While the nine classes considered originally began with a total enrolment of approximately 450, students who withdrew midway through the semester or failed to ever attend class are excluded from the results. As a result, there was a very strong positive correlation between the overall scores obtained on the written homework assignments (M = 78.08, SD = 23.07) and the combined exams (M = 72.76 SD = 17.51), with r = 0.71, p < 0.001, N = 375. This is noteworthy given that the exams (which are graded according to a standard quantitative rubric) are timed, whereas homework is not. A scatterplot, with line of best fit, is shown in the Figure below.
Figure 1 about here With regard to attendance, the combined number of students present from the three classes considered was 1205 from a possible 1285 (M = 93.8%). This takes into account excused absences and withdrawals, and is indicative of the homework submission rate, which was approximately 90%. 4.2 Qualitative Results Several recurring themes emerged from the interviews conducted. Students described the random method of homework collection as “clever”, “unique”, “fun”, and “very effective”. One responded by saying “I thought it was phenomenal. Honestly, I really appreciate having to come to class and getting the job done, getting the work done, taking it in, and getting it graded.” Many students acknowledged that they either would not have completed the assignments, or would have been less likely to do so, had the possibility of collection not been there: “There are some days that you don’t want to do the homework because you have other things, but the fact that your card could be drawn any day definitely makes you do it.” The method of homework collection was acknowledged by many students as motivating attendance, due to the fact that “students have to assume their card will be drawn”. …show more content…
This was viewed positivity, especially it seems because it was a mathematics class, where attendance is perceived as being more important due to the difficulty of reading through textbooks in order to catch up: “I think [the correlation between attendance and attainment] pertains more so in math than it other subjects, because you need to go to class to understand the material.” Others saw the method as rewarding their diligence in always attending the lectures: “If you didn’t come to class, then you got a bad homework grade. It’s a good thing for those who are putting in the effort.” Many students had experience of previous mathematics classes that included an online homework component. However, the students in this study commonly spoke of how they “didn’t learn” when doing assignments online, because they acknowledged that they weren’t doing them properly, “googling the answers rather than learning how to figure them out myself.” One added “I know that generally, when you do assignments online, students are more looking for answers and not understanding.” The ability to “look for shortcuts” or cheat when given online homework assignments was also cited by several students as being a reason for others to prefer them: “A lot of my friends like to do online homework because they try and cheat the system.” Negative comments were few, but centered on an opinion from diligent students who believed the card drawing method was unnecessary, and that they would have completed the assignments without any incentive. However, as noted earlier, many of the others interviewed contradicted this, saying that they would have been less inclined to complete the assignments if the method …show more content…
While the card drawing technique is a playful method of random homework selection, it answers the call of Cooper et al. [4] in considering “non-achievement-related effects of homework” (p. 54), and more specifically addresses two contemporary important issues facing mathematics educators. The first is classroom attendance. Romer [18] discussed how absenteeism is “rampant” in undergraduate classes, adding that “steps to increase attendance, including making attendance mandatory, may deserve serious consideration” (p. 167). This study addresses that point, and provides a method which has worked extremely well in calculus classes with approximately 50 students. The second issue is how to improve the writing skills of calculus students before it is too late for them to realistically major in mathematics. While admitting that “our information-obsessed culture sacrifices detail for immediacy,” Montgomery and Stuffelbeam [14] contend that “now, more than ever, undergraduate curricula must emphasize the writing
Figure 1 about here With regard to attendance, the combined number of students present from the three classes considered was 1205 from a possible 1285 (M = 93.8%). This takes into account excused absences and withdrawals, and is indicative of the homework submission rate, which was approximately 90%. 4.2 Qualitative Results Several recurring themes emerged from the interviews conducted. Students described the random method of homework collection as “clever”, “unique”, “fun”, and “very effective”. One responded by saying “I thought it was phenomenal. Honestly, I really appreciate having to come to class and getting the job done, getting the work done, taking it in, and getting it graded.” Many students acknowledged that they either would not have completed the assignments, or would have been less likely to do so, had the possibility of collection not been there: “There are some days that you don’t want to do the homework because you have other things, but the fact that your card could be drawn any day definitely makes you do it.” The method of homework collection was acknowledged by many students as motivating attendance, due to the fact that “students have to assume their card will be drawn”. …show more content…
This was viewed positivity, especially it seems because it was a mathematics class, where attendance is perceived as being more important due to the difficulty of reading through textbooks in order to catch up: “I think [the correlation between attendance and attainment] pertains more so in math than it other subjects, because you need to go to class to understand the material.” Others saw the method as rewarding their diligence in always attending the lectures: “If you didn’t come to class, then you got a bad homework grade. It’s a good thing for those who are putting in the effort.” Many students had experience of previous mathematics classes that included an online homework component. However, the students in this study commonly spoke of how they “didn’t learn” when doing assignments online, because they acknowledged that they weren’t doing them properly, “googling the answers rather than learning how to figure them out myself.” One added “I know that generally, when you do assignments online, students are more looking for answers and not understanding.” The ability to “look for shortcuts” or cheat when given online homework assignments was also cited by several students as being a reason for others to prefer them: “A lot of my friends like to do online homework because they try and cheat the system.” Negative comments were few, but centered on an opinion from diligent students who believed the card drawing method was unnecessary, and that they would have completed the assignments without any incentive. However, as noted earlier, many of the others interviewed contradicted this, saying that they would have been less inclined to complete the assignments if the method …show more content…
While the card drawing technique is a playful method of random homework selection, it answers the call of Cooper et al. [4] in considering “non-achievement-related effects of homework” (p. 54), and more specifically addresses two contemporary important issues facing mathematics educators. The first is classroom attendance. Romer [18] discussed how absenteeism is “rampant” in undergraduate classes, adding that “steps to increase attendance, including making attendance mandatory, may deserve serious consideration” (p. 167). This study addresses that point, and provides a method which has worked extremely well in calculus classes with approximately 50 students. The second issue is how to improve the writing skills of calculus students before it is too late for them to realistically major in mathematics. While admitting that “our information-obsessed culture sacrifices detail for immediacy,” Montgomery and Stuffelbeam [14] contend that “now, more than ever, undergraduate curricula must emphasize the writing