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Evaluating Pedagogical Methods that Influence Homework Assignment Completion

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Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
College students enrolled in an online introductory engineering course are not completing their homework assignments at an acceptable rate which impacts them, the instructor, and the college. This research study employed a quasi-experimental evaluation model to assess the effectiveness of two pedagogical methods designed to positively influence student homework completion rates and student attitudes toward homework. Despite evidence that grading penalties encourage students to submit their homework assignments, such strategies have historically been unsuccessful for the course used in this study. The researcher designed two pedagogical interventions, along with a survey instrument, to measure the impact of the interventions on completion rates and student attitudes toward homework, using a combination of inferential and descriptive statistics. Ideally, the findings of this study would be generalizable to subsequent offerings of the course used in this study, as well as other courses taught by the investigator, and potentially other faculty at the college. Although both interventions did not produce statistically significant results on impacting student homework completion rates, or improve student attitudes toward homework, the results of the study did indicate a positive correlation between student self-assessed knowledge gains attributed to the course and its homework. One intervention did improve homework completion rates, but the results only marginally improved final course grades, which does not fully align with prior research studies. In addition, this study provided the researcher an opportunity to study their own practice and the importance of homework and its effectiveness for student learning.
Title: Evaluating Pedagogical Methods that Influence Homework Assignment Completion.
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Name(s): Sawyer, Kirk, Author
Hartshorne, Richard, Committee Chair
Bush, Sarah, Committee Member
Boote, David, Committee Member
Ortiz, Enrique, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: College students enrolled in an online introductory engineering course are not completing their homework assignments at an acceptable rate which impacts them, the instructor, and the college. This research study employed a quasi-experimental evaluation model to assess the effectiveness of two pedagogical methods designed to positively influence student homework completion rates and student attitudes toward homework. Despite evidence that grading penalties encourage students to submit their homework assignments, such strategies have historically been unsuccessful for the course used in this study. The researcher designed two pedagogical interventions, along with a survey instrument, to measure the impact of the interventions on completion rates and student attitudes toward homework, using a combination of inferential and descriptive statistics. Ideally, the findings of this study would be generalizable to subsequent offerings of the course used in this study, as well as other courses taught by the investigator, and potentially other faculty at the college. Although both interventions did not produce statistically significant results on impacting student homework completion rates, or improve student attitudes toward homework, the results of the study did indicate a positive correlation between student self-assessed knowledge gains attributed to the course and its homework. One intervention did improve homework completion rates, but the results only marginally improved final course grades, which does not fully align with prior research studies. In addition, this study provided the researcher an opportunity to study their own practice and the importance of homework and its effectiveness for student learning.
Identifier: CFE0007858 (IID), ucf:52764 (fedora)
Note(s): 2019-12-01
Ed.D.
Community Innovation and Education, Learning Sciences and Educational Research
Doctoral
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): homework -- homework completion -- college introductory engineering course -- online course -- community college -- student attitudes -- self-regulated learning
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007858
Restrictions on Access: public 2019-12-15
Host Institution: UCF

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