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- For the Daft Punk album of the same name, see Homework (album)''.
Homework is work assigned to be completed by the assignee at home or while not attending class. The term is generally used to refer to primary or secondary school assignments as opposed to college-level coursework. In the US, students enrolled in Advanced Placement or AP courses are generally given twice the amount of homework than students not taking these courses . These AP courses are college level courses, for credit, for high school students run by the College Board.
Many students find homework to be an undue burden, while schools and teachers generally insist that it is necessary to practice new skills and to better learn material. Some students see the need for homework; however, most students are opposed to "busywork". Therefore many students complain about homework.
Rather than doing their own work, a few students plagiarize or shirk their requirements (for example, by using Cliffs Notes instead of reading a book). If they are caught, punishments can range from a zero on the paper to expulsion from the institution, depending upon the school's policies and the severity of the infraction. See school discipline.
In recent years, there has been some backlash about the amount of homework assigned. Some statistics show that homework has nearly doubled for children since their grandparents' time. In some cases, several hours of work may be assigned every day, leading to incomplete or mediocre work and overstressed students. High School students usually have 45 minutes of homework per hour of class, yet may have up to 3 hours in a certain subject. The worst cases may actually cause children to develop social and mental problems. In response to such concerns, some schools have instituted policies lessening the homework load and requiring teachers to coordinate when assigning large, long-term projects.
Like most educational-related work, homework can become a bigger burden as circumstances change. One of the worst and most dramatic increases of student workload was during the Cold War. For a period of time, the United States government was pushing large amounts of science and mathematics on children in hopes of having greater technological skills at America's command.
Students who fail to do their homework employ a various range of excuses, the most clichéd being "the dog ate it". In cartoons, main characters actually have their homework eaten on various occasions, but the teacher fails to believe them, leading on a wild goose chase to actually prove it. Many teachers are actually sympathetic to the truth and will give the student extra time.
Some public and private schools use a homework hotline which states the homework for the day. It can either be a telephone number that can be called, or it may be a website that a student can go to.
Long-term assignments
Long-term assignments, also known as projects, may be given as homework. Typical long-term assignments include book reports, essays, and science projects. Students are often given a couple of weeks to complete the assignment. A lot of students save most of the work for the last minute. Teachers encourage students to plan their work and not do all of it the day before it must be handed in, yet many students still procrastinate.
Too much homework?
Study of homework levels has suggested that excessive homework may actually be detrimental to overall academic performance. Less homework given by teachers would give students the opportunity to have more time to do things on their own such as visiting friends or playing sports, which are essential elements in the development of the child, as well as give students the opportunity to study what they want to learn and not just what that school district or teacher wants them to. Homework's defenders say it increases students' mental capabilities and organization skills, which are necessary to the success of the person in question later in her or his life. This may not happen if inability to cope with the homework results in the student's coping with life breaking down under the stress, in mental health episodes, or in a need to avoid education altogether after being over-pressured to develop skills irrelevant to the student's interests. In one recent study, a correlation was shown between students' performance and time spent on homework. [http://www.nfer.ac.uk/research-areas/pims-data/summaries/hwk-review-of-studies-on-homework.cfm Some students notice a direct correlation between the amount of homework they do and the number of questions missed on a test.
In Australia, some teacher's groups have complained that the support for homework in the first three quarters of schooling comes mainly from parents rather than from the academic institutions.
Homework tips
According to the January 20 edition of Sunrise, an Australian morning news show presented on Channel 7, there are some ways to help children to concentrate on their homework:
- Don't play European classical music (especially Mozart) while children are doing their homework. The scientific basis for this activity has been refuted. Mozart promoted brain activity for only a minuscule amount of time and the students will, unless they happen to like Mozart(see below), be distracted.
- Many students, usually those in secondary school, find that turning on their favorite music helps them do their homework. If parents encourage this, the student will associate the homework as a good time and thus promote homework completion.
- Do not nag; reward. If constantly asked, "Did you do your homework?", the student may find it demeaning and refuse to do the work. If the student is rewarded for his work and punished when it is not completed, he will be more willing to do it on his own.
See also
External links
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"Homework"