A Study of the Effectiveness of Web-Based Homework in Teaching Undergraduate Business Statistics

Web-based homework (WBH) Technology can simplify the creation and grading of assignments as well as provide a feasible platform for assessment testing, but its effect on student learning in business statistics is unknown. This is particularly true of the latest software development of Web-based tutoring agents that dynamically evaluate individual students' skill level and purport to respond with appropriate, targeted teaching to improve learning efficiency. In this article, we compare traditional, textbook-based homework assignments with three systems of WBH for undergraduate business statistics courses: ALEKS, PH Grade Assist, and custom-made online quizzes in Blackboard. These systems represent a range of media from artificial intelligence–based tutoring to instructor-controlled objective testing. Using a common assessment test, we compare the performance of students taught with these different systems. Our study finds, as we anticipated, that student performance depends significantly upon teacher experience and student academic competence. Once these factors are controlled for, however, the technique used to deliver homework makes little difference in student success. In contrast to other published research, we do not find any advantage to automated tutoring and identify some limitations of this approach based on both instructor and student feedback.     

Repeating Knowledge Application Practice to Improve Student Performance in a Large,Introductory Science Course

There is a tendency for lecture-based instruction in large introductory science courses to strongly focus on the delivery of discipline-specific technical terminology and fundamental concepts, sometimes to the detriment of opportunities for application of learned knowledge in evidence-based critical-thinking activities. We sought to improve student performance on evidence-based critical-thinking tasks through the implementation of peer learning and problem-based learning tutorial activities. Small-group discussions and associated learning activities were used to facilitate deeper learning through the application of new knowledge. Student performance was assessed using critical-thinking essay assignments and a final course exam, and student satisfaction with tutorial activities was monitored using online surveys. Overall, students expressed satisfaction with the small-group-discussion-based tutorial activities (mean score 7.5/10). Improved critical thinking was evidenced by improved student performance on essay assignments during the semester, as well as a 25% increase in mean student scores on the final course exam compared to previous years. These results demonstrate that repeated knowledge application practice can improve student learning in large introductory-level science courses.     

Early Identification of Student Performance and Effort Using an Online Homework System: A Pilot Study

Two distinct student groups, in terms of academic performance, were identified early in the semester as either being under-performing students or over-performing students using an online homework system. The students who are identified as under-performing received, on average, lower grades than their fellow students but spent more time completing the homework assignments. These students are great candidates for targeted advertisement of student resources such as tutoring services. The students who are identified in the over-performing student population received higher grades than their fellow students, but spent less time completing the homework assignments. These students are great candidates for honors programs, independent research projects, and peer-tutoring programs. Incorporating these evaluation criteria to online homework systems will allow instructors to quickly identify students in these academic student populations.     

Online homework impact in undergraduate mathematics and business statistics courses

This evaluation examines the impact on student success rates related to changes in instructional programmes in undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses. Success for students taking courses with a computer-based homework component was compared with success of students who took the course in prior semesters without the computer-based component. Graphical and analytical tools are used to compare results. Results come from multiple semesters of each type of homework application, for both pre-calculus algebra and business statistics courses. Students whose performance is utilised in this study are undergraduate students taking introductory level college mathematics or business statistics courses, with mostly no prior instruction at this level. Comparing the success of the intervention group with the success of the baseline control group, findings support that the students using the computer-based homework instruction are just as successful as those using the traditional method of homework instruction. Utilising the online homework applications, provide several important advantages in today’s universities, including the reduced time for faculty grading, consistency of graded assignments across all sections of a course and most importantly, immediate feedback for students.     

