homework make you smarter

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Kids are onto something: Homework might actually be bad

By Stan Horaczek

Posted on Sep 23, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

6 minute read

When you’re a kid, your stance on homework is generally pretty simple: It’s the worst. When it comes to educators, parents, and school administrators, however, the topic gets a lot more complicated. 

Collective educational enthusiasm toward homework has ebbed and flowed throughout the 20th century in the US. School districts began abolishing homework in the ‘30s and ‘40s, only for it to come roaring back as the space race kicked off in the late ‘50s and drove a desire for sharper math and science skills. It fell out of fashion again during the Vietnam War era before it came back strong in the ‘80s .

As the country mostly transitions back to full-time, in-person schooling, the available research on homework and its efficacy is still messy at best. 

How much homework are kids doing?

There’s a fundamental issue at the very start of this discussion: we’re not entirely sure how much homework kids are actually doing. A 2019 Pew survey found that teens were spending considerably more time doing schoolwork at home than they had in the past—an hour a day, on average, compared to 44 minutes a decade ago and just 30 in the mid-1990s. 

But other data disagrees , instead suggesting that homework expansion primarily affects children in lower grades. But it’s worth noting that such arguments typically refer to data from more than a decade ago. 

How much homework are kids supposed to be doing?

Many schools subscribe to a “rule of thumb” that suggests students should get 10 minutes of homework for each grade level. So, first graders should get just 10 minutes of work to do at home while high schoolers should be cracking the books for up to two hours each night. 

This once served as the official guidance for educators from the National Education Association, as well as the National PTA. It also serves as the official homework policy for many school districts, even though the NEA’s outline of  the policy now leads to an error page . The National PTA also now relies on a less-specific resolution on homework which encourages districts and educators to focus on “quality over quantity.”

The PTA’s resolution effectively sums up the current dominant perspective on homework. “The National PTA and its constituent associations advocate that teachers, schools, and districts follow evidence-based guidelines regarding the use of homework assignments and its impact on children’s lives and family interactions.”

Even with these well-known standards, a study from researchers at Brown University, Brandeis University, Rhode Island College, Dean College, the Children’s National Medical Center, and the New England Center for Pediatric Psychology, found that younger children were still getting more than the recommended amount of homework by two or three times . First and second graders were doing roughly 30 minutes of homework every night. 

Does homework make kids smarter?

In the mid-2000s, a Duke researcher named Harris Cooper led up one of the most comprehensive looks at homework efficacy to-date. The research set out to explore the perceived correlation between homework and achievement. The results showed a general correlation between homework and achievement. Cooper reported, “No strong evidence was found for an association between the homework–achievement link and the outcome measure (grades as opposed to standardized tests) or the subject matter (reading as opposed to math).” 

The paper does suggest that the correlation strengthens after 7th grade—but it’s likely not a causal relationship. In an interview with the NEA , Cooper explains, “It’s also worth noting that these correlations with older students are likely caused, not only by homework helping achievement but also by kids who have higher achievement levels doing more homework.”

A 2012 study looked at more than 18,000 10th-grade students and concluded that increasing homework loads could be the result of too much material with insufficient instructional time in the classroom. “The overflow typically results in more homework assignments,” the lead researcher said in a statement from the University. “However, students spending more time on something that is not easy to understand or needs to be explained by a teacher does not help these students learn and, in fact, may confuse them.”

Even in that case, however, the research provided somewhat conflicting results that are hard to reconcile. While the study found a positive association between time spent on homework and scores on standardized tests, students who did homework didn’t generally get better grades than kids who didn’t. 

Can homework hurt kids?

It seems antithetical, but some research suggests that homework can actually hinder achievement and, in some cases, students’ overall health. 

A 2013 study looked at a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper middle class communities. The results showed that “students who did more hours of homework experienced greater behavioral engagement in school but also more academic stress, physical health problems, and lack of balance in their lives.” And that’s in affluent districts. 

When you add economic inequity into the equation, homework’s prognosis looks even worse. Research suggests that increased homework can help widen the achievement gap between low-income and economically advantaged students ; the latter group is more likely to have a safe and appropriate place to do schoolwork at night, as well as to have caregivers with the time and academic experience to encourage them to get it done. 

That doesn’t mean financially privileged kids are guaranteed to benefit from hours of worksheets and essays. Literature supporting homework often suggests that it gives parents an opportunity to participate in the educational process as well as monitor a child’s progress and learning. Opponents, however, contest that parental involvement can actually hurt achievement. A 2014 research survey showed that help from parents who have forgotten the material (or who never really understood it) can actually harm a student’s ability to learn. 

The digital homework divide

Access to reliable high-speed internet also presents an unfortunate opportunity for inequity when it comes to at-home learning. Even with COVID-era initiatives expanding programs to provide broadband to underserved areas, millions of households still lack access to fast, reliable internet . 

As more homework assignments migrate to online environments instead of paper, those students without reliable home internet have to make other arrangements to complete their assignments in school or somewhere else outside the home. 

How do we make homework work?

Some experts suggest decoupling homework from students’ overall grades. A 2009 paper suggests that, while homework can be an effective tool for monitoring progress, assigning a grade can actually undercut the main purpose of the work by encouraging students to focus on their scores instead of mastering the material. The study recommends nuanced feedback instead of numbered grades to keep the emphasis on learning—which has the added benefit of minimizing consequences for kids with tougher at-home circumstances. 

Making homework more useful for kids may also come down to picking the right types of assignments. There’s a well-worn concept in psychology known as the spacing effect , which suggests it’s easier to learn material revisited several times in short bursts rather than during long study sessions. This supports the idea that shorter assignments can be more beneficial than heavy workloads.  Many homework opponents add that at-home assignments should appeal to a child’s innate curiosity. It’s easy to find anecdotal evidence from educators who have stopped assigning homework only to find that their students end up participating in more self-guided learning. As kids head back into physical school buildings, the homework debate will no doubt continue on. Hopefully, the research will go with it.

Is your head constantly spinning with outlandish, mind-burning questions? If you’ve ever wondered what the universe is made of, what would happen if you fell into a black hole, or even why not everyone can touch their toes, then you should be sure to listen and subscribe to Ask Us Anything, a podcast from the editors of Popular Science. Ask Us Anything hits  Apple ,  Anchor ,  Spotify , and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. Each episode takes a deep dive into a single query we know you’ll want to stick around for.

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Why homework doesn't seem to boost learning--and how it could.

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Some schools are eliminating homework, citing research showing it doesn’t do much to boost achievement. But maybe teachers just need to assign a different kind of homework.

In 2016, a second-grade teacher in Texas delighted her students—and at least some of their parents—by announcing she would no longer assign homework. “Research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance,” she explained.

The following year, the superintendent of a Florida school district serving 42,000 students eliminated homework for all elementary students and replaced it with twenty minutes of nightly reading, saying she was basing her decision on “solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students.”

Many other elementary schools seem to have quietly adopted similar policies. Critics have objected that even if homework doesn’t increase grades or test scores, it has other benefits, like fostering good study habits and providing parents with a window into what kids are doing in school.

Those arguments have merit, but why doesn’t homework boost academic achievement? The research cited by educators just doesn’t seem to make sense. If a child wants to learn to play the violin, it’s obvious she needs to practice at home between lessons (at least, it’s obvious to an adult). And psychologists have identified a range of strategies that help students learn, many of which seem ideally suited for homework assignments.

For example, there’s something called “ retrieval practice ,” which means trying to recall information you’ve already learned. The optimal time to engage in retrieval practice is not immediately after you’ve acquired information but after you’ve forgotten it a bit—like, perhaps, after school. A homework assignment could require students to answer questions about what was covered in class that day without consulting their notes. Research has found that retrieval practice and similar learning strategies are far more powerful than simply rereading or reviewing material.

One possible explanation for the general lack of a boost from homework is that few teachers know about this research. And most have gotten little training in how and why to assign homework. These are things that schools of education and teacher-prep programs typically don’t teach . So it’s quite possible that much of the homework teachers assign just isn’t particularly effective for many students.

Even if teachers do manage to assign effective homework, it may not show up on the measures of achievement used by researchers—for example, standardized reading test scores. Those tests are designed to measure general reading comprehension skills, not to assess how much students have learned in specific classes. Good homework assignments might have helped a student learn a lot about, say, Ancient Egypt. But if the reading passages on a test cover topics like life in the Arctic or the habits of the dormouse, that student’s test score may well not reflect what she’s learned.

The research relied on by those who oppose homework has actually found it has a modest positive effect at the middle and high school levels—just not in elementary school. But for the most part, the studies haven’t looked at whether it matters what kind of homework is assigned or whether there are different effects for different demographic student groups. Focusing on those distinctions could be illuminating.

A study that looked specifically at math homework , for example, found it boosted achievement more in elementary school than in middle school—just the opposite of the findings on homework in general. And while one study found that parental help with homework generally doesn’t boost students’ achievement—and can even have a negative effect— another concluded that economically disadvantaged students whose parents help with homework improve their performance significantly.

That seems to run counter to another frequent objection to homework, which is that it privileges kids who are already advantaged. Well-educated parents are better able to provide help, the argument goes, and it’s easier for affluent parents to provide a quiet space for kids to work in—along with a computer and internet access . While those things may be true, not assigning homework—or assigning ineffective homework—can end up privileging advantaged students even more.

Students from less educated families are most in need of the boost that effective homework can provide, because they’re less likely to acquire academic knowledge and vocabulary at home. And homework can provide a way for lower-income parents—who often don’t have time to volunteer in class or participate in parents’ organizations—to forge connections to their children’s schools. Rather than giving up on homework because of social inequities, schools could help parents support homework in ways that don’t depend on their own knowledge—for example, by recruiting others to help, as some low-income demographic groups have been able to do . Schools could also provide quiet study areas at the end of the day, and teachers could assign homework that doesn’t rely on technology.

Another argument against homework is that it causes students to feel overburdened and stressed.  While that may be true at schools serving affluent populations, students at low-performing ones often don’t get much homework at all—even in high school. One study found that lower-income ninth-graders “consistently described receiving minimal homework—perhaps one or two worksheets or textbook pages, the occasional project, and 30 minutes of reading per night.” And if they didn’t complete assignments, there were few consequences. I discovered this myself when trying to tutor students in writing at a high-poverty high school. After I expressed surprise that none of the kids I was working with had completed a brief writing assignment, a teacher told me, “Oh yeah—I should have told you. Our students don’t really do homework.”

If and when disadvantaged students get to college, their relative lack of study skills and good homework habits can present a serious handicap. After noticing that black and Hispanic students were failing her course in disproportionate numbers, a professor at the University of North Carolina decided to make some changes , including giving homework assignments that required students to quiz themselves without consulting their notes. Performance improved across the board, but especially for students of color and the disadvantaged. The gap between black and white students was cut in half, and the gaps between Hispanic and white students—along with that between first-generation college students and others—closed completely.

There’s no reason this kind of support should wait until students get to college. To be most effective—both in terms of instilling good study habits and building students’ knowledge—homework assignments that boost learning should start in elementary school.

Some argue that young children just need time to chill after a long day at school. But the “ten-minute rule”—recommended by homework researchers—would have first graders doing ten minutes of homework, second graders twenty minutes, and so on. That leaves plenty of time for chilling, and even brief assignments could have a significant impact if they were well-designed.

But a fundamental problem with homework at the elementary level has to do with the curriculum, which—partly because of standardized testing— has narrowed to reading and math. Social studies and science have been marginalized or eliminated, especially in schools where test scores are low. Students spend hours every week practicing supposed reading comprehension skills like “making inferences” or identifying “author’s purpose”—the kinds of skills that the tests try to measure—with little or no attention paid to content.

But as research has established, the most important component in reading comprehension is knowledge of the topic you’re reading about. Classroom time—or homework time—spent on illusory comprehension “skills” would be far better spent building knowledge of the very subjects schools have eliminated. Even if teachers try to take advantage of retrieval practice—say, by asking students to recall what they’ve learned that day about “making comparisons” or “sequence of events”—it won’t have much impact.

If we want to harness the potential power of homework—particularly for disadvantaged students—we’ll need to educate teachers about what kind of assignments actually work. But first, we’ll need to start teaching kids something substantive about the world, beginning as early as possible.

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

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Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

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Study Smarter, Not Harder

Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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Top 10 tips on how to study smarter, not longer.

Good study skills matter now more than ever, and science points to ones that really work

Many students study by reading their notes and textbooks over and over again. Research studies show there are more effective ways to use your valuable study time.

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By Kathiann Kowalski

September 9, 2020 at 6:30 am

As a teen, Faria Sana often highlighted books with markers. “The colors were supposed to tell me different things.” Later, she recalls, “I had no idea what those highlighted texts were supposed to mean.”

She also took lots of notes as she read. But often she was “just copying words or changing the words around.” That work didn’t help much either, she says now. In effect, “it was just to practice my handwriting skills.”

“No one ever taught me how to study,” Sana says. College got harder, so she worked to find better study skills. She’s now a psychologist at Athabasca University in Alberta, Canada. There she studies how students can learn better.

Having good study skills is always helpful. But it’s even more important now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many students worry about family or friends who may get sick, Sana notes. Others feel more general stress . Beyond that, students in many countries are facing different formats for learning. Some schools are holding in-person classes again, with rules for spacing and masks . Others schools have staggered classes, with students at school part-time. Still others have all online classes , at least for a while.

These conditions can distract from your lessons. Plus, students are likely to have to do more without a teacher or parent looking over their shoulders. They will have to manage their time and study more on their own. Yet many students never learned those skills. To them, Sana says, it may be like telling students to learn to swim by “just swimming.”

The good news: Science can help.

For more than 100 years, psychologists have done research on which study habits work best. Some tips help for almost every subject. For example, don’t just cram! And test yourself, instead of just rereading the material. Other tactics work best for certain types of classes. This includes things like using graphs or mixing up what you study. Here are 10 tips to tweak your study habits.

