does homework benefit high school students

Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Credit: August de Richelieu

Does homework still have value? A Johns Hopkins education expert weighs in

Joyce epstein, co-director of the center on school, family, and community partnerships, discusses why homework is essential, how to maximize its benefit to learners, and what the 'no-homework' approach gets wrong.

By Vicky Hallett

The necessity of homework has been a subject of debate since at least as far back as the 1890s, according to Joyce L. Epstein , co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University. "It's always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work," Epstein says.

But after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education remains certain that homework is essential—as long as the teachers have done their homework, too. The National Network of Partnership Schools , which she founded in 1995 to advise schools and districts on ways to improve comprehensive programs of family engagement, has developed hundreds of improved homework ideas through its Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program. For an English class, a student might interview a parent on popular hairstyles from their youth and write about the differences between then and now. Or for science class, a family could identify forms of matter over the dinner table, labeling foods as liquids or solids. These innovative and interactive assignments not only reinforce concepts from the classroom but also foster creativity, spark discussions, and boost student motivation.

"We're not trying to eliminate homework procedures, but expand and enrich them," says Epstein, who is packing this research into a forthcoming book on the purposes and designs of homework. In the meantime, the Hub couldn't wait to ask her some questions:

What kind of homework training do teachers typically get?

Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units. For example, future teachers are well prepared to teach reading and literacy skills at each grade level, and they continue to learn to improve their teaching of reading in ongoing in-service education. By contrast, most receive little or no training on the purposes and designs of homework in reading or other subjects. It is really important for future teachers to receive systematic training to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework with a purpose.

Why do students need more interactive homework?

If homework assignments are always the same—10 math problems, six sentences with spelling words—homework can get boring and some kids just stop doing their assignments, especially in the middle and high school years. When we've asked teachers what's the best homework you've ever had or designed, invariably we hear examples of talking with a parent or grandparent or peer to share ideas. To be clear, parents should never be asked to "teach" seventh grade science or any other subject. Rather, teachers set up the homework assignments so that the student is in charge. It's always the student's homework. But a good activity can engage parents in a fun, collaborative way. Our data show that with "good" assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, "I learned what's happening in the curriculum." It all works around what the youngsters are learning.

Is family engagement really that important?

At Hopkins, I am part of the Center for Social Organization of Schools , a research center that studies how to improve many aspects of education to help all students do their best in school. One thing my colleagues and I realized was that we needed to look deeply into family and community engagement. There were so few references to this topic when we started that we had to build the field of study. When children go to school, their families "attend" with them whether a teacher can "see" the parents or not. So, family engagement is ever-present in the life of a school.

My daughter's elementary school doesn't assign homework until third grade. What's your take on "no homework" policies?

There are some parents, writers, and commentators who have argued against homework, especially for very young children. They suggest that children should have time to play after school. This, of course is true, but many kindergarten kids are excited to have homework like their older siblings. If they give homework, most teachers of young children make assignments very short—often following an informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level. "No homework" does not guarantee that all students will spend their free time in productive and imaginative play.

Some researchers and critics have consistently misinterpreted research findings. They have argued that homework should be assigned only at the high school level where data point to a strong connection of doing assignments with higher student achievement . However, as we discussed, some students stop doing homework. This leads, statistically, to results showing that doing homework or spending more minutes on homework is linked to higher student achievement. If slow or struggling students are not doing their assignments, they contribute to—or cause—this "result."

Teachers need to design homework that even struggling students want to do because it is interesting. Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.

Did COVID change how schools and parents view homework?

Within 24 hours of the day school doors closed in March 2020, just about every school and district in the country figured out that teachers had to talk to and work with students' parents. This was not the same as homeschooling—teachers were still working hard to provide daily lessons. But if a child was learning at home in the living room, parents were more aware of what they were doing in school. One of the silver linings of COVID was that teachers reported that they gained a better understanding of their students' families. We collected wonderfully creative examples of activities from members of the National Network of Partnership Schools. I'm thinking of one art activity where every child talked with a parent about something that made their family unique. Then they drew their finding on a snowflake and returned it to share in class. In math, students talked with a parent about something the family liked so much that they could represent it 100 times. Conversations about schoolwork at home was the point.