Course grades and academic performance by university students: A two-stage least squares analysis

This study employs two-stage least squares to estimate an educational production function for university course grades. The dependent variable is grade for studenti in coursej. Explanatory variables include measures of student aptitude and ability, teacher and course characteristics, and student time allocations to academic endeavors. Results of the study suggest that (1) homework assignments, examinations, and use of a required text increase the time students allocate to a given course; (2) time allocated to a given course has a positive effect on course grade; (3) homework assignments, examinations, and required texts, while increasing time allocated to a given course, have negative effects on course grades; and (4) measures of high school performance, in the presence of controls for mathematical and verbal aptitude, are positively related to the time students allocate to university courses but have no significant independent effect on course grades.     

Predicting homework motivation and homework effort in six school subjects: The role of person and family characteristics,classroom factors,and school track

This study examines the determinants of homework motivation and homework effort in six school subjects at three levels: student level, classroom level, and school level. We hypothesized that several factors—including stable personality characteristics such as gender and conscientiousness, students' domain-specific homework motivation, and characteristics of homework assignments—have concomitant effects on student homework effort. The sample consisted of 511 students in Grades 8 and 9. Across all six school subjects, multilevel modelling showed that students' homework motivation and homework effort varied primarily as a function of their shared perceptions of homework quality and control (classroom level) and of their conscientiousness, individual perception of homework quality, and expectancy and value beliefs (student level). Domain-specific patterns were found for student gender in line with gender stereotypes. Cognitive ability, family background, and parental homework help or control were only loosely associated with homework motivation and homework effort.     

Knowing what it takes: The effect of information about returns to studying on study effort and achievement

We study the effect of providing students with information on the returns to study effort in a large introductory microeconomics course. To do so, we use historical time-use data from the course’s online homework module to estimate the association between study time and course performance. We measure the impact of providing students this information on subsequent study effort, class attendance, homework scores, and exam performance using a randomized research design. Results show that the information contained in our intervention increased time spent studying by approximately 7% throughout the entire course, though this effect is imprecisely measured. However, when examining shorter-run outcomes (prior to the next exam) we find larger and more precisely estimated treatment effects on time spent on homeworks (12%) and homework scores (14% of a standard deviation). Treatment effects on longer run outcomes in the course are negligible. We additionally estimate large, but somewhat imprecise, average treatment effects on class attendance and small positive and insignificant average treatment effects on exam performance throughout the course.     

Cultural Diversity and Best Practices in the Teaching and Learning of Statistics: A Faculty Perspective from a Historically Black College/University (HBCU)

The literature on the teaching and learning of statistics tend not to address issues of cultural diversity. Twenty-nine students enrolled in a statistics course at a historically Black college/university (HBCU) were the focus of this pilot study. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the study tested models of the effects of writing assignments, compared to scores on standard homework assignments and midterm grades, on students’ performance on the final examination in the elementary statistics course offered by the psychology department. Consistent with past research on the teaching and learning of statistics, the results supported the hypothesis that writing assignments contribute positively to better performance on the final examination. These preliminary findings suggest that writing assignments in an elementary statistics course are an effective strategy with students attending an HBCU.     

Can the performance effect be ignored in the attendance policy discussion?

Should universities require students to attend? Academics disagree. One side in the discussion of university attendance policies has tried to dismiss any association between attendance and student performance, insisting that students have a fundamental right to choose what and when to attend. By merging student record data and course attendance data for three cohorts of final year undergraduate students at a London‐based university, we are able to isolate attendance effects for 674 students, giving us a large sample, without the inherent weaknesses of more traditional survey methods. We provide fresh empirical evidence for the positive association between attendance and exam performance, and argue for a more balanced view in the attendance policy discussion. Politicians and Higher Education policies are increasingly focused on employability, student retention and completion indicators. Carefully crafted attendance policies can have positive effects on pass and completion rates, primary policy targets of Higher Education funders and policymakers. Attendance effects therefore cannot simply be ignored.     

