Can online homework reduce teacher workload without compromising student learning?
Was a graduate project in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge.
Many teachers in the UK experience a large workload that is out of proportion with their salary, in some cases leading to job dissatisfaction, occupational stress and ultimately a high turnover of teachers . Marking written work, including homework, is a key contributor to this large workload. Homework does, however, appear to be worthwhile as it helps students learn course content. Online homework may be a suitable alternative to more traditional pen and paper homework as it is marks work automatically. In addition, it provides this feedback instantly.
This case study aims to explore the extent to which online homework could save teacher time and examine the learning gains students can achieve from online homework in comparison to pen and paper homework. This is done through a 6-week homework programme for one class of 31 students, embedded in the GCSE electricity course. A questionnaire, focus group and research journal are used as the methods for data collection.
The findings indicate that use of online homework does significantly save teacher time, particularly if implemented with multiple classes. Learning gains from online homework are very similar to those from pen and paper homework. Use of an online platform that is easy to navigate was important to students, however there were concerns about the lack of written notes for revision purposes when doing homework online. Further research is needed to ascertain whether these findings are generalisable to other students studying other subjects.
Investigator: Ms Jessica Hunt
I'm Dutch-British and was born and raised in The Hague, Netherlands, but attended a British school. I then studied Natural Science (mainly physics) at Durham University from 2012-2016, before moving to Cambridge to complete my PGCE. I now (2020) teach physics in a central London state school for girls. I am also Head of STEM and in command of KS3 Science.
Contact Jess: jessjhunt@gmail.com
