is an interesting topic. Students, parents, and educators often have opinions about the practice that are in direct opposition. There is research to support that homework has benefits. There is also research that indicates benefits are lacking. Harris Cooper (2007) states that much of the impact homework has on achievement is dependent on the age of students. Other factors include the amount of time spent doing homework, the content, and the feedback given. Even among educators, viewpoints are contradictory. Regardless of our feelings about homework, the practice is alive and kicking in most of our schools. As a result, it is advantageous to create the best possible approaches to homework design and implementation.
This book will:
Provide a global picture of the purpose of homework
Create and evaluate quality assignments
Evaluate considerations when assigning homework
Relate grading practices to homework
Promote collaborative team discussion and action
Homework is a topic that we take for granted. It is often assigned out of habit rather than as a result of careful thought and consideration. That is not a criticism; rather, it is meant to build awareness that homework should be given with caution, care, and consideration.
Focus and Organization of the Book
Quality homework design is the focus of this book. However, the purpose of homework, whether or not to assign homework, and the grading practices connected to homework are all addressed as well. Although the term homework is used throughout, the practices discussed are true of any work assigned to students.
Each chapter is organized to incorporate new learning, provide tools to organize thought, evaluate practices, or demonstrate ideas. Following each chapter is a section devoted to collaborative team discussion.
The topics and contents are as follows:
Chapter 1 discusses the four types of student work and clarifies the purpose of each from an assessment perspective.
Chapter 2 describes the four components important to designing quality homework.
Chapter 3 concentrates on recognizing and designing quality work to ensure student understanding.
Chapter 4 discusses considerations to determine when and if homework should be given.
Chapter 5 clarifies grading practices as they relate to homework.
Chapter 6 assists the reader in taking the next steps and viewing positive practices, evaluating current practices, and working to close the gap between current practices and the desired state.
Although the title for this book refers to homework, it may help to consider that homework most often refers to any work done outside of the classroom. Where the work is completed is typically not relevant. However, the purpose of the task is incredibly relevant and changes the focus of the intent and outcome of the work. The descriptions of the type of student work are valid no matter the location in which a student is working, whether inside or outside of the classroom. It is the type of work that gives us direction as to how to respond to the outcome, not the location in which it is completed.
Importance of a Team Approach
When teachers work collaboratively to improve their practice, the result is beneficial to students. In a professional learning community (PLC) approach for example, authors Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Thomas W. Many (2010) reveal that a PLC is “an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve” (p. 11). The collaborative team discussion questions at the end of each chapter will assist in this process.
Types of Work and Their Purposes
Over the years, I have heard dozens of reasons for the assignment of homework. Class was cut short, and there wasn’t enough time to finish the lesson. Without homework, students will lose skills over a vacation period. Poor student behavior, poor test performance, or poor preparation for advanced placement calls for additional homework. Students need homework to practice a skill or prepare for a test. Homework is a way for students to practice skills addressed during class, or homework is an extension of the school day. Homework provides discovery work for students (Guskey & Bailey, 2001). The list goes on. However, reasons are not the same as purpose. Ultimately, purpose defines the reason and why it is important for the student to engage in the task.
The word homework is just as global in scope as generic adjectives such as good, big, and nice. Often we fail to more clearly define the purpose of the homework for both the students and ourselves. Are we assigning a task that will provide information about the readiness level of students for the next unit? Are we asking students to do some introductory work so they are ready for class the following day? Are we assigning practice work to ensure that students have a better understanding of concepts or processes introduced in today’s class? Is it also possible to assign a task or project that sums up the skills and concepts learned while providing evidence that students can demonstrate their understanding of recent lessons?
In this chapter, we will assign purpose to homework by dividing it into four main types of student work.
1 Diagnostic
2 Introductory
3 Formative
4 Summative
Diagnostic Work
Diagnostic work serves to identify what students know in advance of a unit of study. It provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their background knowledge, which is likely necessary for success in the upcoming unit. For example, assessing the understanding of factors in math might precede work on simplifying fractions. Similarly, evaluating students’ knowledge of the concepts of cause and effect would be valuable information to have prior to beginning a social studies unit that concentrates on the causes and effects of certain historical events like World War I, for example. Diagnostic work does not need to be extensive, but it does need to supply the information required for a teacher to make decisions on next steps. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 provide an illustration of diagnostic assignments.
Figure 1.1: Example of diagnostic work—simplifying fractions.
When reviewing the students’ work on finding factors, this form will illustrate whether or not a student understands the concept and whether or not a student can illustrate his or her understanding. It can