Enhancing student achievement through computer-generated homework

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of interactive computer-generated homework on student achievement. Of two sections of Physical Science I, one received homework via the computer; the other received printed, equivalent homework assignments. The results of this study indicate that the use of drill-and-practice computer homework minimizes differences among students with a corresponding decrease in the correlation between posttest scores and entry-level combined ACT science and mathematics scores. The results also support the basic assumption of mastery learning that appropriate instruction will decrease the relationship between aptitude and achievement.     

The impact of student misconceptions on student persistence in a MOOC

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) provide opportunities to learn a vast range of subjects. Because MOOCs are open to anyone with computer access and rarely have prerequisite requirements, the range of student backgrounds can be far more varied than in conventional classroom-based courses. Prior studies have shown that misconceptions have a huge impact on students' learning performance; however, no study has empirically examined the relationship between misconceptions and learning persistence. This study of 12,913 MOOC-takers examines how students' misconceptions about the upcoming course material affect course completion. Using a survival analysis approach, we found that, controlling for the score in a pre-course test, students holding more misconceptions had a higher dropout rate at the start of the course, an effect that diminished over time. Other student variables were found to have a positive impact on survival that persisted throughout the entire course: U.S. location, higher age, an intention to complete, better English skills, prior familiarity with the subject, motivation to earn a certificate, and score and time spent on the previous problem set (homework). By contrast, student gender, education level, number of previous MOOCs completed, and motivation to participate in online discussion forums did not affect survival.     

普通本科院校公选课教学效果相关分析

应用相关分析和回归分析方法,开展了公选课教学效果(学生成绩)与学生旷课、请假、迟到次数及专业相关度的定量分析研究。结果表明,学生成绩与旷课次数呈极显著的负相关线性关系,回归模型为Y=A-Bx1(Y为考试成绩,x1为旷课次数);学生成绩与专业相关度之间不存在显著的正相关关系,年级之间学生的到课率、成绩差别较大。     

Chameleon effects in homework research: The homework–achievement association depends on the measures used and the level of analysis chosen

Using a data set specifically tailored to homework research, with a sample of 1275 students from 70 classes in Switzerland, the association between homework and achievement in French as a second language was tested at three levels (class level, between-student level, and within-student level). The strength and direction of the homework–achievement association depended on the homework indicator chosen and differed to some degree across analytical levels. At the class level, achievement was higher in classes set frequent homework assignments and in classes where students reported low overall levels of negative emotions when doing homework. At the between-student level, high individual homework effort and low levels of negative homework emotions predicted favorable developments in French achievement, whereas high homework time predicted lower achievement. At the intraindividual level, high homework effort, high homework time, and low levels of negative homework emotions were statistically significantly associated with positive student evaluations of the learning gains from the specific assignment.     

慕课学习者群体的聚类分析——以“STEM课程设计与案例分析”慕课为例

文章选取"学堂在线"平台上参与"STEM课程设计与案例分析"慕课学习的1068名学习者进行研究,以视频观看比例、平时作业得分率、期末考试得分率、课程得分率四个变量来表征学习者的学习行为特征,并运用凝聚层次聚类分析、K-Means聚类算法、相关性分析和逻辑回归分析来处理获取的课程数据。研究结果表明,案例慕课的学习者群体可分成积极学习者、一般学习者、单纯注册者三类;四个变量在3个学习者群体之间均存在差异,其中平时作业得分率、期末考试得分率、课程得分率对积极学习者有显著影响,视频观看比例对单纯注册者有显著影响;视频观看比例是影响慕课学习者学习效果的主要因素。     

Clickers and Online Homework in the Criminal Justice Classroom: A Test Study

The criminal justice discipline has few studies that explore the use of technology as a supplement to traditional face-to-face instruction. Using a sample of criminal justice students enrolled in two sections of the same 300-level foundational criminal justice course, this study examines the impact of clickers and online homework on student performance in the course, as well as observes student perceptions of the integrated technology. Results reveal that while students perceived the technologies as helpful to their learning, the addition of technologies to the one section of the course had little impact on student performance indicators such as test scores and final letter grades. Potential explanations for these findings and directions for future research are discussed; and suggestions on how to potentially make these supplemental tools more useful are provided.     

