Re: Value of Homework

[Peter Schoch <pschoch@NAC.NET>]

OK, I teach at a community college and I do assign homework of various
kinds.  It really depends upon the class: alg./trig. or calc based.

This semester I am trying something new in the alg./trig. class.  I got
sick and tired of having to redo my syllabus every time a new edition of
the text came out.  It just took too much time to hunt through the back of
the book, read all of the problems, find ones I like, and then write them
all down -- just so I could type it all up and have the students ignore
most of it anyway.

So, this semsester, I've been creating "homework packets".  Everybody has
favorite problems they'd like to see done by their students, and not all
of them would fit on a test, nor are they appropriate for a test.  What I
did was to collect my favorites, with a few "ranking tasks" thrown in for
variety and use those as a combination homework/quiz grade.  I allow
collaboration, and have been getting VERY good results.  For the first
time in a long time, I am seeing the students digging into the work,
asking good questions, actually coming to my office hours...  It has been
a rejuvenating experience.

As for time in class, I typically spend only 30 - 45 minutes per week
going over problems in the alg./trig. section.  It has become less now
with the "homework packets", and I find that I now have more time to do
examples and have discussion in class on topics.

I haven't gotten to the point where I've broken with the textbook problems
from the Calc. based book.  There, I'm still doing almost an hour of Q&A
for those problems per week.  However, with the success of the alg./trig.
thing, I may just do this for all of my sections.

Peter Schoch

Tina Fanetti wrote:

> Hello all
> I am currently thinking about next semester.  I was wondering, how ma=
> ny assign homework, collect and grade it?  How many just assign the p=
> roblems and expect the students to do them on their own (ie not for a=
>  grade)?
>
> For those that don't have a specified recitation section for your cla=
> ss, like at a community college, do you spend class time going over t=
> he homework problems?  How much time?
>
> Thanks very much
> Tina
>
> Tina Fanetti
> Physics Instructor
> Western Iowa Technical Community College
> 4647 Stone Ave
> Sioux City IA 51102
> 712-274-8733 ext 1429