This article explores a perplexing line from Rousseau's Emile: his suggestion that the "most important rule" for the educator is "not to gain time but to lose it." An analysis of what Rousseau meant by this line, the article argues, shows that Rousseau provides the philosophical groundwork for a radical critique of the…

The Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the legality of racial preferences, in part thanks to a lawsuit against Harvard College alleging that the school discriminates against Asian-Americans. Proving discrimination at a specific school is an arduous task, requiring access to private, detailed admissions records--as the legal documents in that…

How students do homework has been under-researched relative to classroom learning because it is more difficult to collect data on students' homework behaviors. Presumably, such data would have implications for students' achievement. To understand how students do homework and how homework performance and behaviors relate to end-of-year standardized…

Pearson sought to explore whether the use of Mastering Physics, an online tutorial system used in higher education introductory physics courses, is related to students' results in exams and external standardized tests. This Research Report presents findings from two research studies we conducted with Penn State University, a school known for…

This study examined the relationship between parental involvement in family math night activities and student State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test score using the following constructs: (a) parental involvement at school (b) parental involvement at home (c) parental involvement in math (d) monitoring schoolwork (general involvement…

Recent studies [10, 23] using US nationwide databases showed high school boys spent significantly less time doing homework than girls, based on their responses to questionnaires and surveys. To investigate gender differences in homework in middle school, in this paper, we analyzed computer log data and standardized test scores of more than 1,000…

In a randomized field trial with 2,850 seventh-grade mathematics students, we evaluated whether an educational technology intervention increased mathematics learning. Assigning homework is common yet sometimes controversial. Building on prior research on formative assessment and adaptive teaching, we predicted that combining an online homework…

Recent studies [10, 23] using US nationwide databases showed high school boys spent significantly less time doing homework than girls, based on their responses to questionnaires and surveys. To investigate gender differences in homework in middle school, in this paper, we analyzed computer log data and standardized test scores of more than 1,000…

The present study investigated the effectiveness of two short relevance interventions (writing a text or evaluating quotations about the utility of mathematics) using a sample of 1,916 students in 82 math classrooms in a cluster randomized controlled experiment. Short-term and sustained effects (6 weeks and 5 months after the intervention) of the…

In a rigorous evaluation of ASSISTments as an online homework support conducted in the state of Maine, SRI International reported that "the intervention significantly increased student scores on an end-of-the-year standardized mathematics assessment as compared with a control group that continued with existing homework practices."…

Previous literature has indicated an important association between reading comprehension and both attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and homework habits. This investigation sought to extend previous knowledge by providing information about how ADHD and homework behavior (i.e., completing homework regularly) may jointly influence…

We examine the impact of a flipped classroom model of learning on student performance and satisfaction in a large undergraduate introductory statistics class. Two professors each taught a lecture-section and a flipped-class section. Using MANCOVA, a linear combination of final exam scores, average quiz scores, and course ratings was compared for…

Woe unto the administrator who ventures forth into the homework wars. Scale it back, and parents will be at your door complaining about a lack of academic rigor. Dial it up, and you will get an earful from other parents about interference with after-school activities and family time. If you are looking to bolster your particular position with…

This paper explores teachers' habits (1) in terms of setting homework for their students and (2) in terms of building on homework in the classroom. Based on data collected in UNESCO's Second Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (SERCE), the sample size of this analysis is about 200,000 Primary Grade 3 and 6 students in 16 Latin American…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental ex post-facto mixed methods study was to investigate the impact of an online homework program on the academic growth of students in the area of mathematics. For this study, achievement in a specific mathematics course, Plane Geometry, was studied to determine the impact of using an online homework method…