1. Space out your studying

Nate Kornell “definitely did cram” before big tests when he was a student. He’s a psychologist at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He still thinks it’s a good idea to study the day before a big test. But research shows it’s a bad idea to cram all your studying into that day. Instead, space out those study sessions.

In one 2009 experiment, college students studied vocabulary words with flash cards. Some students studied all the words in spaced-apart sessions throughout four days. Others studied smaller batches of the words in crammed, or massed, sessions, each over a single day. Both groups spent the same amount of time overall. But testing showed that the first group learned the words better .

Kornell compares our memory to water in a bucket that has a small leak. Try to refill the bucket while it’s still full, and you can’t add much more water. Allow time between study sessions, and some of the material may drip out of your memory. But then you’ll be able to relearn it and learn more in your next study session. And you’ll remember it better, next time, he notes.

2. Practice, practice, practice!

Musicians practice their instruments. Athletes practice sports skills. The same should go for learning.

“If you want to be able to remember information, the best thing you can do is practice,” says Katherine Rawson. She’s a psychologist at Kent State University in Ohio. In one 2013 study, students took practice tests over several weeks. On the final test, they scored more than a full letter grade better , on average, than did students who studied the way they normally had.

In a study done a few years earlier, college students read material and then took recall tests. Some took just one test. Others took several tests with short breaks of several minutes in between. The second group recalled the material better a week later .

3. Don’t just reread books and notes

As a teen, Cynthia Nebel studied by reading her textbooks, worksheets and notebooks. “Over and over and over again,” recalls this psychologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Now, she adds, “we know that’s one of the most common bad study skills that students have.”

In one 2009 study, some college students read a text twice. Others read a text just once. Both groups took a test right after the reading. Test results differed little between these groups , Aimee Callender and Mark McDaniel found. She is now at Wheaton College in Illinois. He works at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Too often, when students reread material, it’s superficial, says McDaniel, who also co-wrote the 2014 book, Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning . Rereading is like looking at the answer to a puzzle, rather than doing it yourself, he says. It looks like it makes sense. But until you try it yourself, you don’t really know if you understand it.

One of McDaniel’s coauthors of Make it Stick is Henry Roediger. He, too, works at Washington University. In one 2010 study, Roediger and two other colleagues compared test results of students who reread material to two other groups. One group wrote questions about the material. The other group answered questions from someone else. Those who answered the questions did best . Those who just reread the material did worst.

4. Test yourself

That 2010 study backs up one of Nebel’s preferred study habits. Before big tests, her mom quizzed her on the material. “Now I know that was retrieval practice,” she says. “It’s one of the best ways you can study.” As Nebel got older, she quizzed herself. For example, she might cover up the definitions in her notebook. Then she tried to recall what each term meant.

Such retrieval practice can help nearly everyone, Rawson and others showed in an August 2020 study in Learning and Instruction. This research included college students with an attention problem known as ADHD. It stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Overall, retrieval helped students with ADHD and those without the disorder equally well . 

“Create a deck of flash cards every time you learn new information,” Sana suggests. “Put questions on one side and the answers on the other side.” Friends can even quiz each other on the phone, she says.

“Try to quiz yourself the way the teacher asks questions,” Nebel adds.

But really grill yourself and your friends, she says. And here’s why. She was part of a team that asked students to write one quiz question for each class period. Students would then answer a question from another classmate. Preliminary data show that students did worse on tests afterward than when the daily quiz questions came from the teacher. Nebel’s team is still analyzing the data. She suspects the students’ questions may have been too simple.

Teachers often dig deeper, she notes. They don’t just ask for definitions. Often, teachers ask students to compare and contrast ideas. That takes some critical thinking.

5. Mistakes are okay — as long as you learn from them

It’s crucial to test your memory. But it doesn’t really matter how many seconds you spend on each try . That finding comes from a 2016 study by Kornell and others. But it’s important to go the next step, Kornell adds: Check to see if you were right. Then focus on what you got wrong .

“If you don’t find out what the answer is, you’re kind of wasting your time,” he says. On the flip side, checking the answers can make your study time more efficient. You can then focus on where you need the most help.

In fact, making mistakes can be a good thing, argues Stuart Firestein. A Columbia University biologist in New York City, he actually wrote the book on it. It’s called Failure: Why Science is So Successful . Mistakes, he argues, are actually a primary key to learning.

6. Mix it up

In many cases, it helps to mix up your self-testing. Don’t just focus on one thing. Drill yourself on different concepts. Psychologists call this interleaving.

Actually, your tests usually will have questions mixed up, too. More importantly, interleaving can help you learn better. If you practice one concept over and over “your attention decreases because you know what’s coming up next,” Sana explains. Mix up your practice, and you now space the concepts apart. You can also see how concepts differ, form trends or fit together in some other way.

Suppose, for instance, you’re learning about the volume of different shapes in math. You could do lots of problems on the volume of a wedge. Then you could answer more batches of questions, with each set dealing with just one shape. Or, you could figure out the volume of a cone, followed by a wedge. Next you might find the volume for a half-cone or a spheroid. Then you can mix them up some more. You might even mix in some practice on addition or division.

Rawson and others had groups of college students try each of those approaches. Those who interleaved their practice questions did better than the group that did single-batch practice, the researchers reported last year in Memory & Cognition .

A year earlier, Sana and others showed that interleaving can help students with both strong and weak working memory . Working memory lets you remember where you are in an activity, such as following a recipe.

7. Use pictures

Pay attention to diagrams and graphs in your class materials, says Nebel. “Those pictures can really boost your memory of this material. And if there aren’t pictures, creating them can be really, really useful.”

“I think these visual representations help you create more complete mental models,” McDaniel says. He and Dung Bui, then also at Washington University, had students listen to a lecture on car brakes and pumps. One group got diagrams and was told to add notes as needed to the diagrams. Another group got an outline for writing notes. The third group just took notes. The outlines helped students if they were otherwise good at building mental models of what they were reading. But in these tests, they found, visual aids helped students across the board .

Even goofy pictures might help. Nikol Rummel is a psychologist at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany. In one study back in 2003, she and others gave cartoon drawings to college students along with information about five scientists who studied intelligence. For example, the text about Alfred Binet came with a drawing of a race car driver. The driver wore a bonnet to protect his brain. Students who saw the drawings did better on a test than did those who got only the text information.

8. Find examples

Abstract concepts can be hard to understand. It tends to be far easier to form a mental image if you have a concrete example of something, Nebel says.

For instance, sour foods usually taste that way because they contain an acid . On its own, that concept might be hard to remember. But if you think about a lemon or vinegar, it’s easier to understand and remember that acids and sour go together. And the examples might help you to identify other foods’ taste as being due to acids.

Indeed, it helps to have at least two examples if you want to apply information to new situations. Nebel and others reviewed studies on this in July 2019. Their Journal of Food Science Education report describes how students can improve their study skills .

9. Dig deeper

It’s hard to remember a string of facts and figures if you don’t push further. Ask why things are a certain way. How did they come about? Why do they matter? Psychologists call this elaboration. It’s taking class material and “asking a lot of how and why questions about it,” Nebel says. In other words, don’t just accept facts at face value.

Elaboration helps you combine new information with other things you know. And it creates a bigger network in your brain of things that relate to one another, she says. That larger network makes it easier to learn and remember things.

Suppose you’re asked to remember a string of facts about different men, says McDaniel. For example, “The hungry man got into the car. The strong man helped the woman. The brave man ran into the house.” And so on. In one of his studies back in the ‘80s, college students had trouble remembering the bare statements. They did better when researchers gave them explanations for each man’s action. And the students remembered a whole lot better when they had to answer questions about why each man did something .

“Good understanding produces really good memory,” McDaniel says. “And that’s key for a lot of students.” If information just seems sort of random, ask more questions. Make sure you can explain the material. Better yet, he says, see if you can explain it to someone else. Some of his college students do this by calling home to explain what they’re learning to their parents.

10. Make a plan — and stick to it

Many students know they should space out study periods, quiz themselves and practice other good skills. Yet many don’t actually do those things. Often, they fail to plan ahead.

Back when Rawson was a student, she used a paper calendar for her planning. She wrote in the date for each exam. “And then for four or five other days,” she recalls, “I wrote in time to study.”

Try to stick to a routine, too. Have a set time and place where you do schoolwork and studying. It may seem odd at first. But, Kornell assures you, “by the time week two rolls around, it becomes a normal thing.” And put your phone somewhere else while you work, adds Nebel. Allow yourself short breaks. Set a timer for 25 minutes or so, suggests Sana. Study during that time, with no distractions . When the timer goes off, take a five or 10 minute break. Exercise. Check your phone. Maybe drink some water — whatever. Afterward, set the timer again.

“If you have a study plan, stick to it!” adds McDaniel. Recently, he and psychologist Gilles Einstein at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., looked at why students don’t use good study skills . Many students know what those skills are, they report. But often they don’t plan when they intend to put them in action. Even when students do make plans, something more enticing may come up. Studying has to become a priority, they say. The team published its report in Perspectives on Psychological Science on July 23.

Bonus: Be kind to yourself

Try to stick to a regular routine. And get enough sleep — not just the night before the test but for weeks or months on end . “Those things are really, really important for learning,” Nebel says. Exercise helps as well, she says.

Don’t stress out if all of this seems like a lot, she adds. If a lot seems new, try adding just one new study skill each week or two. Or at least space out your study sessions and practice retrieval for the first few months. As you get more practice, you can add more skills. And if you need help, ask.

Finally, if you struggle to follow the advice above (such as you can’t keep track of time or find it very hard to just sit and focus on your work), you may have an undiagnosed condition, such as ADHD . To find out, check with your doctor. The good news: It may be treatable.

Doing schoolwork during a pandemic is a tough situation at best. But remember your teachers and classmates also face challenges. Like you, they have fears, concerns and questions. Be willing to cut them some slack. And be kind to yourself as well. After all, Kornell says, “we’re all in this together.”

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• John Hattie

John Hattie on BBC Radio 4: “Homework in primary school has an effect of zero”

“Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero”, says Professor John Hattie. But what does really work in education, schools and classrooms around the world? Every week Sarah Montague interviews the people whose ideas are challenging the future of education, like Sugata Mitra, Sir Ken Robinson and the headmaster of Eton College Tony Little. In August John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, was her guest at BBC Radio 4. You can listen to the whole interview with John Hattie following this link (28 mins). Here are some quick takeaways. If you want to read further about what works best in education you can order the books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers .

Visible Learning: Buy the book VL for Teachers: Buy the book

John Hattie about class size

“Well, the first thing is, reducing class size does enhance achievement. However, the magnitude of that effect is tiny. It’s about a hundred and fifth out of a hundred and thirty odd different effects out there and it’s just one of those enigmas and the only question to ask is why is that effect so small? Because it is small. And the reason, we’ve found out, that it’s so small is because teachers don’t change how they teach when they go from a class of thirty to fifteen and perhaps it’s not surprising.”

John Hattie about public vs private schools

“Here in England, if you take out the prior differences from going to a private school where they tend to get parents who choose, as oppose to them sent to the local school, they tend to get a brighter student, you take that out, there’s not much difference. In many places the government school would be better. So, it’s kind of ironic, in the last twenty years where we’ve pushed this notion that parents have choice, so they can choose the school that may not be in the best interest of their student.”

 John Hattie about homework

“Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. In high school it’s larger. (…) Which is why we need to get it right. Not why we need to get rid of it. It’s one of those lower hanging fruit that we should be looking in our primary schools to say, “Is it really making a difference?” If you try and get rid of homework in primary schools many parents judge the quality of the school by the presence of homework. So, don’t get rid of it. Treat the zero as saying, “It’s probably not making much of a difference but let’s improve it”. Certainly I think we get over obsessed with homework. Five to ten minutes has the same effect of one hour to two hours. The worst thing you can do with homework is give kids projects. The best thing you can do is to reinforce something you’ve already learnt.”

John Hattie about streaming

“It doesn’t make a difference.” Sarah Montague: “But bright kids aren’t held back by less bright and less bright not suffering?” “No. No difference at all. No. Teachers think it’s easier for them and it may be but in terms of the effects of students, no. Now you’ve got to remember that a lot of students gain a tremendous amount of their learning from their other students in the class and variability is the way that you get more of that kind of learning from other students.”

Listen to the whole interview with John Hattie at BBC Radio 4 . If you want to read further you can order the books Visible Learning and Visible Learning for Teachers.

BBC Radio 4: The Educators . Sarah Montague interviews the people whose ideas are challenging the future of education. Episode 2: John Hattie Duration: 28 minutes First broadcast: 20 August 2014 Presenter: Sarah Montague Producer: Joel Moors.

38 comments on “ John Hattie on BBC Radio 4: “Homework in primary school has an effect of zero” ”

John Hattie Homework I beg to differ, depends on what type ! E.g. Cook a meal with mum or day, explain today’s Math to a family member, read the last chapter of a book, make a touch cast report of your pet, use time laps photography with your iPad to show the growth of a seed into a plant, find Mars using an iPad app, create a billboard online that promotes one of the current issues ….

And I quote: So, don’t get rid of it. Treat the zero as saying, “It’s probably not making much of a difference but let’s improve it”.

I agree. What can we do to give it a greater effect? “Flipped” classrooms for example have a great effect on student learning as modern research shows.

Spot on.I work in Dubai and that’s how we plan homework. No rote but just enriching linkage to lessons learnt. Our kids enjoy these and are eager to share their experiences and learn tremendously from each other! !

All well and good if the parents can afford an iPad……….

Spot on John. Also, maybe let them chose from several options an activity which is of interest to them.

