Mandatory Assignments and Learning Achievement in a Mathematics Service Class

Abstract

Homework completion and self-regulatory ability have both been extensively studied to examine their impact on learning achievement. Moreover, the reciprocal nature of how these two qualities affect one another is also an area of research. While evidence shows that voluntary completion of assigned homework predicts self-regulation in students, a natural question is whether this can be facilitated with mandatory homework assignments. Research to this extent has been tentative: results are often positive, but issues with experimental design preclude strong conclusions or repeatability of the experiment. This paper aims to quantify the effect of mandatory homework assignments on learning achievement at the tertiary level while improving on the experimental design of existing research.

Keywords:

• Mathematics education
• homework
• self-regulation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

T. Holden

T. Holden, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Mathematical and Computational Sciences department at the University of Toronto Mississauga. His mathematics research focuses on symplectic geometry, while his education work revolves around providing free and open resources for students. He is interested in active-learning strategies and loves flipping classrooms.

A. Burazin

Andie Burazin, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy and the Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Andie usually teaches first-year mathematics courses, together with other undergraduate mathematics courses. This undergraduate teaching is very important, as it helps her to understand the needs of undergraduate students so that she can provide adequate support and resources for them. Her current research interests are in mathematical education, particularly focusing on the transition from high school to post-secondary education. Andie has co-written and edited several mathematics and statistics textbooks and has published and presented papers on various issues in the transition that are relevant for both teaching practice and textbook writing.