Homework is ridiculous

The authentic homework movement, which discourages rote learning and encourages students to have more input in what they do, has gained a lot of steam. The so-called flipped classroom allows kids to watch instructional videos at home and then use class time for problem solving, where the teacher is on hand to help.

Mark Barnes, a former teacher and author, says yes. He tells Quartz his experience teaching, and working with teachers, has convinced him that homework does not improve learning, it gives kids no choice or agency, and students often don’t know what they are doing. As a result, the exercise gets punted to parents and kids end up burned out.

The average American high-school student spends seven hours a week on homework. The average for students across all developed countries is about five hours (pdf). Is it all a colossal waste of time?

Barnes is a believer in the work of Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth and a prominent education writer. Kohn argues that the negative effects of homework are well-known and the positive effects are mythical: it does not reinforce learning nor does it improve academic results, and it cuts into a child’s time with family and friends.