attendance. The present findings will inform the design of learning experiences that are satisfying for both staff and students, and contribute to a growing body of knowledge about flexible delivery in Higher Education.

Keywords: Intensive mode of delivery, science, blended learning