I think when evaluating whether homework is effective, we have to compare apples to apples. First, the homework has to build on the in-class lessons, foster opportunities for recall, be at the appropriate level of challenge, and mitigate extraneous load. The activity needs to be relevant and not busy work. So before we can determine whether homework conceptually is effective, we have to ensure the homework itself is designed well. And I am not sure that is always happening.
I think you could define some guardrails that constrain homework to avoid the downsides.
The total quantity must be achievable by the least capable students. The material must be accessible to the student- follow on exercises, reading or summarizing, recall practice
The material should be accessible to the parents. One benefit of homework is the child can engage with people other than those in their class.
There is no shortage of information on the sort of deliberate practice that leads to competency.
Another way to look at the a similar question. Say the homework is to complete a set of practice exercises started in class. Some students complete them all during the time in the class.
Do people think those students who didn’t won’t benefit from completing them as homework? If so was there any benefit for those that didn’t won’t them in class?
The no homework crowd must be arguing that there was no benefit to completing the exercises and the whole class should only do as much as can be done by all students.
It’s possible that the concern is not a particular item of homework but a badly coordinated assignment of it where the least capable students end up with hours of work to finish up from several independent classes.
But that points to the real issue there is good levels of homework and bad and these will be different for individuals.
Also consider elementary school is not usually streamed. So homework may help some students keep up. Other students could keep up or even excel doing no homework.
So those completing homework may have worse outcomes based on their readiness for the subject matter compared to those that find they can cope with no homework.
I think when evaluating whether homework is effective, we have to compare apples to apples. First, the homework has to build on the in-class lessons, foster opportunities for recall, be at the appropriate level of challenge, and mitigate extraneous load. The activity needs to be relevant and not busy work. So before we can determine whether homework conceptually is effective, we have to ensure the homework itself is designed well. And I am not sure that is always happening.
I think you could define some guardrails that constrain homework to avoid the downsides.
The total quantity must be achievable by the least capable students. The material must be accessible to the student- follow on exercises, reading or summarizing, recall practice
The material should be accessible to the parents. One benefit of homework is the child can engage with people other than those in their class.
There is no shortage of information on the sort of deliberate practice that leads to competency.
Another way to look at the a similar question. Say the homework is to complete a set of practice exercises started in class. Some students complete them all during the time in the class.
Do people think those students who didn’t won’t benefit from completing them as homework? If so was there any benefit for those that didn’t won’t them in class?
The no homework crowd must be arguing that there was no benefit to completing the exercises and the whole class should only do as much as can be done by all students.
It’s possible that the concern is not a particular item of homework but a badly coordinated assignment of it where the least capable students end up with hours of work to finish up from several independent classes.
But that points to the real issue there is good levels of homework and bad and these will be different for individuals.
Also consider elementary school is not usually streamed. So homework may help some students keep up. Other students could keep up or even excel doing no homework.
So those completing homework may have worse outcomes based on their readiness for the subject matter compared to those that find they can cope with no homework.