Timetables, attendance and academic achievement in higher education

We identify the impacts of a student's timetable on their attendance, study time and academic achievement using administrative and survey data from a public UK university across a broad range of degree programmes using quasi-random assignment of students to their timetables. Timetable measures include back-to-back classes, single-class days, time-of-day, day-of-instruction and long hours. We observe hourly attendance decisions. Findings indicate that student attendance at the event level is highly dependent on the timetable structure. Single-class days reduce attendance and back-to-back classes raise it. We are able to show that students compensate for marginal non-attendance at some events with increased attendance at other events on the same module, or among more conscientious students, with increased study time. Net of all behavioural responses to the timetable, these features have little impact on academic attainment.