Discrepant SAT Critical Reading and Writing Scores: Implications for College Performance

Despite the similarities that researchers note between the cognitive processes and knowledge involved in reading and writing, there are students who are much stronger readers than writers and those who are much stronger writers than readers. The addition of the writing section to the SAT provides an opportunity to examine whether certain groups of students are more likely to exhibit stronger performance in reading versus writing and the academic consequences of this discrepant performance. Results of this study, based on hierarchical linear models of student performance, showed that even after controlling for relevant student characteristics and prior academic performance, an SAT critical reading–writing discrepancy had a small effect on 1st-year grade point average as well as English course grades in college. Specifically, students who had relatively higher writing scores as compared to their critical reading scores earned higher grades in their 1st year of college as well as in their 1st-year English course(s).     

Parental Involvement in Homework

The article reviews research on parental involvement in student homework. It is focused on understanding: why parents become involved in their children's homework; which activities and strategies they employ in the course of involvement; how their homework involvement influences student outcomes; and which student outcomes are influenced by parents' involvement. Findings suggest that parents involve themselves in student homework because they believe that they should be involved, believe that their involvement will make a positive difference, and perceive that their children or children's teachers want their involvement. Parents' involvement activities take many forms, from establishing structures for homework performance to teaching for understanding and developing student learning strategies. Operating largely through modeling, reinforcement, and instruction, parents' homework involvement appears to influence student success insofar as it supports student attributes related to achievement (e.g., attitudes about homework, perceptions of personal competence, self-regulatory skills). Recommendations for research focused on the processes and outcomes of parents' homework involvement are offered, as are suggestions for school practices to enhance the effectiveness of parental involvement in homework.     

Using socrative as an online homework platform to increase students’ exam scores

Socrative is an online assessment and student response tool that provides opportunities to increase student engagement in the classroom. We used Socrative as an online homework completing platform to increase students’ exam scores in physics. To explore the relationships among factors and the educational effectiveness of Socrative, data from 85 undergraduate students’ final and midterm grades, and their responses to an attitude survey were used. The ANCOVA results demonstrated that the use of Socrative positively influenced students’ exam scores and a fairly significant correlation was found between students’ attitudes toward Socrative and final exam scores. Moreover, the results of the survey showed that students have moderately positive attitudes toward the use of Socrative as an online homework assignment platform. This empirical study indicates that the use of Socrative can go beyond engaging and motivating students and can be used as an online homework completing tool.     

A Card Trick for Improving Writing Skills and Attendance

This paper describes an innovative way of randomly collecting handwritten homework in calculus classes with approximately 50 students using a standard deck of cards, which does not place an excessive burden on faculty with regard to grading. In addition to the increased awareness students develop in structuring a mathematical solution, the strategy has been successful in increasing classroom attendance, which the literature suggests leads to increased attainment. Along with personal observations and empirical data indicating that the scores from the randomly collected homework assignments strongly correlate with exam performance, perceptions of students are included, which show that students are strongly supportive of the method used.     

Do clickers work for students with poorer grades and in harder courses?

We studied the impact of clickers, also known as electronic student response systems, on the performance of students on two undergraduate finance courses. Consistent with some of the recent literature, we found that clickers have very little impact on student performance, as measured by final course grades. Further, we found that clickers do not have a significant impact on course grades for students in relation to their designated performance ability (weak versus strong) or whether the course in question is less or more difficult. However, after simultaneously controlling for course difficulty and student aptitude, we found that clickers have a meaningfully positive impact on the performance of poorly performing students on more challenging quantitative courses. Our results suggest that the impact of clickers on student performance may depend on the type of student (academically weak, average or strong) and the type of course (average or difficult). This finding has particular implications for curriculum planners at the post-secondary level, although the findings may also have application at the secondary school level.