How did you create so many homework activities via the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program?

We had several projects with educators to help them design interactive assignments, not just "do the next three examples on page 38." Teachers worked in teams to create TIPS activities, and then we turned their work into a standard TIPS format in math, reading/language arts, and science for grades K-8. Any teacher can use or adapt our prototypes to match their curricula.

Overall, we know that if future teachers and practicing educators were prepared to design homework assignments to meet specific purposes—including but not limited to interactive activities—more students would benefit from the important experience of doing their homework. And more parents would, indeed, be partners in education.

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Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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The Cult of Homework

America’s devotion to the practice stems in part from the fact that it’s what today’s parents and teachers grew up with themselves.

America has long had a fickle relationship with homework. A century or so ago, progressive reformers argued that it made kids unduly stressed , which later led in some cases to district-level bans on it for all grades under seventh. This anti-homework sentiment faded, though, amid mid-century fears that the U.S. was falling behind the Soviet Union (which led to more homework), only to resurface in the 1960s and ’70s, when a more open culture came to see homework as stifling play and creativity (which led to less). But this didn’t last either: In the ’80s, government researchers blamed America’s schools for its economic troubles and recommended ramping homework up once more.

The 21st century has so far been a homework-heavy era, with American teenagers now averaging about twice as much time spent on homework each day as their predecessors did in the 1990s . Even little kids are asked to bring school home with them. A 2015 study , for instance, found that kindergarteners, who researchers tend to agree shouldn’t have any take-home work, were spending about 25 minutes a night on it.

But not without pushback. As many children, not to mention their parents and teachers, are drained by their daily workload, some schools and districts are rethinking how homework should work—and some teachers are doing away with it entirely. They’re reviewing the research on homework (which, it should be noted, is contested) and concluding that it’s time to revisit the subject.

Read: My daughter’s homework is killing me

Hillsborough, California, an affluent suburb of San Francisco, is one district that has changed its ways. The district, which includes three elementary schools and a middle school, worked with teachers and convened panels of parents in order to come up with a homework policy that would allow students more unscheduled time to spend with their families or to play. In August 2017, it rolled out an updated policy, which emphasized that homework should be “meaningful” and banned due dates that fell on the day after a weekend or a break.

“The first year was a bit bumpy,” says Louann Carlomagno, the district’s superintendent. She says the adjustment was at times hard for the teachers, some of whom had been doing their job in a similar fashion for a quarter of a century. Parents’ expectations were also an issue. Carlomagno says they took some time to “realize that it was okay not to have an hour of homework for a second grader—that was new.”

Most of the way through year two, though, the policy appears to be working more smoothly. “The students do seem to be less stressed based on conversations I’ve had with parents,” Carlomagno says. It also helps that the students performed just as well on the state standardized test last year as they have in the past.

Earlier this year, the district of Somerville, Massachusetts, also rewrote its homework policy, reducing the amount of homework its elementary and middle schoolers may receive. In grades six through eight, for example, homework is capped at an hour a night and can only be assigned two to three nights a week.

Jack Schneider, an education professor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell whose daughter attends school in Somerville, is generally pleased with the new policy. But, he says, it’s part of a bigger, worrisome pattern. “The origin for this was general parental dissatisfaction, which not surprisingly was coming from a particular demographic,” Schneider says. “Middle-class white parents tend to be more vocal about concerns about homework … They feel entitled enough to voice their opinions.”

Schneider is all for revisiting taken-for-granted practices like homework, but thinks districts need to take care to be inclusive in that process. “I hear approximately zero middle-class white parents talking about how homework done best in grades K through two actually strengthens the connection between home and school for young people and their families,” he says. Because many of these parents already feel connected to their school community, this benefit of homework can seem redundant. “They don’t need it,” Schneider says, “so they’re not advocating for it.”