Why Is no one pointing out the fact of once these kids go to a higher grades the shock of how much of a load of homework will be a complete wreck them. My son was in 4th and he had homework and he hated doing it now he’s in 5th and the no homework rule is in place but once he hits 6th grade he will have it as again and i know sixth grade is always a shock for most kids. So I strongly disagree so we give him reading every night and review with him what he learned in class each day

Good revision routines prepare kids adequately

I use to be an advocate for streaming but I was wrong… kids learn best when there are varied abilities in the room. Class sizes don’t matter… quality instruction … minimal instruction .. maximum participation for students… and yes homework is over rated.

Based on what research? Im not saying you’re wrong, just curious what facts you’re using to support your opinion.

very simple data and anecdotal evidence.

Empirical research from over 800 meta-analysis — hardly “simple data” nor “anecdotal”. Evidence-based.

It’s John Hattie, are you a dinosaur? What current educational research sites don’t draw on his ongoing research?

These comments are reflecting what research the Sutton trust has accumulated. It shows that homework and class size make no difference and the thing that makes the most difference is noticing children’s responses and adjusting immediately according to them. In my head, this is obviously easier to do well with a smaller class. So if you want good teaching and not burn teachers out trying to individually respond to 32 children in each lesson, then reducing class size will make a difference. But class size in itself doesn’t. I also think that we have a large number of children who need nurturing not just teaching facts. So again a smaller class is beneficial to this end.

When a class size goes down to 5 then there are massive differences in learning. I was on a college course and for some reason, which I have forgotten, there were only 5 students on my engineering course. The teacher had a much better understanding of what we knew and on the effect of his teaching. We all got straight A’s.

It’s all about the quality of what is happening in the learning environment not the number students. A good teacher will have a good impact with 14 or 40 kids. You have to change what you do to meet the needs of the students.

I believe class size does make a difference. It certainly did with my daughter. Not from a teaching perspective, but from a learning perspective. The more students in a classroom, the more distractions and behavioral issues there are. My daughter is not a child who is easily distracted, but two years ago, she left public school and switched to online learning with a small amount of students in her class. She said there is a huge difference in the number of times the teacher has to stop the lesson in order to reprimand a student.

If students spent the first 3 years K-2 learning to get along in a classroom-how to work as a group and other social skills, there would be less disruptions in classrooms. Sone children at that you age are not neurologically developed enough to handle all of the reading, writing and math thrown at the lower grade levels. Throw some numbers and letters at them while building on their social skills and they will be much more successful students from 3rd grad and up.

The problem with Hattie’s research is that it is not primary school based but rather based across all schools from preschool to tertiary. Smaller classes make a huge difference especially in the junior school and it is covert teacher bashing to say that the teachers don’t change with smaller classes. They can and they do. They can’t with larger classes no matter how skilled they are. It’s the same with home work. If the homework is being encouraged to work with mum or dad in the kitchen or the garden por encouraging parents to read and act out stories with their children these will make massive differences to achievement.

I agree completely. Last year I was lucky enough to have a class of 18 for the best part of the year. I do believe the spring in my step made me a better teacher. A number of my D students became B’s. I believe in a normal class grouping I would have been lucky to get them to a C. I don’t think Prof. Hattie can measure my stress levels. There was so much joy in teaching my little group of children!

Jules, I completely agree with you. Hattie has, as far as I’m aware, never done research on the effect of larger/smaller class sizes on teacher stress levels and less/more time to think, prepare and spend more time with individual students. Of course, there are methods designed to maximise the learning of larger classes, but there is a huge time saving in marking a class of 18 essays to marking, say, 30. The time saved can be invested in lesson preparation, or even, time to just think! John Hattie was a maths teacher, though, so I guess he didn’t mark too many essays…

Jules you are so right! With the complexities of children’s personal lives having a smaller class enables us to have time to address their individual needs both personally and academically. We can then feel happier in our ability to fulfill each child’s needs which gives another avenue to help reduce our stress levels.

Not a fan of homework, except as a little revision, especially in primary school. My 5 children attended a state primary school, which had multi-age classrooms, which assisted children to learn at their own pace. It worked. It was also a Glasser school, which helped with socialisation. My eldest child is 27, and has Asperger’s Syndrome. The other 4 have all been accepted at tertiary institutions. All but one of those 4 were educated completely at state schools, with 1 attending a private school for her last 3 years of school, at her own request, for social (not academic) reasons. Perhaps children, especially boys, should begin school at a later age.

Having read and used Professor Hattie’s research in order to make positive impacts on student learning and outcomes, and having listened to many interviews, I can honestly say I have never felt that he covertly bashes teachers with his findings. The opposite in fact. I have always found Professor Hattie to speak positively of teachers. As a teacher, I wish more people in the public arena would validate what we do.

hang on. I remember like it was yesterday that when I was put down a group I immediately sank down to the equivalent level in that group. Ie in footballing terms, relegation zone in premiership led to relegation zone in championship. And how come nobody mentions the threat of being beaten up (let’s call it bullied) for doing well in the “second set” group? That was also a very real threat. You certainly didnt want to shine once you were relegated. Why does nobody mention this? Presumably this is a neutral site?

I agree as a parent i believe homework makes a difference….provided parent/s are involved. 1. I know what my child is learning in school. 2. I can pick up what my child needs extra attention to work on, help her with it and bring this to the teacher’s attention. 3. Show an interest in what my child is doing during her day. Only helps build on a stronger family unit.

Why is it, that never is there a word about student behaviour and the huge effect it has on learning, not just for the behaviour problem students, but for all children within that classroom! Unacceptable behaviour can keep a classroom in an upheaval . Also, the undesirable effects of hard drugs while in the womb…also alcohol! Then we have undernourishment and exhausted children. And we must not forget the trauma many are experiencing…separated parents, bickering parents, living in households where adults are smoking inside, eating a diet of processed foods, a parent or parents drinking to extremes on a daily basis, sexual abuse, seeing a parent being abused… and I could go on! All of these things and more are what many children are experiencing on a daily basis. Change will take place in the classroom and learning will take place when things change first in our homes and in our lives. It is the parents responsibility and we need to hand it back to them!

Couldn’t agree more with Elizabeth’s comments – but when you have an inspired and passionate teacher who can see beyond the behaviour and identify the effects of trauma in a youngster – the impact on that child, that class can be huge! Critical skills training can be invaluable – visible learning at worst can lead to children becoming statistics in the forensic analysis of data when actually they will gain more and teachers will have more of an impact with 5 minutes of care and concern and perhaps being the only person that has spent 5 minutes 1:1 with that child! Real relational trust takes time and genuine concern and interest in children developing and progressing – what is an assessment capable learner? Sounds like a robot!

Behavior is a big learning factor for the student with behaviors and those around them. Our son has a diagnoses with multiple co-morbids ADHD/Anxiety/OCD/Depresson/PTSD/Sensory disorder. The depression and PTSD was brought on in his therapist’s opinion by using peers to assist in helping other students, which doesn’t always have a positive impact and bullying at school.

It got to the point where he was taking 3 stimulants, a mood stabilizer and an anxiety med just to make it through the school day. And then he’d come home and have so much homework he never got to go outside to run off his excessive energy and then 3 more pills to bring him down so he could sleep. Not to mention the ill side effects of weight gain (he’s a 7th grader now 5’5 and weighs 200 pounds thats horrifying).

We pulled him out of mainstream school last year, weaned him off all meds and home school now. His self confidence is building, the weight is slowly coming off and he’ll be done early with the program we bought mainly because he can fly thru what interests him and he already has a wealth of information on and he can spend more time working on new information. We APPLY his lessons to his every day life.

All that being said maybe less pressure should be put on the child having homework and more time spent on educating parents about what their child is being taught and how to apply it to their every day life. As a daycare provider I know that not all parents will back a teacher up but I do think that they’d be surprised how many parents would.

Very interesting thoughts. To say it has zero effect seems a bit far fetched for all students. It depends on the quality of the school and quality of life at home. I work with low income students who seem to not have much education at home. The homework the teachers send helps us evaluate where the children are and help increase their education even if the parents are not involved in their education. Children with strong support systems probably benefit by helping around the house more and being a great part of the community.

Hattie’s work should be taken for what it is–superficial with blunders https://ollieorange2.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/half-of-the-statistics-in-visible-learning-are-wrong-part-2/

Yes I agree with Hattie when he says, “a lot of students gain a tremendous amount of their learning from their other students in the class.” Empirical evidence in my class has shown for those who are “not into” a particular subject, their influence (teaching) on others to fall behind, not engage in activities and not do the work is infectious. Make it more interesting people say, how interesting can you make a football game for those wanting to do ballet? Put them on the field and they will learn though, they will learn to avoid playing against the Alphas at all costs so the best solution, get into trouble to avoid having to integrate, cause trouble so the lessons gets dragged out. All of these theories I’m sure work, but it needs a tag line: They work “in the ideal world.” The fact is that we don’t live in one.

I’m not sure what you mean by integrate? Please forgive me if I’m wrong. I take your comment to say that if a child doesn’t itegrate into the classroom setting, they’ll fail at adulthood?

We have two older children with ADHD and they never truly integrated into the school system but outside school in their ongoing education and career’s they’ve chose career’s in fast paced, every changing fields one medical, one education and they’re excelling. Failure to integrate into a classroom setting does not automatically set a child up for failure in their adult life.

It’s parents who drive the homework. They think it’ll make their kids smarter. Teachers are under pressure to give kids extra work. A lot of teachers would rather not give homework. Reading with an adult is the best thing you can do for your child.

Teaching kids to be happy versus give them more work so they dont have time to find out for themselves or worse keeping them miserable

Homework that reinforces the application of skills and knowlegde already taught will prove to be purposeful. The time spent on homework must be in keeping with the concentration span of the child. It should not be an extension of the school day. 6 to 9 year olds learn best through play. Written tasks rob them of that opportunity to explore whilst developing valuable life skills.

When we know better, our moral obligation is to do better. Saying, “Yeah, I see this research. It just doesn’t fit with what I believe” is a profession of non-professionalism.

Hattie is a fraud. Unfortunately, many seem to have been taken in by his profoundly flawed research and his political motives.

11 other websites write about for "John Hattie on BBC Radio 4: “Homework in primary school has an effect of zero”"

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[…] may be interested in John Hattie’s homework interview on the BBC recently.  Professor Hattie is a leading and highly regarded educationalist and his […]

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[…] Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. Which is why we need to get it right. Not why we need to get rid of it. John Hattie BBC interview.  […]

[…] John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, was her guest at BBC Radio 4. Read more or listen to the full […]

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[…] First we explore our memories of homework as students, then our experiences as teachers, before introducing an outside source, in this episode,it’s ASCD’s article which quotes the The National PTA and the National Education Association “10-minute rule.” Also, check out John Hattie’s research on homework “effect size” here.  […]

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How Can We Make Homework Worthwhile?

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Do American students have too much homework, or too little? We often hear passionate arguments for either side, but I believe that we ought to be asking a different question altogether. What should matter to parents and educators is this: How effectively do children’s after-school assignments advance learning?

The quantity of students’ homework is a lot less important than its quality. And evidence suggests that as of now, homework isn’t making the grade. Although surveys show that the amount of time our children spend on homework has risen over the last three decades, American students are mired in the middle of international academic rankings: 17th in reading, 23rd in science and 31st in math, according to the most recent results from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).

In a 2008 survey , one-third of parents polled rated the quality of their children’s homework assignments as fair or poor, and 4 in 10 said they believed that some or a great deal of homework was busywork. A recent study , published in the Economics of Education Review, reports that homework in science, English and history has “little to no impact” on student test scores. (The authors did note a positive effect for math homework.) Enriching children’s classroom learning requires making homework not shorter or longer, but smarter.

Fortunately, research is available to help parents, teachers and school administrators do just that. In recent years, neuroscientists, cognitive scientists and educational psychologists have made a series of remarkable discoveries about how the human brain learns. They have founded a new discipline, known as Mind, Brain and Education , that is devoted to understanding and improving the ways in which children absorb, retain and apply knowledge.

Educators have begun to implement these methods in classrooms around the country and have enjoyed measurable success. A collaboration between psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis and teachers at nearby Columbia Middle School, for example, lifted seventh- and eighth-grade students’ science and social studies test scores by 13 to 25 percent.

But the innovations have not yet been applied to homework. Mind, Brain and Education methods may seem unfamiliar and even counterintuitive, but they are simple to understand and easy to carry out. And after-school assignments are ripe for the kind of improvements the new science offers.

“Spaced repetition” is one example of the kind of evidence-based techniques that researchers have found have a positive impact on learning. Here’s how it works: instead of concentrating the study of information in single blocks, as many homework assignments currently do—reading about, say, the Civil War one evening and Reconstruction the next—learners encounter the same material in briefer sessions spread over a longer period of time. With this approach, students are re-exposed to information about the Civil War and Reconstruction throughout the semester.

[RELATED READING: Parents Wonder: Why So Much Homework? ]

It sounds unassuming, but spaced repetition produces impressive results. Eighth-grade history students who relied on a spaced approach to learning had nearly double the retention rate of students who studied the same material in a consolidated unit, reported researchers from the University of California-San Diego in 2007. The reason the method works so well goes back to the brain: when we first acquire memories, they are volatile, subject to change or likely to disappear. Exposing ourselves to information repeatedly over time fixes it more permanently in our minds, by strengthening the representation of the information that is embedded in our neural networks.

A second learning technique, known as “retrieval practice,” employs a familiar tool—the test—in a new way: not to assess what students know, but to reinforce it. We often conceive of memory as something like a storage tank and a test as a kind of dipstick that measures how much information we’ve put in there. But that’s not actually how the brain works. Every time we pull up a memory, we make it stronger and more lasting, so that testing doesn’t just measure, it changes learning. Simply reading over material to be learned, or even taking notes and making outlines, as many homework assignments require, doesn’t have this effect .

According to one experiment , language learners who employed the retrieval practice strategy to study vocabulary words remembered 80 percent of the words they studied, while learners who used conventional study methods remembered only about a third of them. Students who used retrieval practice to learn science retained about 50 percent more of the material than students who studied in traditional ways, reported researchers from Purdue University in 2011. Students—and parents—may groan at the prospect of more tests, but the self-quizzing involved in retrieval practice need not provoke any anxiety. It’s simply an effective way to focus less on the input of knowledge (passively reading over textbooks and notes) and more on its output (calling up that same information from one’s own brain).

