Will On-line Homework

THE INTERNET AND ITS EFFECT ON HOMEWORK COMPLETION RATES

Will On-line Homework Improve Completion Rates and By Extension, Improve Test

Scores?

By Lauren Nourse

Title

Touro University

In Partial fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTERS OF ARTS

In

Educational Technology

by

Lauren Nourse

April 2010

Will On-line Homework

Abstract

There is an ever increasing complaint from high school teachers that the students we are

sending from the junior high are not prepared for the rigors of their classes. Given the

premise that homework is a necessity when learning to work independently and in

developing self-discipline and responsibility the teachers at Martinez Junior High School

have instituted a homework lunch for students who do not complete math and science

homework when due. The purpose is to provide a location for homework completion with

teacher assistance. In spite of this intervention, the rates of completion of homework have

stayed static. Can we create more opportunities for homework to be done on line and will

this increase homework completion rates?

Will On-line Homework

Will On-line Homework Improve Completion Rates and By Extension, Improve Test

Scores?

Reading other projects for this class one realizes that the problems we are facing

as teachers are common throughout the academic disciplines. Our reason for investigating

the use of educational technology is to allow teachers to better connect with our students

who have grown up as technology natives (Hatzigeorgiou, 2009). Students seem to be

feeling more and more disconnected from school with each passing year. They question

the relevance of the subject being taught and don’t understand how this variety of topics

can form a major foundation for their future education and, more importantly, for their

later success in the work place. (Prensky, 2008b) In our efforts to find ways to help

students want to engage, we must investigate how we as teachers can use these new

technologies that students use daily (or even hourly).

The debate continues to rage on as to the effectiveness of homework: does it

translate into higher test scores? How do I cover the language of science and insure

students have the background needed to understand our curriculum without asking for

some effort on their part outside of the classroom day?

Overwhelming evidence exists that homework improves student achievement

(Cooper, Robinson, and Patall 2006). With that evidence in mind, how can we insure

that: a) homework gets done; b) that homework is deemed to be meaningful to both

students and teachers and; c) the new methods to deliver homework will stimulate its

completion?

Statement of the problem

Will On-line Homework

Research has shown improved student learning when meaningful homework

assignments are completed and returned to students with constructive comments

(Mendicino, Razzaq & Heffernan, 2009). In addition, students benefit from completing

homework and learning to work independently. Homework also helps to develop self-

discipline and responsibility. Given this information I wanted to find research that

supported my belief that homework is an essential part of student learning and, more

importantly, important for student retention of information.

There is an ever growing struggle between schools and parents over the necessity,

amount, and usefulness of homework. There are studies for (Cooper, Civey. Robinson, &

Patall, 2006) and against (Kravlovec & Buell, 2000) homework, but the majority of

studies conclude that homework does improve academic achievement. In spite of these

studies, the perception persists and in fact is growing among teachers and administrators

that homework is no longer an essential piece of the educational puzzle (Kralovec & Bell,

2003).

In an attempt to increase homework completion rates in our eighth grade science

classes we have been keeping an accurate tally of students who do not turn in

assignments on time. They are then given a lunchtime detention with the principal and an

opportunity to complete the work. The assumption has been that this intervention would

improve the turn in rates. In the four months of this program there has been little or no

improvement in percentage of homework turn in. 40-50% of students routinely do not

turn in their assignments on time. In an effort to improve this turn in rate I have

investigated studies that offer options to the traditional pen-and-paper homework cycle.

The Mendicino fifth grade study concluded that there was a significant

Will On-line Homework

improvement in learning for students who completed the homework using the Web-based

model. In a college level study, results were negligible. That study concluded that web-

based homework is a good alternate but not necessarily a replacement for traditional

general homework (Liang, 2002).

Even though the college level physics results did not show any significant

difference in learning outcomes, the study did report a higher level of homework

completion for those who completed the web-based homework. They also reported that

students found the web-based homework more “interesting” even though they spent more

time completing it.

