1. 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

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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?

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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
Research has shown improved student learning when meaningful homework
assignments are completed and returned to students with constructive comments

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(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
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-

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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
parameters would be established and a research time period set.
Purpose

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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.
(http://absolute-digital.co.uk/glossary.php)
Blogger – A contributor to a blog or online journal.

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

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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