Quick summary:
In the United States, there is an ongoing debate about whether homework is worthwhile, with critics saying that it’s busywork at best and, at worst, that it’s detrimental to student learning. Instead of implementing “no homework” policies, according to Professor Neil Heffernan who runs the ASSISTments project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, we can and should use technology to improve how students do their homework — or at least their math homework.
In order for online homework to be effective in supporting student learning, it must:
Providing students with immediate feedback on their homework assignments, while providing their teachers with information they can use for course planning, is a powerful practice that’s proven to increase student learning. It’s time we demand smarter ways to use homework.
U.S. Education Department found only three technologies met stringent criteria for being effective. ASSISTments was one of them. Read more in this article by Jill Barshay in The Hechinger Report.
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