Homework Can’t live with it….can’t live without it…

Objectives: by the end of the session trainees will have: Considered the purposes of homework and strategies for achieving these Plan homework tasks in relation to a series of lessons

In pairs discuss… Why, oh why, do we set homework?

The purposes of homework for the School: Ease time constraints on the curriculumEase time constraints on the curriculum Raise attainment, e.g. focusing on skills needed in examsRaise attainment, e.g. focusing on skills needed in exams The development or enhancement of skills e.g. literacyThe development or enhancement of skills e.g. literacy Assessment of students’ progressAssessment of students’ progress Enables the punishment of studentsEnables the punishment of students Fulfil the expectations of parents, teachers, students, politicians and the publicFulfil the expectations of parents, teachers, students, politicians and the public Provide evidence for the evaluation of teachingProvide evidence for the evaluation of teaching

The purposes of homework for the teachers: Practice and consolidation of skills/content learned in classPractice and consolidation of skills/content learned in class Assessment of content learned in class (eg checking understanding)Assessment of content learned in class (eg checking understanding) Extension of learning in classExtension of learning in class Preparation of new learningPreparation of new learning Encourage independent learning and self- disciplineEncourage independent learning and self- discipline Develop new skills e.g. researchDevelop new skills e.g. research

The purposes of homework for parents: Inform parents about what their child is doing in school Create opportunities for parents to discuss school work with their child and enables learning to be enhanced by parental involvement Develop a partnership between school and home

According to research (Hallam; Stern; Petty; Hargreaves; Cohen): High-ability students get set more homework Students say that teacher expectation is one of the most decisive factors in motivating them to complete homework Students like homework to be directly linked to the lesson Teachers say that the most important function of homework is reinforcement, review, and practice of content (remember Kolb?)

Group Activity There has been a lot of research on homework over the last 10 years Each group will be looking at specific issues related to this research Each member of the group will act as ambassador and transfer this knowledge to members in other groups before finally returning and feeding back what they discover to their home group about homework. This is known as ‘jig-sawing’

Instructions about homework are often given hurriedly, with insufficient guidance, and inadequate opportunities to seek clarification Homework is often set 3-4 minutes before the end of lesson and often as or after the ‘bell’ goes! Only 36% of students in one study reported that teachers ‘always’ mark their work Teacher feedback is seen as crucial in improving attainment and in motivating students to do homework There is a point at which more time spent on homework has a negative effect on learning The longer the return of marked homework to students the less effective it is as a form of assessment Some implications for practice…

What kinds of activities can this mean in practice? Writing essays Comprehension Research Reading and note-making Answering exam questions Revision Preparing a presentation

But I KNOW you can come up with something more imaginative! Using the hand-out provided generate as many ideas as possibleUsing the hand-out provided generate as many ideas as possible Feed these ideas back to the groupFeed these ideas back to the group I will collate these ideas and give them back to you next weekI will collate these ideas and give them back to you next week

How do you manage homework? Time: do you set a certain amount of time to be spent, and accept that different students will produce differing amounts?...or, set a task knowing that it will take students differing amounts of time? Deadlines: what do you do if students fail to hand work in on time? Practicalities: how and when do you collect it in?

SANCTIONS! Using the hand out provided brainstorm as many ways that you deal with homework not being done – you can also refer to methods used by your colleagues at work

Saving time and raising achievement Using the handout provided – think of as many homework ideas as you can that require the minimum of marking while maximising student attainment

Conclusions: According to Sue Hallam: “Teachers need to be clear about why they are setting homework and what the exact purpose is. The quality of the thinking required by the student may be particularly important in this respect. In addition, encouraging students to evaluate their own work and increase their meta-cognitive skills will have long-term benefits. This can be achieved by adopting formative assessment techniques in the classroom and actively engaging students in their own learning and that of their peers.”