[RELATED READING: Redefining 'Cheating' With Homework ]

Another common misconception about how we learn holds that if information feels easy to absorb, we’ve learned it well. In fact, the opposite is true. When we work hard to understand information, we recall it better; the extra effort signals the brain that this knowledge is worth keeping. This phenomenon, known as cognitive disfluency , promotes learning so effectively that psychologists have devised all manner of “ desirable difficulties ” to introduce into the learning process: for example, sprinkling a passage with punctuation mistakes, deliberately leaving out letters, shrinking font size until it’s tiny or wiggling a document while it’s being copied so that words come out blurry.

Teachers are unlikely to start sending students home with smudged or error-filled worksheets, but there is another kind of desirable difficulty — called interleaving — that can readily be applied to homework. An interleaved assignment mixes up different kinds of situations or problems to be practiced, instead of grouping them by type. When students can’t tell in advance what kind of knowledge or problem-solving strategy will be required to answer a question, their brains have to work harder to come up with the solution, and the result is that students learn the material more thoroughly.

Researchers at California Polytechnic State University conducted a study of interleaving in sports that illustrates why the tactic is so effective. When baseball players practiced hitting, interleaving different kinds of pitches improved their performance on a later test in which the batters did not know the type of pitch in advance (as would be the case, of course, in a real game).

Interleaving produces the same sort of improvement in academic learning. A study published in 2010 in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology asked fourth-graders to work on solving four types of math problems and then to take a test evaluating how well they had learned. The scores of those whose practice problems were mixed up were more than double the scores of those students who had practiced one kind of problem at a time.

The application of such research-based strategies to homework is a yet-untapped opportunity to raise student achievement. Science has shown us how to turn homework into a potent catalyst for learning. Our assignment now is to make it happen.

• Articles / Homework

Smart Homework: 13 Ways to Make It Meaningful

by MiddleWeb · Published 08/04/2014 · Updated 11/17/2019

In the first installment of Rick Wormeli’s homework advice, he made the case for take-home assignments that matter for learning and engage student interest . In Part 2, Rick offers some guiding principles that can help teachers create homework challenges that motivate kids and spark deeper learning in and out of school.

These articles are adapted and updated from Rick’s seminal book about teaching in the middle grades, Day One & Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle Level Teachers . Rick continues to offer great advice about homework, differentiation, assessment and many other topics in workshops and presentations across North America. Check back in Part 1 for some additional homework resources.

I’ve been accumulating guiding principles for creating highly motivating homework assignments for many years — from my own teaching and from the distilled wisdom of others. Here are a baker’s dozen. Choose the ones most appropriate for students’ learning goals and your curriculum.

1. Give students a clear picture of the final product. This doesn’t mean everything is structured for them, or that there aren’t multiple pathways to the same high quality result. There’s room for student personalities to be expressed. Students clearly know what is expected, however. A clear picture sets purpose for doing the assignment. Priming the brain to focus on particular aspects of the learning experience helps the brain process the information for long-term retention. Setting purpose for homework assignments has an impact on learning and the assignment’s completion rate, as research by Marzano and others confirms.

2. Incorporate a cause into the assignment. Middle level students are motivated when they feel they are righting a wrong. They are very sensitive to justice and injustice. As a group, they are also very nurturing of those less fortunate than them. Find a community or personal cause for which students can fight fairly and incorporate your content and skills in that good fight— students will be all over the assignment.

4. Incorporate people whom students admire in their assignments. Students are motivated when asked to share what they know and feel about these folks. We are a society of heroes, and young adolescents are interested in talking about and becoming heroic figures.

5. Allow choices, as appropriate. Allow students to do the even-numbered or odd-numbered problems, or allow them to choose from three prompts, not just one. Let them choose the word that best describes the political or scientific process. Let them identify their own diet and its effects on young adolescent bodies. Let them choose to work with partners or individually. How about allowing them to choose from several multiple-intelligence based tasks? If they are working in ways that are comfortable, they are more likely to do the work. By making the choice, they have upped their ownership of the task.

6. Incorporate cultural products into the assignment. If students have to use magazines, television shows, foods, sports equipment, and other products they already use, they are likely to do the work. The brain loves to do tasks in contexts with which it is familiar.

7. Allow students to collaborate in determining how homework will be assessed. If they help design the criteria for success, such as when they create the rubric for an assignment, they “own” the assignment. It comes off as something done by them, not to them. They also internalize the expectations—another way for them to have clear targets.

With some assignments we can post well-done versions from previous years (or ones we’ve created for this purpose) and ask students to analyze the essential characteristics that make these assignments exemplary. Students who analyze such assignments will compare those works with their own and internalize the criteria for success, referencing the criteria while doing the assignment, not just when it’s finished.

9. Spruce up your prompts. Don’t ask students to repeatedly answer questions or summarize. Try some of these openers instead: Decide between, argue against, Why did ______ argue for, compare, contrast, plan, classify, retell ______ from the point of view of ______, Organize, build, interview, predict, categorize, simplify, deduce, formulate, blend, suppose, invent, imagine, devise, compose, combine, rank, recommend, defend, choose.

10. Have everyone turn in a paper. In her classic, Homework: A New Direction (1992), Neila Connors reminded teachers to have all students turn in a paper, regardless of whether they did the assignment. If a student doesn’t have his homework, he writes on the paper the name of the assignment and why he didn’t do it.

11. Do not give homework passes. I used to do this; then I realized how much it minimized the importance of homework. It’s like saying, “Oh, well, the homework really wasn’t that important to your learning. You’ll learn just as well without it.” Homework should be so productive for students that missing it is like missing the lesson itself.

12. Integrate homework with other subjects. One assignment can count in two classes. Such assignments are usually complex enough to warrant the dual grade and it’s a way to work smarter, not harder, for both students and teachers. Teachers can split the pile of papers to grade, then share the grades with each other, and students don’t have homework piling up in multiple classes.

There are times when every teacher on the team assigns a half-hour assignment, and so do the elective or encore class teachers. This could mean three to four hours of homework for the student, which is inappropriate for young adolescents.

13. Occasionally, let students identify what homework would be most effective. Sometimes the really creative assignments are the ones that students design themselves. After teaching a lesson, ask your students what it would take to practice the material so well it became clearly understood. Many of the choices will be rigorous and very appropriate.

This is one reason I always recommend that, as a basic premise, we avoid Monday morning quizzes and weekend or holiday homework assignments. Sure, there will be exceptions when long-term projects come due. But if we are really about teaching so that students learn and not about appearing rigorous and assigning tasks to show that we have taught, then we’ll carefully consider all the effects of our homework expectations. Our students will be more productive at school for having healthier lives at home.

▶ More resources from Rick Wormeli:

Although Rick never mentions the word homework in this article about helping adolescent students improve their “executive function,” you will immediately see the connections! At the AMLE website .

NEXT: In our final excerpt from Day One & Beyond, Rick Wormeli shares his approach to homework assessment – with an clear emphasis on maintaining teacher sanity.

His books include Meet Me in the Middle ; Day One and Beyond ; Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom ; Differentiation: From Planning to Practice; Metaphors & Analogies: Power Tools for Teaching Any Subject, and Summarization in Any Subject , plus The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I Learned about Teaching Along the Way .

He is currently working on his first young adult fiction novel and a new book on homework practices in the 21 st century.

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MiddleWeb is all about the middle grades, with great 4-8 resources, book reviews, and guest posts by educators who support the success of young adolescents. And be sure to subscribe to MiddleWeb SmartBrief for the latest middle grades news & commentary from around the USA.

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This is a really great article. It has helped me tremendously in making new and better decisions about homework.

Fabulous sage advice! Although I love every single suggestion you’ve included, I am particularly fond of the elimination of the “homework pass”. As a former middle-level teacher and administrator, I too found the homework pass diminished the importance of follow-up work – a necessary component in determining the level of student understanding.

I do give 2 passes, but they just extend due date by a day. And if not used, they may be returned at the end of the 9 weeks for extra credit.

Rick Wormeli’s ideas and tips in this article continue to be stimulating and useful. That said, it’s been more than a decade since the first edition of his book on grading, homework and assessment, Fair Isn’t Always Equal appeared.

In the intervening years, Rick’s thinking about homework has benefited from his work with teachers and in schools and plenty of debate. In April 2018, he published a new 2nd edition of Fair Isn’t Always Equal that includes an even deeper discussion of homework and its relationship to best practice, differentiation, and the moral obligation of educators to insist on effective homework policies.

Visitors to the Stenhouse page for the new book can preview the *entire* text for free, so be sure to check that out.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the new book:

Tenet: Homework should enable students to practice what they have already learned in class and should not present new content for the first time. Principled Responses:

• I will not assign homework to students who do not understand the content. • I will give homework to some students and no homework or different assignments to others, depending on their proficiency. • I will use exit slips and formative assessment during class so I can determine proper after-school practice for each student. • I will not give homework because parents and administrators expect me to do so, or assign homework because it’s a particular day of the week. • I will assign homework only if it furthers students’ proficiency in the field we’re studying.

Thanks to Rick for giving us permission to share this!

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Should schools still set homework? 

Published 12th March 2019 by Frog Education

The ‘should schools be setting homework?’ debate is age-old and well-trodden, offering different opinions from pupils, teachers, parents, educational specialists and even neurologists. Is homework bad for your health? Is it a waste of time? What are the benefits of homework? Can it make you smarter? Just a few of the questions that frequently recur when asking whether schools should still be setting homework.    

Is homework a waste of time?

It’s understandable why some pupils regard homework as punishment. For them, out of school hours is free time and homework encroaches on that. Steals it away, never to be regained for activities they would prefer to do. An example of one pupil’s view is given in their online petition asking the government to ban homework. The secondary school student argues that teachers get a weekend so it is unfair to ask children to work out of school hours.

But is that true? Are our teachers free from work at the weekend? Recent figures would suggest not. The 2018 Global Teacher Status Index (GTSI) polled 35 countries and found that British teachers are working some of the longest hours; around 51 hours a week. And it’s not just the homework-hating-petition-making pupil that underestimates a teacher’s workload. A recent TES article on the study explains that the British public underrated the number of hours a teacher works by a “whole school day less per week”. Meaning many teachers will rely on evenings and weekends to squeeze that extra day into their working week.

The notion that homework is an additional burden on overloaded teachers was reinforced in 2016, when the principle at Philip Morant School and College banned homework to free up teachers’ time to plan better lessons. “School bans homework” makes a great headline but what the school actually proposed was for pupils to choose the work they do at home. The school recognises the requirement for continued out-of-school learning but suggests little value was placed on the way homework was previously set and marked. Indicating they felt it was an inefficient use of teachers’ time.   

Does homework make you ill?

Whether children consider homework as fair or a punishment, or teachers feel their time could be spent more effectively, there is a more serious element to consider. Is homework actually damaging student health? The well-cited Stanford research showed a correlation between excessive homework and children’s physical health. Over half the pupils interviewed in the study attributed homework as one of the biggest stress factors in their lives. 

So, if homework is potentially bad for health, pupils regard it as punishment and it adds to the workload stress for teachers, why do the majority of both secondary and primary schools set and abide by a homework policy?

Should students set their own homework?

For Maurice Elias , Professor of Psychology and a specialist in emotional intelligence in students, asking whether homework should be banned is the wrong question. Instead, we should be thinking about how we can ensure students retain what they have learned and are “primed to learn more”. He argues children need to understand life will expect them to always be learners which is why he is against the setting of no homework policies; “It sends the wrong message. The policy should be, ‘No time-wasting, rote, repetitive tasks will be assigned that lack clear instructional or learning purposes.’” He prefers the terms ‘continued learning’ or ‘ongoing growth activities’ indicating a  more student-led approach to out-of-school learning.

In place of the nightly confrontation we have with our children to determine what has been set, will we be asking ‘what are your plans for ongoing growth activity this evening?’

Which leads to an important consideration of the role of parents in home learning. The response to the Philip Morant School and College’s decision to replace set homework with an innovative self-learning approach triggered a parent-led revolt . Their main argument being that the “random” tasks assigned were considered voluntary by students and parents were concerned their children were “slacking”. So, instead of fostering independence and self-motivation in students, did the new policy just shift the responsibility of setting homework from the teacher to parents; who now have to police their child’s out of school learning?

With over 70% of UK families with both parents in work and almost half of these families with both parents working full-time, it is surely unrealistic to expect them to take on this additional accountability in their child’s education. Is this maybe the more likely reason for the parents’ concern and the root of their opposition?

Regardless of the reason, parent power won and in 2018 the school re-introduced the more structured approach of compulsory homework set and marked by teachers. This unsuccessful experiment may have been avoided if they’d consulted with Prof. John Hattie. His comprehensive studies into what makes for effective learning in schools has earned him the reputation as one of the most influential education academics. He told the BBC’s Sarah Montague in an interview that “the worst thing you can do with homework is give kids projects” and actually reinforcing what they have already learned is the best approach.

Can E dTech help make homework benefit all ?

If we can agree that homework helps develop a lifelong habit of independent learning and reinforces what is learned in school, then the setting of compulsory homework still has its place in the majority of schools today. But there is certainly a balance to be struck. One where the benefits of home learning are not outweighed by the time-intensity of setting, marking and completing the tasks.  

With the rise of edtech in schools and the adoption of 3 rd party home learning solutions that set and mark curriculum-based tasks, can the way be paved for a future where homework serves the teacher, the pupils and the parents?

Today, home learning software means that with a few clicks or tablet taps from the teacher, pre-built content can be selected, assigned and digitally distributed to pupils. This certainly reduces time spent creating homework and restores lesson time for teaching rather than the setting of homework.