That doesn’t mean, necessarily, that homework is more vital in low-income districts. In fact, there are different, but just as compelling, reasons it can be burdensome in these communities as well. Allison Wienhold, who teaches high-school Spanish in the small town of Dunkerton, Iowa, has phased out homework assignments over the past three years. Her thinking: Some of her students, she says, have little time for homework because they’re working 30 hours a week or responsible for looking after younger siblings.

As educators reduce or eliminate the homework they assign, it’s worth asking what amount and what kind of homework is best for students. It turns out that there’s some disagreement about this among researchers, who tend to fall in one of two camps.

In the first camp is Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Cooper conducted a review of the existing research on homework in the mid-2000s , and found that, up to a point, the amount of homework students reported doing correlates with their performance on in-class tests. This correlation, the review found, was stronger for older students than for younger ones.

This conclusion is generally accepted among educators, in part because it’s compatible with “the 10-minute rule,” a rule of thumb popular among teachers suggesting that the proper amount of homework is approximately 10 minutes per night, per grade level—that is, 10 minutes a night for first graders, 20 minutes a night for second graders, and so on, up to two hours a night for high schoolers.

In Cooper’s eyes, homework isn’t overly burdensome for the typical American kid. He points to a 2014 Brookings Institution report that found “little evidence that the homework load has increased for the average student”; onerous amounts of homework, it determined, are indeed out there, but relatively rare. Moreover, the report noted that most parents think their children get the right amount of homework, and that parents who are worried about under-assigning outnumber those who are worried about over-assigning. Cooper says that those latter worries tend to come from a small number of communities with “concerns about being competitive for the most selective colleges and universities.”

According to Alfie Kohn, squarely in camp two, most of the conclusions listed in the previous three paragraphs are questionable. Kohn, the author of The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing , considers homework to be a “reliable extinguisher of curiosity,” and has several complaints with the evidence that Cooper and others cite in favor of it. Kohn notes, among other things, that Cooper’s 2006 meta-analysis doesn’t establish causation, and that its central correlation is based on children’s (potentially unreliable) self-reporting of how much time they spend doing homework. (Kohn’s prolific writing on the subject alleges numerous other methodological faults.)

In fact, other correlations make a compelling case that homework doesn’t help. Some countries whose students regularly outperform American kids on standardized tests, such as Japan and Denmark, send their kids home with less schoolwork , while students from some countries with higher homework loads than the U.S., such as Thailand and Greece, fare worse on tests. (Of course, international comparisons can be fraught because so many factors, in education systems and in societies at large, might shape students’ success.)

Kohn also takes issue with the way achievement is commonly assessed. “If all you want is to cram kids’ heads with facts for tomorrow’s tests that they’re going to forget by next week, yeah, if you give them more time and make them do the cramming at night, that could raise the scores,” he says. “But if you’re interested in kids who know how to think or enjoy learning, then homework isn’t merely ineffective, but counterproductive.”

His concern is, in a way, a philosophical one. “The practice of homework assumes that only academic growth matters, to the point that having kids work on that most of the school day isn’t enough,” Kohn says. What about homework’s effect on quality time spent with family? On long-term information retention? On critical-thinking skills? On social development? On success later in life? On happiness? The research is quiet on these questions.

Another problem is that research tends to focus on homework’s quantity rather than its quality, because the former is much easier to measure than the latter. While experts generally agree that the substance of an assignment matters greatly (and that a lot of homework is uninspiring busywork), there isn’t a catchall rule for what’s best—the answer is often specific to a certain curriculum or even an individual student.

Given that homework’s benefits are so narrowly defined (and even then, contested), it’s a bit surprising that assigning so much of it is often a classroom default, and that more isn’t done to make the homework that is assigned more enriching. A number of things are preserving this state of affairs—things that have little to do with whether homework helps students learn.

Jack Schneider, the Massachusetts parent and professor, thinks it’s important to consider the generational inertia of the practice. “The vast majority of parents of public-school students themselves are graduates of the public education system,” he says. “Therefore, their views of what is legitimate have been shaped already by the system that they would ostensibly be critiquing.” In other words, many parents’ own history with homework might lead them to expect the same for their children, and anything less is often taken as an indicator that a school or a teacher isn’t rigorous enough. (This dovetails with—and complicates—the finding that most parents think their children have the right amount of homework.)

