It's in our schools, it's in our homes, it's at our coffee shops, and it's on our minds
constantly.
Homework.
And it's DEADLY.
Just kidding, it's fine, but is there such a thing as too much?
Homework is something we've all been assigned; even Harry Potter had tons of homework!
But, sadly, for us science muggles, Hermione won't be able help us out; which is actually
better, it turns out.
In the early 1900s, homework was part and parcel to creating a "disciplined mind," then
in the 1940s, it was seen as superfluous, until the 1950s when the Soviets kicked off
the Space Race with the launch of Sputnik.
As homework's relevance ebbs and flows, new research from the American Psychological Association
has planted a flag right in the middle -- finding the benefits of homework are real, unless
it's over-assigned.
Surveying and studying 77-hundred students, the APA determined students spent between
one and two hours on homework for all their subjects.
If the teacher assigned a moderate amount of homework systematically, with strategy,
the students did better on assessments in math and science.
They also did better if they did the work on their own, so BACK OFF HER-MI-OH-NINNY.
Researchers looking at the number of minutes spent related to gains made in scholastic
abilities found anything over 70 minutes per day wasn't efficient.
"HOW is more important than HOW MUCH," they said.
The strategy of homework, it turns out, can be much more difficult than it sounds.
Homework in Elementary school has no evidence of any benefit,, whereas junior high and high
school do see increasing gains, but even then they've found autonomy in learning is better;
when parents get too involved the student suffers.
It's not just the students and parents, though, a 2012 study of 18,000 10th-grade students
found (quote) "homework should be purposeful, and that purpose must be understood by both
the teachers and the students…
more is not better."
I loved school, but I wasn't the best student when it came to homework; I didn't always
understand WHY I we were doing it, it just seemed like busywork -- which these researchers
say is part of the problem.
On top of that, everyone learns differently.
Standardized tests and letter grades aren't the best for everyone, true.
And for people with ADHD, like me, it can be very difficult to sit for hours at a time.
Research shows studying also benefits from changing locations, and trying out different
strategies for different topics.
Even sleep can help us learn!
Psychological Science in the Public Interest ranked 10 different forms and tactics for
learning.
The best were practice testing, and distributed practice.
Distributed practice involves revisiting topics 10-20 percent of the time you want to recall
it.
Want to remember something for a week?
Study the topic once every 12-24 hours apart.
Practice tests involve testing your OWN knowledge.
Sure you can have a pre-created test, but a better way is to make your own practice
questions while studying, and come back to them days later.
Flashcards are an example of practice testing.
The worst ways to recall long-term critical thinking information?
Summarization, highlighting, mnemonics, re-reading and imagery for text learning.
These aren't hard and fast rules of course -- Each has a benefit for a different TYPE
of learning.
Our brains are made of meat, remember, we're better at remembering some things than others
because of our evolution.
We needed to learn game paths, safe havens, or which bush had the best berries.
Simply assigning reams of rote memorization or repetitive problem solving isn't going
to work for every one of those brains.
Experiences, or revisiting topics days or even a week later can help recall.
Homework is an important part of an overall learning strategy; just like knowing yourself,
and how you learn.
How do YOU learn?
Have you thought about it?