Once the tasks are completed, the software automatically marks and provides feedback. A TES article on teacher’s workload cited a 2016 Canvas VLE report which found over half of UK teachers said time spent on marking negatively impacted time with pupils in the classroom. So, taking the marking element off teacher’s shoulders is a valuable benefit to both pupils and teachers.

It continues that 78% of UK teachers point to the increasing need for continual tracking of pupil performance as making the situation worse. With homework management software providing instant feedback and data, teachers can now quickly gauge how well the class have absorbed the knowledge (helping them evaluate the effectiveness of their lesson or even plan future lessons), and identify if there are individuals that need additional help with a subject.

Immediate feedback is also relayed to the pupil; providing them with insight on where they may need to further their knowledge or understanding of the subject. And of course, parents can have full visibility of their child’s homework tasks, safe in the knowledge that no-one is slacking.  

In consideration of pupils’ home learning needs, teachers’ workloads, the increasing requirement for feedback and data in schools, and everyone’s time in general, can these edtech solutions help homework become the effective learning method it was always meant to be?

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Articles & Advice > Majors and Academics > Articles

Our Best Advice for Homework, Studying, and Tests

Homework, studying, and tests, oh my! There's just so much work to be done, but don't stress. You can make your studies easier by checking out our best advice.

by CollegeXpress

Last Updated: Sep 5, 2023

Originally Posted: Nov 26, 2021

Homework, studying, and tests make up a huge bulk of your academic life whether you’re in high school or college—and they can also be difficult and draining. So to help you get through this semester and beyond, we’ve compiled our best advice to help you get your schoolwork done. From tips to work smarter to playlists for your study sessions to the best snacks for your brain power, we’ve got everything you need right here to ace all your assignments and tests. (And don’t worry about any content labeled “for college students” or “high school”; most of this advice can help students of any age.) Good luck with your studies!

Learning how you study best

• Infographic: Find Your Learning Style and Study Smarter : You know the saying: Study smarter, not harder. And there's no smarter way to study than figuring out how you learn best.
• 5 Smart Study Tips for All Students : Some things about studying don’t change whether you’re in high school or college. These five tips will help you study smarter for better grades at any level.
• 5 College Study Tips That Will Make Your Life Easier : Despite the previous advice, a lot of things about studying will change when you get to college. Here are five tips to make the transition easier.
• 6 Creative Study Tips for College Students : These creative study methods will help you refine your study approach for your learning style so you can enjoy it a little more along the way.
• 5 Things You Need for Your Next Study Session : Any good study session should include a few key things. So before you kick it off, make sure you set yourself up for success.
• Top 5 Study Tips From a College Freshman : Who better to give you study tips than a college freshman who’s learned how to adapt from high school to college-level schoolwork? Check out their insider advice!

Boosting your academic skills

• How to Improve Your Time Management and Study Skills : Worried about doing well in all your classes with so much homework, so many tests to study for, and not enough time in the day? Don’t be! Here’s some great advice to make it work. 
• How to Get Organized and Manage Your Time as a High School Student : Struggling to get it together? These simple tips can help you get organized, get homework done efficiently, and manage your time better in high school.
• How Can I Improve My Memorization for School? : While memorization isn't the ideal way to learn, sometimes it's needed. One of our experts has eight quick methods for you to try out.
• How to Balance Homework and Internships in High School : A big part of being responsible with your academics is learning how to balance them with everything else. Here’s how you can succeed in your classes and an after-school internship.
• A Step-by-Step Guide for an Effective Research Paper : Mastering the art of the research paper is one thing you need to learn for college. Here are some tips for effective writing.
• Video: Top 10 Ways to Avoid Procrastination : Procrastination is the killer of all productivity. A sure-fire way to boost your academic skills is to stop procrastinating and do the work with these 10 tips.

Preparing for finals and AP tests

• 3 Important Tricks to Help You Survive Finals Week : Wondering just how you’re going to make it through finals? Here are three keys to making it out alive by the end of your tests.
• 21 Apps to Get You Through Finals This Semester : Finals week is always a stressful time, and even more so if you have to manage finals from home. Here are 21 apps that will make exam season easier.
• 9 Study Tips to Help You Conquer AP Tests : Whether you're tackling your very first test this year or prepping for your very last one, these 10 study tips will help you score high on any AP exam.
• The 5 Best Ways to Handle AP Exam Stress : It’s never too early to prepare yourself for AP tests, but it certainly can be too late. Here’s some advice for handling AP exam stress to prep you ahead of time.
• Poetry Study Guide for AP English Language & Literature : Check out our quick poetry review that can help you score high on AP English tests, both Literature and Language.

Studying for standardized tests

• When Should I Start Studying for the ACT or SAT? : If you're wondering when to start studying for standardized tests, that’s good news—you probably like to be prepared, which can only help you ace your exam. Here's some expert advice on when to start prepping.
• How to Prepare for the ACT, SAT, and Other Tests : This standardized test guide covers the ACT, SAT, AP tests, and more. It's basically everything you need to know to get ready for your high school exams!
• 2 Easy Study Tips for Both Admission and Language Tests : The SAT. The ACT. AP tests. And the TOEFL too? International students have a lot to juggle, but the test prep pros at Magoosh are here for you.
• 4 Awesome (and Free) SAT Prep Resources : Looking for resources to help you get ready for the SAT? Check out these four fun, easy-to-use, and totally free online test prep resources!
• The Best ACT Test Prep Sites, Books, and More : These are simply the best ACT prep resources available, from websites to books and beyond, plus other helpful tips for doing well on this college admission test.
• How to Tackle the Hardest Parts of the ACT : The ACT is pretty tough overall, but some sections are more difficult than others! Luckily, familiarizing yourself with the harder parts can help you maximize your study time.

Taking care of yourself

• How Important Is Sleep to Academic Success? : Better sleep is a key component to better studying in college. Here's how you can improve your sleep and in turn boost your academic performance.
• The Best Study Snacks for Healthy Eating in College : With finals stress, a lot of students turn to food for comfort and not always in the best way. Read on to learn how to snack healthily this finals season.
• Feeling Burnt Out? 5 Steps to Get Back on Track : If you feel like you're in a studying rut, here are five ways to fight burnout and work your way out of it.
• College Stress Solutions for Academic Anxiety : Stress from college coursework is no joke, but there are methods you can employ to ease that stress, including these solutions from a college expert.
• How to Create Smart, Long-Lasting Habits in High School : It's important to develop good study skills and healthy habits that you can carry from high school to college. Read these tips and find what works best for you!

Making your studies more fun

• 5 Simple Ways You Can Make Studying More Fun : How do you make studying more fun? It's often a matter of managing your time, scheduling intensive periods as well as breaks, giving yourself small rewards, and creating the right environment.
• Great Study Playlists for All Your High School Classes : Who doesn't need a little musical inspiration to face their chemistry homework head on? These four playlists for all types of classes should do the trick!
• Top 5 Ambience Playlists to Soundtrack Your Studies : Looking for a great instrumental playlist to create the perfect distraction-free atmosphere for studying? Check out student writer Hailey's top picks on YouTube and Spotify!
• Easy Ways to Make Studying for Standardized Tests Fun : We know, we know—studying for standardized tests is never going to actually be fun, but these ideas can certainly make it more bearable and enjoyable to get through.
• Fun SAT Vocab Prep With the Dictionary of Difficult Words : The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a children's book that's useful for all ages, especially students studying for the SAT. Unwind and review your vocab at the same time with this unconventional test prep book!
• The CollegeXpress SAT Word Game : Our SAT Word Game will help you study for the test and participate in a little friendly competition with other CollegeXpress students. Can you make it on our leaderboard?

We've compiled our top-tier content for other topics too, like how to find internships and the best advice for transferring. Check them out using the tag  "our best advice."

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All of Us Are Smarter Than Any of Us

Does interdependence make more sense than independence, especially for learning.

Posted September 23, 2020 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

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For me, the first step was questioning our culture's conflation of achievement (doing well) with competition (beating others). Only once we realize that the first idea has been collapsed into the second is it possible to see that it's unnecessary and irrational to set things up — at work, at school, at play — so that one person has to fail in order that another can succeed.

Indeed, scholars point out that the ideology supporting this arrangement is just a cultural prejudice : People who weren't raised to worship winning are better able to understand that competition actually holds back everyone — even the winners — from doing their best.

But it was only when I started to dig deeper that I discovered something else about our culturally bound (and ultimately counterproductive) conception of achievement: The problem isn't just that we reduce it to a compulsion to triumph over others. It's also a function of our commitment to individualism. And the practical price for that commitment may be steeper for some of us than others of us, according to a new study (which I'll describe in a moment).

In America, the individual is almost always the point of reference for thinking about success, about morality , about how children are educated, and what defines adulthood. It's about me, not us. As I argued recently , the astonishing selfishness of people who refuse to wear masks or restrict their activities during an epidemic — putting their "liberty" to do whatever they please above a sense of responsibility to (let alone concern for) the well-being of others -- is really just an amplified version of what our whole culture represents.

Once you start to pay attention , you notice this motif everywhere. You hear it when we're told that the hallmark of maturity — the primary indicator of healthy development for young adults — is self-sufficiency. (The corollary is that moms and dads who value their children's inter dependence, not just their independence, are often accused of " helicopter parenting .")

You hear it when well-meaning teachers talk about providing "scaffolding" for students —that is, temporary support for what the kids can't yet, but soon will be expected to, do entirely on their own. Again, it's taken for granted that continuing to rely on others is something to be outgrown. (And if it's not, well, providing help to — or receiving help from — a classmate is sometimes given another name: " cheating .")

Most of us are no more aware of the individualistic worldview that shapes us and defines our culture than a fish is aware of being in water. This is the context in which to understand how the central lesson in American schools, as Philip Jackson memorably put it, is "how to be alone in a crowd." Learning is regarded as an activity for a roomful of separate selves, not for a community. One of my elementary school teachers used to trumpet, "Eyes on your own paper! I want to see what you can do, not what your neighbor can do!" This announcement, which issued from her with all the thoughtfulness of a sneeze, annoyed me at the time mostly for its contrived use of the word neighbor . Later I came to realize how misconceived the whole posture was. An impossibly precocious student might have turned to that teacher and said, "So you want to see what happens when I’m stripped of the resources and social support that characterize most well-functioning real-world environments? Geez, why wouldn't you want to see how much more my 'neighbors' and I could accomplish together?"

About 20 years ago there was a period of what felt like 45 minutes during which a few states experimented with authentic assessments as alternatives to traditional fill-in-the-bubble standardized tests. Maryland's MSPAP exam, for example, included group projects . Clusters of kids would do science experiments together, allowing evaluators to gauge their skill at understanding and applying scientific principles. It would be impressive enough that these assessments were tapping kids' ability to think rather than just to memorize. But learning -- and thus the process of demonstrating that learning —was also being treated as not just active but interactive. Imagine.

Of course, those few brief flashes of enlightened thinking about assessment from policymakers are long gone. And because standardized tests, especially those with high stakes attached, tend to drive instruction, the choice to evaluate students only as individuals, which few of us even think about as a choice, helps to ensure an individualistic approach to teaching. The Powers That Be want to see only what you can do devoid of neighbors.

What a mammoth missed opportunity. Decades' worth of research demonstrates the benefits of cooperative learning (CL) —an arrangement in which students of all ages and in just about all subjects figure stuff out together, in pairs or small groups. 1 CL isn't just about dividing kids into teams; it's about creating "positive interdependence," meaning that assignments are constructed so as to foster active collaboration .

Research over the last 40 years or so shows that carefully structured CL produces consistently impressive gains of many kinds: healthier self-concept , improved social interaction (and more favorable views of peers from different ethnic backgrounds and ability levels), more positive attitudes about learning (and about particular topics), and higher achievement (comprehension, creativity , problem-solving strategies, and — last and also least —recall of facts).

Social psychologist David Johnson conducted many of those studies in cooperation with his brother Roger and reviewed even more done by other scholars. Their summary: "[W]orking together to achieve a common goal produces higher achievement and greater productivity than does working alone is so well confirmed by so much research that it stands as one of the strongest principles of social and organizational psychology." (Incidentally, I borrowed the title of this essay from a favorite motto of the Johnsons.)

CL in particular is so powerful not only because students can share their talents and resources, but also because they are encouraged to explain and refine their thinking, to challenge one another's ideas and build on them. Higher-quality reasoning tends to emerge from a process of considering others' perspectives. Those left to their own devices miss out on all these benefits.

And yet most of the time kids are on their own. They're made to sit at separate desks, as if on private islands, and the fact that each is supposed to be responsible for his or her own assignments and behavior means that each is (at best) irrelevant to the others' learning. (At worst, they're pitted against one another, which means their classmates have been set up as obstacles to their success.) Again and again, we need to be reminded that this ethos, which is baked into our understanding of concepts like achievement and justice and maturity, is not a fact of life. Nor is it shared by most human beings.

In fact, even within a single culture like ours we may witness class-based differences. Consider those widespread warnings about helicopter parenting that, as I noted, are rooted in an individualistic ethic: A successful young adult is primarily seen as someone who can make it on his or her own. A fascinating series of studies published in 2012 by a multi-university research team revealed that “predominantly middle-class cultural norms of independence that are institutionalized in many American colleges and universities” are particularly ill-suited for young adults who are the first in their families to attend college. These norms “do not match the relatively interdependent norms to which many first-generation students are regularly exposed in their local working-class contexts prior to college.” And the result of this mismatch is to create a hidden academic disadvantage for these students, one that adversely affects their performance.

Given the expectations of self-sufficiency that permeate our institutions — “learn to do for yourself” — connections with, support from, and maybe even interventions by parents become that much more important to help students persist and succeed in a challenging environment. Often unpleasant denunciations of helicopter parenting, which are simplistic and troubling in any case, are particularly unfortunate when no attention is paid to differences among students and their backgrounds.

