Earlier this school year, Newton South teachers gave their classes an in-class assignment similar to the average homework assignment.
Teachers hoped to gauge the amount of time it usually takes their students to complete their homework and adjust the amount of homework assigned accordingly to reduce student stress.
Denebola’s News Reporters interviewed several teachers to see how they think the diagnostic homework assignment went.
by Jacob Denninger
Interview with History teacher Jonathan Greiner
Q: How well do you think the diagnostic went?
A: I think it was informative in the fact that I saw that lots of people took a wide range of time. I don’t know that the diagnostic gave me an accurate number…because when I asked a follow up question roughly 90% of the students said this would take me a lot longer at home because there are more distractions at home. I’m not sure if watching students in class will give me an accurate amount of time, but it will give me a sense of how different students are as they approach their homework.
Q: What did you think of the experiment overall?
A: I think it was worthwhile, I think it was a nice way to start a conversation among students and teacher. I think [homework] is something that we constantly need to be thinking about and revisiting as [teachers] make our own plans. It only took one day, so [the experiment] isn’t something that took a lot of time out of our normal schedule, so I’m glad I did it.
Q:Will the experiment have an effect on how much homework you give in the future?
A:Well I tried this last year and it did, because something I thought would take 25 minutes took most kids 10 minutes. This year I tried it with a paragraph, and something I thought would take 20 minutes took 40 minutes. It made me a little more aware to not assign too much. I think it will affect [how much homework I assign], but I’m not sure how much yet.
by Winson Ye
Interview with English teacher Alexander Kaplan
Q: How do you think the diagnostic went?
A: At home, you could be listening to music, taking breaks, etc. When you do homework in class, a lot of these variables aren’t accounted for. This [homework experiment] helps paint a picture of what it’s like.
Q: What did the results show and what did you find out from the diagnostic?
A: [We can see that] the conversation about homework has been going on for a long time now. ‘What’s the purpose of homework?’ is a question that is addressed in discussions between students and teachers all the time.
Q: What did you think about the experiment overall?
A: It [the homework experiment] was helpful for teachers who usually wonder, ‘How much time are students really spending on homework each night.
Q: Will the test have an effect on the amount of homework you give in the future?
A: There could be a more public conversation across departments about homework, rather than internal discussions. Instead of discussions between two linked classes within a department, a broader conversation can take place between departments.
by Sally Jenks
Interview with English teacher Kelly Henderson:
Q: What did you think of the homework experiment?
A: It did not really simulate what homework is like for students because it eliminated a lot of the distractions that you guys have on your own, like when there’s a fridge, and a phone, and a computer.
Q: Do you think the experiment was useful?
A: Overall I think it was a good idea and helped communicate to students that this is something that we are really thinking about, that we don’t expect that you leave here and we forget all about you and your experience doesn’t matter.”
Interview with Math teacher Divya Shannon:
Q: How do you think the diagnostic went?
A: It’s hard to say with one homework assignment especially when we said no listening to music and there’s no internet, which isn’t really indicative of how students do homework.
Q: Do you think the experiment was useful?
A: It was good for assessing how students do problems but not really that effective for how homework is assessed…My homework is always based on how much practice students need, and that’s dependent on the class.
I think it’s also interesting to note that a large number of teachers chose to skip the in-class homework assignment, and those teachers that did skip it tended to be the teachers that gave the most homework. So while it was a good idea, the experiment can’t be applied to anything if not all teachers participate.