Background and Need

There is a need to find a new tech savvy way to allow students to participate in

homework. In our continuing efforts to engage students in the academic process it

appears we must learn from them and employ some new web based methods for

completing homework. Obviously a student technology assessment would need to be

completed. We are making assumptions that ALL students have access to and routinely

use the internet and other technology. This survey would help find out what technology

literacy exists among my students. What is the student’s access to computers, their access

to the internet, and the ability of their computer to handle the graphic and video

components anticipated in the homework events? Following the lead of several other

teachers doing research on this topic I would suggest a need to an assessment of the

conditions under which students do their homework. Items needing to be assessed would

include: a) when and where homework is done; b) lighting conditions; c) study space or

surface; and d) music, television, or other noise level factors. From that point, testing

Will On-line Homework

parameters would be established and a research time period set.

Purpose

The purpose of the project is to take existing homework assignments and compare

the rates of homework completion between students using the traditional pen-and-paper

style versus homework completed on-line and returned to the teacher via the web. Will

there be an increase in homework completion rates as indicated by several prior studies?

(Bonham, Beichner, & Deardorff. (2001), Salend, Duhaney, Anderson, Gottschalk,

(2004), Cooper, Robinson, Patall, (2006) or has the novelty of the web as an educational

homework resource begun to fade?

Project Objectives

Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? With this project I hope to

determine what type of homework is necessary to encourage students to do their

homework. I anticipate giving pre- and post- tests for the unit covered under the study.

During the course of the project I hope to determine what homework teachers at MJHS

deem worthwhile.

The project will call for implementation of the use of online homework assignments

for at least one project at MJHS. In addition, it will be necessary to find routine weekly

homework assignments that can be done online. Hopefully this project will open dialogue

and debate at MJHS as to the effectiveness and worth of homework in our specific

community.

Definition of Terms

Blog or Web Log – A blog (short for "web log") is essentially an online journal or diary

where one can post messages, photos, music and video on their own.

Will On-line Homework

(http://absolute-digital.co.uk/glossary.php)

Blogger – A contributor to a blog or online journal.

(http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/blogger)

Digital Literacy – The ability to use digital technology, communication tools or

networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information.

(http://www.digitalstrategy.govt.nz/Resources/Glossary-of-Key-Terms/)

Digital Native – A digital native is a person who has grown up with digital technology

such as computers, the Internet, mobile phones and MP3 players.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_native)

Digital Immigrant – A person who was not born into the digital world but has adopted

many or most aspects of the new technology. (Prensky, 2001)

Web 2.0 – The term given to describe a second generation of the World Wide Web that is

focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information online.

(http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/Web_2_point_0.html)

Summary

The hypothesis is that web-based homework, particularly well-designed

homework with a web component, can provide an alternative to traditional types of

homework. Can we create more opportunities for homework to be done on line and will

this increase completion of homework assignments and by extension improve student test

scores? Will on-line homework improve understanding of the material and thus create

improved test scores? Lastly, will this be just a novelty to students who will be interested

in completing this new style initially but quickly tire and return to old habits?

Will On-line Homework

References

Bonham, S, Beichner, R, & Deardorff, D. (2001). Online homework: does it make a

difference/. The Physics Teacher, 39, 293-296

Cooper, H, Robinson, J.C., & Patall, E.A. (2006). Does Homework improve academic

achievement? A synthesis or research, 1987-2003. Review of educational research,

76(1), 1-62

Kralovec, E. & Buell, J. (2000). The end of homework: How homework disrupts families,

overburdens children, and limits learning. Boston: Beacon Press

Schuster, N. (2009, November 5). The Impact of homework and homework preferences in

ninth grade geography

Kralovec, E and Buell, J. (2001). End Homework Now. Educational Leadership. Vol. 58

(7) p39-42

Liang, J. (2002, May 11). Study of the effectiveness of a web-based interactive homework.

Retrieved from www.msstate.edu/dept/physics/research/ms-thesis-jie-liang.pdf

Razzaq, L, Heffernan, N.T., & Mendicino, M. (2009). A Comparison of traditional

homework to computer-supported homework. Journal of Research on Technology in

Education, 41(3), 331-358

Prensky, M. (2008b, November-December). The role of technology in teaching and the

classroom. Educational Technology. Retrieved December 8, 2008, from

http://marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-The_Role_of_Technology-ET-11-12-08.pdf