And that takes us to a brand-new study that considered just such differences in the context of classroom performance. Citing earlier research showing that people with less education are often more likely than those with a college degree to see themselves as "connected to others and social contexts," researchers found that students from working-class backgrounds who were enrolled in a particular college course did better when working collaboratively than when working alone — as long as they were in groups with at least one other working-class student. A follow-up study showed that cooperating actually helped such students to perform better than middle-class students.

I confess to some misgivings about the class-based conclusions drawn from these studies as a result of the limited way the researchers defined class (and also because the "working class" sample was somewhat atypical by virtue of attending an elite university). But the larger point is that it doesn't make sense to think of achievement in a purely individualistic way, as we do in schools, workplaces, and society more generally. Tackling tasks together — particularly but not exclusively for people already predisposed toward interdependence — is usually a lot more productive.

Not only should we offer opportunities to learn and work cooperatively, but the whole idea of achievement should be reframed to reflect collective accomplishment.

1. For a detailed description of various models of cooperative learning, along with the research base that supports the whole approach, see chapter 10 ("Learning Together") of my book No Contest: The Case Against Competition (Houghton Mifflin, 1992).

Alfie Kohn writes about behavior and education. His books include Feel-Bad Education , The Homework Myth , and What Does It Mean To Be Well Educated?

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How Does Homework Help You Be Smarter?

All students hate doing homework. If you try to find the school or college student who considers homework an important part of studying and pays a lot of attention to it, you will probably fail. There are lots of reasons for such behavior. First of all, we mustn�t forget about the complexity of the assignments that are set by teachers and professors. Students don�t have enough time to do it because they are busy with work and so on. 

But it doesn�t mean that all students should hold the view that homework is redundant. Teachers ask you to complete this or that assignment or to carry out research to help you absorb the material, consolidate your knowledge, and master the skills you acquired in lessons. Moreover, students who do homework regularly develop good study habits and get the desire to learn something new. All of these aspects make students smarter, and it�s one of the key objectives of studying. 

Where Can Students Get Assignment Writing Help?

People who’ve graduated from school and college about 10-15 years ago are used to finding assistance in books or asking their friends for help. Modern students also can do homework together and look for information on the Internet; however, it isn’t the most popular way of dealing with a huge academic workload. They prefer finding an online essay writing service and getting their assignments done by professional writers.

Students choose us also because the process of placing an order takes only a few minutes. It�s essential to start with calculations because you need to know how much money should be paid for your paper. Find the calculator, indicate the type of paper, the number of pages, deadline, and academic level to see the approximate price. In case it suits you, press �Continue� to be redirected to the order form page. You�ll have to include some details concerning your order, such as the required number of sources, the professor�s requirements, etc.

Use your credit card to pay for the order and wait till the managers select the appropriate writer. Be sure; we�ll notify you about it. You can text this person if you want to discuss the workflow or emphasize the importance of certain details. After you�ve finished it, the writer starts working on the order. You may spend this time as you want; what matters is what you shouldn�t worry about the homework because it�s in the hands of professionals.

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Degree In Sight

Study smart

Make the most of your study time with these drawn-from-the-research tips.

By Lea Winerman

gradPSYCH Staff

Print version: page 25

You probably think you know how to study.

After all, you've made it to graduate school. You've successfully turned in homework assignments and passed exams for at least 16 years. And there's a good chance that you have your study routine set, whether it's a cup of tea and your textbooks in bed, or a quiet library carrel you've claimed as your own.

But it may be that the study habits you've honed for a decade or two aren't serving you as well as you think they are.

Research has shown that some "common sense" study techniques — such as always reading in the same quiet location, or spending hours at a time concentrating on one subject — don't promote long-term learning. And some habits that you might suspect aren't so great, like last-minute cramming for exams, may be even worse than you thought.

We've rounded up three principles, drawn from decades of cognitive psychology research, to help you get the most out of your studying hours.

Space Your Study Sessions

As course reading piles up, it can be tempting to let yourself fall behind, all the while reassuring yourself that you'll spend two days cramming right before an exam. But while last-minute cramming may allow you to pass a test, you won't remember the material for long, according to Williams College psychologist Nate Kornell, PhD.

Decades of research have demonstrated that spacing out study sessions over a longer period of time improves long-term memory. In other words, if you have 12 hours to spend on a subject, it's better to study it for three hours each week for four weeks than to cram all 12 hours into week four.

And for the most part, the more time you take between study sessions, the better off you are — at least within the time limits of an academic semester.

"At some point, waiting too long [between sessions] could have a negative effect [on learning]," Kornell says. "However, most of us space far too little. Practically speaking, too much spacing is not really a danger anyone should worry about."

Researchers aren't exactly sure why spacing is so effective. However, one possible cause is that, over time, people forget what they learned in their initial study session. Then, when they come back to the material later, the new study session jogs their memory and they recall what they learned the first time around. That process — forgetting and retrieval — helps cement the new knowledge in place.

In one study, published in 2009 in Applied Cognitive Psychology , Kornell showed that the spacing effect works on a smaller time scale as well. He asked college students to study a "stack" of 20 digital vocabulary flashcards. The students all studied each word four times. But half of the students studied the words in one big stack — they went through all 20 words, then started over. The other half of the students studied the words in four smaller stacks of five cards each. So, the students who used the one big stack had a longer spacing time between each of the four times they saw a word.

On a test the next day, the students in the "big stack" group remembered significantly more of the words than the students in the "four small stacks" group — 49 percent as compared with 36 percent.

When it comes to spacing, students are often led astray by their own experiences, says Kent State University psychology professor Katherine Rawson, PhD, who also studies learning. "They cram right before an exam, and to be honest that's probably OK for doing fine on your exam," she says. "But the problem is that it's horrible for long-term retention. Students don't realize that they're really undercutting their own learning."

Interweave Your Subjects

You might think that if you want to learn one thing well, the best thing to do would be to sit down and concentrate on it for as long as you can stand. But research shows that mixing tasks and topics is a better bet.

In one study, published in Psychological Science in 2008, Kornell and University of California, Los Angeles psychologist Robert Bjork, PhD, asked 120 participants to learn the painting styles of 12 artists by looking at six examples of each artist's work. For half of the artists, the participants saw all six paintings in a row. For the other half of the artists, they saw the paintings in a mixed-up order. At the end of the experiment, the participants did a distracting task (counting backward by threes from 547), and then had to identify which artist had painted a new painting. The participants were significantly better at identifying the artists' whose paintings they had studied in an "interwoven" style than the artists whose paintings they'd studied in blocks.

Why does mixing up subject matter help students learn? Again, as in spacing, the key may be in the learning, forgetting and relearning that helps the brain cement the new information for the long-term.

Another factor, Bjork says, could be that the mixing — he calls it "interleaving" — forces students to notice and process the similarities and differences among the things they're trying to learn, giving them a better, deeper understanding of the material.

Despite strong evidence that interleaving works, it can be tough for teachers to work the mixed-up style of teaching into their lectures, he says.

"People expect to be taught the way they're used to being taught," he says. "Most courses involve blocking by topic. If you start interleaving you're going to seem disorganized."

But, he adds, students can bring the method into their own study sessions.

Test Yourself

Testing gets a bad rap: Students don't enjoy taking quizzes, teachers don't like to grade them, and some people bemoan that too many exams can force teachers to "teach to the test" and squeeze creativity out of the classroom.

But done right, testing can be a useful tool to help students learn, researchers say. Decades of research has shown that making yourself recall information helps strengthen your long-term learning, says Henry Roediger, PhD, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis who has done some of the key research in the area. In other words, students might not enjoy taking a quiz at the end of every class or testing themselves every time they finish reading a chapter, but doing so would probably help them remember the material on the final exam — and even after the class ended.

University of Louisville psychologist Keith Lyle, PhD, used a captive audience — students in his undergraduate statistics classes — to prove the point. In one 75-person class, at the end of each class session he asked students to complete a four- to six-question short-answer quiz about material that had been presented during the lecture. Cumulatively, the quizzes counted for just 8 percent of the students' final grade.

Lyle taught a second class using the same syllabus, but didn't do the daily quizzes. At the end of the semester, he found that students in the quiz class significantly outscored students in the nonquiz class on all four midterm exams.

Roediger says that even though most professors won't use daily quizzes in their courses, students can — and should — test themselves by asking themselves questions during study sessions.

"The problem with repeated rereading, which is what most students do to study, is that it gives you a false sense of familiarity. You feel like you know the material, but you've never tried retrieving it," he says.

Taking the Hard Route

If decades of research have demonstrated that spacing, interweaving and testing help people to learn more effectively, then why don't more students and teachers use these strategies? Perhaps because they're difficult, say Kornell, Bjork and the other researchers.

It's hard to study a topic, then switch to a different subject and wait a week to come back to the first one. When you do, you might feel like you're relearning the material — and, in a sense, you are.

Learning researchers recognize that these strategies aren't easy or fun to put into practice. Bjork, in fact, has labeled the strategies "desirable difficulties." The strategies work because they are difficult — it's the process of learning, forgetting, retrieving and relearning that eventually registers the knowledge in our long-term memory.

"In the short term it's easier not to [use these strategies], but in the long term it pays off a thousand times over," says Kornell.

Putting in the extra work to learn material for the long haul is particularly important for graduate students, he says, because by the time you reach graduate school you're not just trying to pass a test — you're learning things you'll need to have a handle on for the rest of your working life.

"One of the most important transitions you make [at the beginning of graduate school] is realizing that you are really there to learn, not just get good grades," he says.

Digital Extra

Letters to the editor.

More Homework Won't Make American Students Smarter

Reformers in the Progressive Era (from the 1890s to 1920s) depicted homework as a “sin” that deprived children of their playtime . Many critics voice similar concerns today.

Yet there are many parents who feel that from early on, children need to do homework if they are to succeed in an increasingly competitive academic culture. School administrators and policy makers have also weighed in, proposing various policies on homework .

So, does homework help or hinder kids?

For the last 10 years, my colleagues and I have been investigating international patterns in homework using databases like the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) . If we step back from the heated debates about homework and look at how homework is used around the world, we find the highest homework loads are associated with countries that have lower incomes and higher social inequality.

Does homework result in academic success?

Let’s first look at the global trends on homework.

Undoubtedly, homework is a global phenomenon ; students from all 59 countries that participated in the 2007 Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) reported getting homework. Worldwide, only less than 7 percent of fourth graders said they did no homework.

TIMSS is one of the few data sets that allow us to compare many nations on how much homework is given (and done). And the data show extreme variation.

For example, in some nations, like Algeria, Kuwait and Morocco, more than one in five fourth graders reported high levels of homework. In Japan, less than 3 percent of students indicated they did more than four hours of homework on a normal school night.

TIMSS data can also help to dispel some common stereotypes. For instance, in East Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan–countries that had the top rankings on TIMSS average math achievement–reported rates of heavy homework that were below the international mean.

In the Netherlands, nearly one out of five fourth graders reported doing no homework on an average school night, even though Dutch fourth graders put their country in the top 10 in terms of average math scores in 2007.

Going by TIMSS data, the U.S. is neither “ A Nation at Rest” as some have claimed, nor a nation straining under excessive homework load . Fourth and eighth grade U.S. students fall in the middle of the 59 countries in the TIMSS data set, although only 12 percent of U.S. fourth graders reported high math homework loads compared to an international average of 21 percent.

So, is homework related to high academic success?

At a national level, the answer is clearly no. Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement .

But, the TIMSS can’t be used to determine if homework is actually helping or hurting academic performance overall , it can help us see how much homework students are doing, and what conditions are associated with higher national levels of homework.

We have typically found that the highest homework loads are associated with countries that have lower incomes and higher levels of social inequality–not hallmarks that most countries would want to emulate.

Impact of homework on kids

TIMSS data also show us how even elementary school kids are being burdened with large amounts of homework.

Almost 10 percent of fourth graders worldwide (one in 10 children) reported spending multiple hours on homework each night. Globally, one in five fourth graders report 30 minutes or more of homework in math three to four times a week.

These reports of large homework loads should worry parents, teachers and policymakers alike.

Empirical studies have linked excessive homework to sleep disruption , indicating a negative relationship between the amount of homework, perceived stress and physical health.

What constitutes excessive amounts of homework varies by age, and may also be affected by cultural or family expectations. Young adolescents in middle school, or teenagers in high school, can study for longer duration than elementary school children.

But for elementary school students, even 30 minutes of homework a night, if combined with other sources of academic stress, can have a negative impact . Researchers in China have linked homework of two or more hours per night with sleep disruption .

Even though some cultures may normalize long periods of studying for elementary age children, there is no evidence to support that this level of homework has clear academic benefits . Also, when parents and children conflict over homework, and strong negative emotions are created, homework can actually have a negative association with academic achievement.

Should there be “no homework” policies?

Administrators and policymakers have not been reluctant to wade into the debates on homework and to formulate policies . France’s president, Francois Hollande, even proposed that homework be banned because it may have inegaliatarian effects.

However, “zero-tolerance” homework policies for schools, or nations, are likely to create as many problems as they solve because of the wide variation of homework effects. Contrary to what Hollande said, research suggests that homework is not a likely source of social class differences in academic achievement .

Homework, in fact, is an important component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling.

Policymakers and researchers should look more closely at the connection between poverty, inequality, and higher levels of homework. Rather than seeing homework as a “solution,” policymakers should question what facets of their educational system might impel students, teachers and parents to increase homework loads.

At the classroom level, in setting homework, teachers need to communicate with their peers and with parents to assure that the homework assigned overall for a grade is not burdensome, and that it is indeed having a positive effect.

Perhaps, teachers can opt for a more individualized approach to homework. If teachers are careful in selecting their assignments–weighing the student’s age, family situation and need for skill development–then homework can be tailored in ways that improve the chance of maximum positive impact for any given student.

I strongly suspect that when teachers face conditions such as pressure to meet arbitrary achievement goals, lack of planning time or little autonomy over curriculum, homework becomes an easy option to make up what could not be covered in class.

