To all that is interested.
I was at the Webworks Training in July where we created a model course for College Algebra, which was posted on the Wiki, to be used by interested instructors and am happy to report that the it is very effective for the students that actually stay up with it in terms of having improved test scores. I can say from some of the student feedback that the students who continually redo the problems until correct perform much better on tests than the students who do not spend the time appropriately on the Homework. They also say they were a little leary of it at first, but after they started using it, they could see how it helps them in the course
Also, I can have the students print out the homework and come to tutoring of see me to get help on the problem. I even noticed that some students actually would go to the learning center and work on their homework there during drop-in hours. I gave instructions out to the class and one of the tutors that had me previously in the class, so the tutor can see what is going on when the students are working on their problem.
I really love it because I can not get a snapshot of student progress, but I actually can monitor the students as to when they are logging in, particularly the ones that are doing poorly because they wait to do the homework an hour or two before it is due, when they had the whole weekend to do it. Plus, they cannot just copy the answer from the back of the book and hand it in for credit, like some students like to try.
Comments appreciated.
John Williams
Math Instructor, Penn State - Schuylkill Campus
I am really going to be interested when I do the linear regression on the amount of points received on the homework versus the actual test average at the end of the semester.