Whatever the reason, the fact is a significant percentage of elementary school children around the world are struggling with large homework loads. That alone could have long-term negative consequences for their academic success.

This article was originally published on The Conversation . Read the original article .

Does Homework Make You Smarter?

Since the beginning of our childhood, our teachers, parents, and other influential people in our lives have preached to us “Practice makes perfect, or Repetition equals remembrance!” Have you ever wondered why all of those people would take the time out to sear these old sayings into our brains? What makes the art of “practice” so important, and so sacred, that we instill it on our youth so early in their lives?

These proverbs have been passed down through the ages, for centuries. It inspires educators everywhere worldwide, to confidently enforce the principle of reiterating repetition to their pupils, outside of the classroom. Today we know this repetition reiteration as, the infamous homework assignment.

You must be thinking what I am thinking. If you are thinking that somebody spread a little rumor, that got way out of hand, then you are correct! Be honest, who else wants to know what genius started the rumor that homework makes you smarter?

Relationship between homework and student achievement

So what exactly is the relationship between homework and student achievement? According to famed American inventor, Thomas A. Edison, “A genius is a talented person who does his homework.” Well, we now know who kept the rumor going! Can homework actually add points to your IQ score? Or does it make you talented? Seriously though, there is a stigma about homework making you smarter. The question is the validity of that stigma. Does homework actually make you smarter?

“A genius is a talented person who does his homework.” ~Thomas A. Edison

In theory, doing more homework increases intelligence. We generally associate an increase in intelligence with becoming smarter. The reality of this is not actually true. Gaining knowledge, and understanding it, are two totally different things. Homework improves student memory and thinking skills, time management, responsibility, and overall better study habits. Although participating in outside course activities improves key developments of your mental, that does not necessarily make you more intelligent.

Value of homework

News flash, homework actually has significant merit for those students who engage accordingly. Not everyone is aware of the advantages of properly tackling homework, let alone or interested in it. Most of us rarely get the fun homework we want. I know the feeling of being bored stiff, in the middle of a grueling homework session. We all do. Imagine what it would be like if we enjoyed, and even more valued homework. How do we increase the value of homework within students, and which factors are necessary for developing homework interest?

To increase the value of homework within the student community, educators need to first identify what interests their students. From their students’ interests, teachers should then directly correlate the curriculum accordingly. Imagine if today’s homework assignment is something you enjoy doing, and learn from!

For example, you love to draw, and tonight’s geography homework is to draw a treasure map; including all 50 states of the United States; labeling all states and their capital city. Not only did you get the opportunity to let out your inner Picasso, but you gained great knowledge from drawing a detailed map.

It is imperative that students be more proactive in the homework process, and open to the benefits of daily mental stimulation. The feeling of banging your head on a wall out of frustration of homework over-saturation would cease to exist.

Teachers often wonder, does homework make you smarter? Simply put, there is no simple answer to ponder on. This alone is one of the main reasons so much homework is assigned. Tired of hearing that old saying “Practice makes perfect,”? There has to be a better way.

Is it true homework makes you dumber???

Do you often wonder, is homework making you smarter, or does homework dumb down your intellect. It is not true that homework makes you dumber. The mere thought of homework making you dumb is silly but more importantly false. The truth is, homework is a great tool to help break down information and learn something new. You have the opportunity to practice various scenarios pertaining to your curriculum. Homework works by isolating specific details and discrepancies in your studies for clarity.

Homework also allows you to critically analyze the materials at hand, for a more thorough, and in-depth understanding. But wait, there’s more.The best thing to remember, the goal of homework is not to make you smarter, but to assist in comprehending the subject matter better. So how can homework make you smarter?

Always keep in mind, Repetition leads to remembrance. Remembrance equates to understanding, and understanding is the key to successfully attaining wisdom. Your brain is a computer, and what you put in it, you get out of it. Yes, you read that right! Your brain is a computer! The only way to truly become smarter is to develop an in-depth understanding of the knowledge you seek, not memorizing what’s being assigned.

“Repetition leads to remembrance, remembrance equates to understanding, and understanding is the key to successfully attaining wisdom.” ~ Shanty  Jordan

Should homework be banned?!

Do you dream of one day leading the masses, boycotting the practice of homework? Marching down the streets of Washington DC, and inspiring others in uplifting chants opposing homework. What if there was a ban on homework? Do you truly believe it would help or hurt your quest to become smarter?

Let’s explore the cons of homework:

• Teachers often assign too much homework. After being at school all day, the last thing you need is having to pull an ‘all-nighter’ because of the heavy work volume.
• Significantly large homework loads can stress students greatly. This can cause a decline in your mental, and physical health.
• At times, homework is delegated as an unintentional filibuster. I would rather be given work that is relevant to today’s life, than time filling, waste of brainpower.

Now let’s look at the pros of homework:

• Homework also allows you to critically analyze the materials at hand, for a more thorough, and in-depth understanding.
• Homework is a great tool to help break down information and learn something new.
• Homework improves student memory and thinking skills, time management, responsibility, and overall better study habits.

So the answer to the age-old question, does homework make you smarter, (drum-roll please), No it does not! Homework does not make you smarter, even though it is a wonderful aid in learning. Completely understanding the principles of your curriculum as it pertains to itself, yourself, and life is the best way to become smarter!!!!

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Standing Up at Your Desk Could Make You Smarter

By Richard A. Friedman

Dr. Friedman is a contributing opinion writer and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College.

• April 19, 2018

This is an odd admission for a psychiatrist to make, but I’ve never been very good at sitting still. I’m antsy in my chair and jump at any opportunity to escape it. When I’m trying to work out a difficult problem, I often stand and move about the office.

We’ve known for a while that sitting for long stretches of every day has myriad health consequences , like a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes, that culminate in a higher mortality rate . But now a new study has found that sitting is also bad for your brain. And it might be the case that lots of exercise is not enough to save you if you’re a couch potato the rest of the time.

A study published last week , conducted by Dr. Prabha Siddarth at the University of California at Los Angeles, showed that sedentary behavior is associated with reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe, which contains the hippocampus, a brain region that is critical to learning and memory.

The researchers asked a group of 35 healthy people, ages 45 to 70, about their activity levels and the average number of hours each day spent sitting and then scanned their brains with M.R.I. They found that the thickness of their medial temporal lobe was inversely correlated with how sedentary they were; the subjects who reported sitting for longer periods had the thinnest medial temporal lobes.

The implication is that the more time you spend in a chair the worse it is for your brain health, resulting in possible impairment in learning and memory.

Of course, the study cannot prove that this link is causal. It’s possible that people with pre-existing cognitive problems might just be more sedentary. Still, the researchers screened the subjects to rule out major medical and psychiatric disorders, so this explanation is unlikely.

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Can training your working memory make you smarter? We reviewed the evidence

PhD Candidate - Cognitive Psychology, University of Liverpool

Professor of Decision Making and Expertise, University of Liverpool

Disclosure statement

Giovanni Sala receives funding from the University of Liverpool.

Fernand Gobet receives funding from the University of Liverpool. He gets royalties from a number of books on expertise and talent.

University of Liverpool provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

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We would all like to boost our cognitive ability beyond the limits set by Mother Nature. So it’s no wonder that brain-training programmes – which typically focus on training our working memory – are a multibillion-dollar industry . But can this kind of training really make us smarter?

If it could, the implications for society would clearly be huge – and could help us unveil the secrets of the human mind. Now we have reviewed the most studied type of cognitive training – working memory training – to find an answer.

Cognitive training sees the brain as a kind of muscle that can be made stronger with the right kind of practice. It consists of tasks or games that are typically carried out on computers, tablets or smart phones. Despite much research, there has so far been no agreement about its effectiveness. Some think that cognitive training boosts a broad range of cognitive abilities , while others are far more pessimistic .

Yet we do know that some cognitive skills, such as working memory and intelligence, tend to go together and are predictors of real-life skills such as work performance. Thus, training one cognitive skill might lead to an improvement in many other cognitive and non-cognitive skills. That is exactly the underlying hypothesis on which working-memory training is based.

Working memory is a cognitive system, related to short-term memory, that stores and manipulates the information necessary to solve complex cognitive tasks. The amount of information this cognitive system can manage is quite limited – if we are asked to remember a number of items or digits in a short period of time we can manage, on average, ( only seven ). The type of intelligence that working-memory capacity correlates most highly with is called fluid intelligence . This describes a person’s ability to solve new problems and adapt to novel situations. Fluid intelligence is the most reliable predictor of academic achievement and work performance .

Thus, it’s not crazy to believe that engaging in working-memory tasks – such as n -back tasks which present people with a sequence of visual stimuli and ask them to indicate when the current stimulus matches the one from a certain number of steps earlier in the sequence – may foster working-memory capacity and, consequently, fluid intelligence and school or work performance.

Weighing up the evidence

To test this hypothesis, we reviewed all the studies about working-memory training we could find with normally developing children: 26 experiments and 1,601 total participants. Children represent an ideal test group: during childhood, skills are still at the beginning of their development. Thus, cognitive training is more likely to succeed with children than adults.

The results were crystal clear. Working-memory training did not show any effect on children’s fluid intelligence, academic achievement or other cognitive abilities. The only reliable effect was that children got better at what they trained . No more, no less. So performing working-memory tasks (for example n -back) does seem to make you better at doing them. Nonetheless, the fact that participants got better at such tasks does not necessarily mean that their working-memory capacity increased. They may just have learnt how to perform that particular type of task.

The results do indicate that the use of working-memory training programs as an educational tool is futile. More generally, together with other research , the results contribute to disproving cognitive training companies’ promises of a better brain. These claims are clearly much more optimistic than the actual data suggest.

Our results have even more important implications theoretically. They question the hypothesis that training general cognitive mechanisms can affect other cognitive or real-life skills. Beyond working-memory training, other recent reviews and studies have revealed the limitations of different types of cognitive training. For example, music training fails at enhancing cognitive skills outside music – including academic attainment.

Chess training does seem to exert moderate effects on children’s cognitive ability and achievement in mathematics. However, any positive effects are probably due to placebos (such as being excited about a new activity). The benefits of practising action video games appear to be limited to the tasks trained by the video game. Taken together, this evidence suggests that the “curse of specificity” occurs regardless of the type of training.

However, these negative results must not discourage us from training our cognitive and non-cognitive skills. We just have to be aware of the actual limitations of such practice in areas outside what we are actually training. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it – the most efficient way to develop a skill is, after all, to train that skill.

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Does Homework Make You Smarter?

Homework has been a staple of the education system for decades, with proponents arguing that it reinforces learning and helps students develop essential skills. However, the question remains: does homework actually make you smarter? While opinions on this matter vary, there are compelling arguments both for and against the effectiveness of homework in enhancing academic performance and intellectual growth.

On one hand, proponents of homework argue that it provides students with valuable practice and reinforcement of concepts learned in class. By completing homework assignments, students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned, thereby solidifying their understanding of the material. Additionally, homework can promote independent learning and self-discipline, as students must manage their time effectively to complete assignments on time. These skills are essential not only for academic success but also for success in future endeavors.

Moreover, homework can serve as a diagnostic tool for teachers, allowing them to gauge students' understanding of the material and identify areas where additional support may be needed. Through homework assignments, teachers can assess individual student progress and tailor instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners. This personalized approach to learning can lead to better academic outcomes and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

On the other hand, critics of homework argue that excessive assignments can lead to burnout and have detrimental effects on students' well-being. In today's fast-paced world, students often juggle multiple responsibilities outside of school, including extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and family obligations. The added pressure of homework can contribute to stress and anxiety, ultimately detracting from students' ability to engage fully with the material.

Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that the quality of homework assignments matters more than the quantity. Meaningful, engaging tasks that encourage critical thinking and creativity are more likely to enhance learning outcomes than rote memorization or busywork. Therefore, educators must carefully consider the purpose and design of homework assignments to ensure they align with the goals of the curriculum and promote deep learning.

In conclusion, the debate over whether homework makes you smarter is multifaceted and complex. While homework can provide valuable practice and reinforcement of concepts, it must be carefully designed and implemented to avoid potential drawbacks. Ultimately, the effectiveness of homework depends on various factors, including the quality of assignments, the individual needs of students, and the support systems in place to help them succeed.

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Are Todays Tv Shows Making Us Smarter?

Television has long been a staple of entertainment and information dissemination, but the question remains: are today's TV shows contributing to the intellectual growth of viewers? In examining this query, it becomes evident that the landscape of television programming has evolved significantly, offering a diverse array of content that can both educate and entertain. Firstly, the rise of educational programming has been a notable development in contemporary television. Channels dedicated to documentaries, science, history, and nature offer viewers the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a wide range of topics. Documentaries delve deep into various subjects, providing detailed insights and perspectives that can stimulate critical thinking and enhance understanding. Shows like "Cosmos" by Neil deGrasse Tyson or "Planet Earth" narrated by Sir David Attenborough not only captivate audiences with stunning visuals but also impart valuable information about the universe and the natural world. Furthermore, the quality of scripted dramas and comedies has improved significantly in recent years. Many TV series feature complex narratives, multidimensional characters, and thought-provoking themes that encourage viewers to engage intellectually. From exploring moral dilemmas in "Breaking Bad" to dissecting societal issues in "Black Mirror," these shows offer more than mere entertainment; they provoke introspection and dialogue, challenging viewers to ponder ethical questions and contemplate the implications of technological advancements. Moreover, the accessibility of information in the digital age has transformed the way viewers interact with television content. With the advent of streaming services and online platforms, audiences have greater control over what they watch and when they watch it. This freedom allows individuals to curate their viewing experiences, selecting programs that align with their interests and intellectual pursuits. Whether it's a TED Talk on a thought-provoking topic or a historical drama that sheds light on a lesser-known period, viewers can tailor their TV consumption to enrich their minds and broaden their horizons. In conclusion, while not all TV shows may be designed with the explicit goal of making audiences smarter, the diverse range of content available today offers ample opportunities for intellectual stimulation and growth. Whether through educational programming, thought-provoking dramas, or easily accessible information, television has the potential to contribute positively to the intellectual development of viewers. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to choose wisely and actively engage with the content that can enrich their minds and expand their understanding of the world....

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• Forms of Government

Watching Tv Makes You Smarter, By Steven Johnson

In his article "Watching TV Makes You Smarter," Steven Johnson argues that television shows have become more complex and intellectually stimulating over the years, challenging viewers to think critically and engage with the content. While many people believe that television is a mindless form of entertainment, Johnson suggests that it can actually enhance cognitive abilities and improve problem-solving skills. Johnson begins by acknowledging the common perception that television is a passive activity that numbs the mind. He argues, however, that this view is outdated and fails to recognize the evolution of television programming. According to Johnson, shows like "The Sopranos" and "Lost" are prime examples of how television has become more complex, with intricate storylines and multi-dimensional characters. These shows require viewers to pay close attention, make connections, and analyze the narrative structure. In this way, watching television can be seen as an active mental exercise. Furthermore, Johnson introduces the concept of "the sleeper curve," which suggests that popular culture has become increasingly cognitively demanding. He argues that television shows, video games, and even reality TV competitions like "Survivor" have raised the bar for intellectual engagement. By presenting viewers with complex narratives, multiple storylines, and non-linear storytelling techniques, these forms of entertainment force audiences to think critically and keep up with the plot. Johnson believes that this cognitive workout can have a positive impact on viewers' intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Johnson also addresses the counterargument that television is a distraction from more intellectually stimulating activities such as reading or engaging in face-to-face conversations. While he acknowledges the importance of these activities, he argues that television can offer a different kind of mental stimulation. He suggests that watching television can be a form of "cognitive play," where viewers actively engage with the content and exercise their brains in a different way. This cognitive play, according to Johnson, can enhance our ability to navigate complex information and make connections in the real world. In conclusion, Steven Johnson's article challenges the notion that watching television is a mindless activity. He argues that television shows have become more intellectually stimulating over the years, requiring viewers to think critically and engage with complex narratives. By presenting the concept of "the sleeper curve," Johnson suggests that popular culture has raised the bar for cognitive engagement. While television should not replace other intellectually stimulating activities, Johnson believes that it can offer a unique form of mental exercise that can enhance problem-solving skills and cognitive abilities....

Analysis Of The Movie ' Thinking Outside The Idiot Box ' By Dana Stevens And Watching Tv Makes You Smarter

"Thinking Outside The Box" is a thought-provoking film that challenges conventional thinking and encourages viewers to explore new perspectives. Directed by visionary filmmaker John Smith, the movie follows the journey of a young protagonist, Sarah, as she navigates through a series of unexpected events that force her to reevaluate her beliefs and assumptions. One of the key themes explored in "Thinking Outside The Box" is the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving. Throughout the film, Sarah encounters obstacles that seem insurmountable at first glance. However, through creative thinking and unconventional approaches, she discovers solutions that defy expectations and redefine possibilities. This theme serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of thinking outside the box, inspiring viewers to embrace creativity and open-mindedness in their own lives. Furthermore, "Thinking Outside The Box" delves into the notion of conformity versus individuality. Sarah's journey is marked by encounters with characters who embody different perspectives on conformity and rebellion. From her conservative parents who value tradition and stability to her free-spirited friend who encourages her to break free from societal norms, Sarah is constantly torn between the desire to fit in and the urge to forge her own path. This conflict highlights the tension between societal expectations and personal authenticity, prompting viewers to reflect on the importance of staying true to oneself amidst external pressures. Moreover, the film addresses the concept of risk-taking and resilience in the pursuit of success. As Sarah ventures into uncharted territory and takes risks outside her comfort zone, she experiences setbacks and failures along the way. However, it is through these challenges that she discovers her true strengths and capabilities. "Thinking Outside The Box" celebrates the courage to take risks and the resilience to persevere in the face of adversity, offering a message of hope and inspiration to viewers grappling with their own aspirations and ambitions. In conclusion, "Thinking Outside The Box" is a captivating film that transcends genres to deliver a powerful message about the transformative power of creativity, individuality, and resilience. Through its compelling narrative and thought-provoking themes, the movie encourages viewers to challenge the status quo, embrace innovation, and pursue their dreams with courage and determination. As Sarah's journey unfolds on screen, audiences are reminded of the boundless potential that lies within each of us to think outside the box and shape our own destinies....

Essay on “Is Google Making Us Stupid” and “Get Smarter”

In today's digital age, the impact of technology on our cognitive abilities and information consumption habits has become a subject of much debate. Nicholas Carr's essay "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" delves into this issue, examining how the internet, and Google in particular, may be reshaping our brains and altering the way we think. Carr argues that the constant exposure to online distractions and the ease of accessing vast amounts of information may be diminishing our capacity for deep, focused reading and critical thinking. One of Carr's primary concerns is the phenomenon of "skimming" or "browsing" through information online, rather than engaging in sustained, concentrated reading. With the abundance of articles, blog posts, and social media updates available at our fingertips, Carr suggests that we have become accustomed to consuming information in bite-sized chunks, rather than delving deeply into complex texts. This trend, he argues, has led to a decline in our ability to concentrate for extended periods and to engage in the kind of deep, analytical thinking that is necessary for comprehension and synthesis of complex ideas. Moreover, Carr highlights the role of technology in shaping the way we process information and retain knowledge. With the rise of search engines like Google, information retrieval has become nearly instantaneous, leading to what Carr describes as a "just-in-time" model of learning. Instead of committing information to memory or internalizing knowledge, we rely on external sources to provide us with answers to our queries, leading to a shallower understanding of the material and a decreased capacity for critical thinking and problem-solving. However, it is essential to recognize that the impact of technology on cognition is not entirely negative. While Carr raises valid concerns about the potential drawbacks of excessive internet use, it is also worth acknowledging the myriad ways in which technology has enriched our lives and expanded our access to information. Google, for example, has democratized knowledge and facilitated unprecedented levels of connectivity and collaboration. Moreover, the internet has opened up new avenues for creativity, learning, and self-expression, empowering individuals to pursue their passions and share their ideas with the world. In conclusion, Carr's essay prompts us to reflect critically on the ways in which technology, particularly the internet and search engines like Google, may be shaping our cognitive processes and information consumption habits. While there are legitimate concerns about the potential negative effects of excessive internet use on concentration, critical thinking, and memory, it is also essential to recognize the benefits that technology has brought to our lives. By maintaining a balanced approach to technology usage and cultivating mindfulness in our online activities, we can harness the power of the internet while mitigating its potential drawbacks....

• Digital Art Trends

Could Playing Video Games Make You Smarter' By Michael Casey

Could Playing Video Games Make You Smarter? In recent years, the debate over the cognitive effects of playing video games has intensified. While some argue that video games have detrimental effects on cognitive function, others suggest that certain types of video games could actually enhance cognitive abilities. This essay explores the potential benefits of playing video games on cognitive development and intelligence. One key argument in favor of video games improving cognitive function is the notion of "brain training." Many video games, particularly those categorized as strategy or puzzle games, require players to solve complex problems, make quick decisions, and adapt to changing situations. These cognitive tasks engage various regions of the brain, including those responsible for memory, attention, and spatial reasoning. As players tackle these challenges, they may develop and strengthen neural connections, leading to improved cognitive abilities over time. Moreover, video games often provide opportunities for players to learn new skills and acquire knowledge. For example, simulation games such as "SimCity" or "Civilization" require players to manage resources, plan strategies, and make decisions that impact virtual societies. By engaging with these simulations, players may develop skills in resource management, critical thinking, and decision-making that are transferable to real-world contexts. Furthermore, multiplayer online games offer social interaction and collaboration opportunities that can enhance social intelligence and communication skills. In games where teamwork is essential, players must effectively communicate, coordinate actions, and strategize with teammates to achieve common goals. These experiences can foster teamwork, leadership, and empathy, all of which are valuable skills in various personal and professional settings. However, it is essential to acknowledge that not all video games offer the same cognitive benefits. Some games, particularly those that emphasize violence or mindless repetition, may have limited or negative effects on cognitive function. Additionally, excessive gaming can lead to detrimental effects such as decreased attention span, poor academic performance, and social isolation. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to choose games wisely and maintain a balanced approach to gaming habits. In conclusion, while the relationship between video games and cognitive function is complex, there is evidence to suggest that playing certain types of video games could have positive effects on cognitive development and intelligence. By engaging in challenging gameplay, learning new skills, and participating in social interactions, individuals may enhance various aspects of their cognitive abilities. However, it is essential to approach gaming with moderation and discretion to reap the potential benefits while minimizing potential drawbacks....

• Cognitive Psychology
• Global Health Challenges

Does Music Make You Smarter?

Music has always been a fundamental part of human civilization, serving as a form of expression, entertainment, and cultural identity. However, over the years, researchers have also explored the potential cognitive benefits of music, particularly in relation to intelligence and brain development. This essay aims to delve into the question: Does music make you smarter? To begin with, numerous studies have suggested a positive correlation between music and cognitive abilities. Learning to play a musical instrument, for instance, has been found to enhance various cognitive skills, including memory, attention, and problem-solving. Playing an instrument requires the coordination of both hands, which strengthens the connections between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This improved connectivity can have a positive impact on other cognitive tasks, such as mathematics and language processing. Moreover, listening to music has also been associated with cognitive benefits. Research has shown that certain types of music, such as classical compositions, can have a calming effect on the mind, reducing stress and anxiety. This relaxed state of mind allows for improved focus and concentration, ultimately enhancing cognitive performance. Additionally, music can stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, which can enhance motivation and creativity. Furthermore, music has the power to stimulate different areas of the brain simultaneously. When we listen to music, our brains process not only the melody but also the rhythm, harmony, and lyrics (if present). This multisensory experience engages various cognitive processes, such as auditory processing, pattern recognition, and emotional interpretation. By exercising these cognitive functions, music can potentially strengthen the neural pathways involved in learning and memory. However, it is important to note that while music may have cognitive benefits, it does not necessarily make someone inherently smarter. Intelligence is a complex and multifaceted trait that encompasses various cognitive abilities, such as logical reasoning, problem-solving, and verbal comprehension. While music can enhance certain cognitive skills, it does not directly influence overall intelligence. In conclusion, music has been found to have numerous cognitive benefits, including improved memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Learning to play a musical instrument and listening to music can enhance brain connectivity, reduce stress, and stimulate various cognitive processes. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that music does not directly determine intelligence. Instead, it acts as a powerful tool that can complement and enhance cognitive abilities. So, while music may not make you smarter, it certainly has the potential to positively impact cognitive functioning....

• Performing Arts

Market Research At Pak ' Nsave Limited Making Survey Regarding Making Improvement Essay

Market Research at Pak Nsave Limited Market research plays a pivotal role in the success of any business, offering valuable insights into consumer preferences, market trends, and competitor strategies. At Pak Nsave Limited, market research is not just a process; it's a cornerstone of our decision-making. By leveraging comprehensive market research methodologies, we aim to make informed strategic choices that drive growth and profitability. Understanding consumer behavior is paramount in today's dynamic market landscape. Through in-depth market research, Pak Nsave Limited gains crucial insights into the evolving needs and preferences of our target audience. By analyzing demographic data, purchasing patterns, and psychographic profiles, we tailor our product offerings and marketing strategies to resonate with our customers effectively. This customer-centric approach enables us to anticipate market trends and stay ahead of the competition. Moreover, market research empowers Pak Nsave Limited to identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities. By conducting thorough market analysis, we assess the competitive landscape, identify gaps in the market, and pinpoint areas for innovation. Whether it's launching a new product line or expanding into untapped demographics, our market research serves as a compass, guiding our strategic initiatives and mitigating risks. Furthermore, at Pak Nsave Limited, market research is not confined to understanding external factors; it also encompasses internal assessments to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. By soliciting feedback from stakeholders, including employees and suppliers, we gain valuable insights into areas for improvement. This continuous feedback loop allows us to refine our processes, streamline operations, and deliver an unparalleled customer experience. In conclusion, market research is the backbone of Pak Nsave Limited's business strategy. By leveraging comprehensive data analysis and consumer insights, we make informed decisions that drive sustainable growth and foster a competitive advantage in the marketplace. As we continue to prioritize market research, we remain committed to delivering innovative solutions and exceeding customer expectations in a rapidly evolving business landscape....

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Homework Is No Homework

Homework has been a staple of the education system for decades. Students are often assigned tasks to complete at home to reinforce what they have learned in class. However, there is a growing debate about whether homework is truly beneficial or if it is simply a source of stress and anxiety for students. Some argue that homework is necessary for academic success, while others believe that it is time to do away with homework altogether. Proponents of homework argue that it is essential for reinforcing concepts learned in the classroom. They believe that practice makes perfect, and that completing homework assignments helps students solidify their understanding of the material. Additionally, homework can help students develop important skills such as time management and self-discipline. By completing assignments on their own time, students learn to prioritize tasks and work independently. On the other hand, opponents of homework argue that it can have negative effects on students' well-being. The pressure to complete assignments on time can lead to stress and anxiety, especially for students who already have a heavy workload. Additionally, homework can take away from valuable time that could be spent on extracurricular activities, hobbies, or simply relaxing. Some argue that students should have the freedom to learn at their own pace and in their own way, without the added pressure of homework. In conclusion, the debate over homework is a complex one with valid points on both sides. While homework can be beneficial for reinforcing concepts and developing important skills, it can also be a significant source of stress for students. Ultimately, the decision to assign homework should be made carefully, taking into consideration the well-being of students and the effectiveness of the assignments. Perhaps a balanced approach, with limited homework that is meaningful and purposeful, is the best way to ensure that students are able to succeed academically without sacrificing their mental health....

• Educational System
• Student Life
• Higher Education

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