Barbara Stengel, an education professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, brought up two developments in the educational system that might be keeping homework rote and unexciting. The first is the importance placed in the past few decades on standardized testing, which looms over many public-school classroom decisions and frequently discourages teachers from trying out more creative homework assignments. “They could do it, but they’re afraid to do it, because they’re getting pressure every day about test scores,” Stengel says.

Second, she notes that the profession of teaching, with its relatively low wages and lack of autonomy, struggles to attract and support some of the people who might reimagine homework, as well as other aspects of education. “Part of why we get less interesting homework is because some of the people who would really have pushed the limits of that are no longer in teaching,” she says.

“In general, we have no imagination when it comes to homework,” Stengel says. She wishes teachers had the time and resources to remake homework into something that actually engages students. “If we had kids reading—anything, the sports page, anything that they’re able to read—that’s the best single thing. If we had kids going to the zoo, if we had kids going to parks after school, if we had them doing all of those things, their test scores would improve. But they’re not. They’re going home and doing homework that is not expanding what they think about.”

“Exploratory” is one word Mike Simpson used when describing the types of homework he’d like his students to undertake. Simpson is the head of the Stone Independent School, a tiny private high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that opened in 2017. “We were lucky to start a school a year and a half ago,” Simpson says, “so it’s been easy to say we aren’t going to assign worksheets, we aren’t going assign regurgitative problem sets.” For instance, a half-dozen students recently built a 25-foot trebuchet on campus.

Simpson says he thinks it’s a shame that the things students have to do at home are often the least fulfilling parts of schooling: “When our students can’t make the connection between the work they’re doing at 11 o’clock at night on a Tuesday to the way they want their lives to be, I think we begin to lose the plot.”

When I talked with other teachers who did homework makeovers in their classrooms, I heard few regrets. Brandy Young, a second-grade teacher in Joshua, Texas, stopped assigning take-home packets of worksheets three years ago, and instead started asking her students to do 20 minutes of pleasure reading a night. She says she’s pleased with the results, but she’s noticed something funny. “Some kids,” she says, “really do like homework.” She’s started putting out a bucket of it for students to draw from voluntarily—whether because they want an additional challenge or something to pass the time at home.

Chris Bronke, a high-school English teacher in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, told me something similar. This school year, he eliminated homework for his class of freshmen, and now mostly lets students study on their own or in small groups during class time. It’s usually up to them what they work on each day, and Bronke has been impressed by how they’ve managed their time.

In fact, some of them willingly spend time on assignments at home, whether because they’re particularly engaged, because they prefer to do some deeper thinking outside school, or because they needed to spend time in class that day preparing for, say, a biology test the following period. “They’re making meaningful decisions about their time that I don’t think education really ever gives students the experience, nor the practice, of doing,” Bronke said.

The typical prescription offered by those overwhelmed with homework is to assign less of it—to subtract. But perhaps a more useful approach, for many classrooms, would be to create homework only when teachers and students believe it’s actually needed to further the learning that takes place in class—to start with nothing, and add as necessary.

• Our Mission

How to Help Students Develop the Skills They Need to Complete Homework

Middle and high school students can learn to work more efficiently by using strategies that improve their executive function skills.

The effects of homework are mixed. While adolescents across middle and high school have an array of life situations that can make doing homework easier or harder, it’s well known that homework magnifies inequity . However, we also know that learning how to manage time and work independently outside of the school day is valuable for lifelong learning. From the homework wars  to students who have little time for homework to students who don’t even know where to begin, everyone can agree that kids who can self-regulate and engage in independent rehearsal are better positioned for whatever the future holds.

How can we empower students to overcome barriers to doing homework well?

Executive Functioning

Homework is partially an assessment of executive functioning. Executive functioning and self-regulation take time to develop. They depend on three types of critical brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-regulation .

Let’s break this down to consider how to improve their efficiency.

Working memory: Don’t hold everything in your head; it is not possible. When doing homework, students should write down their ideas, whether they are notes while reading, numbers when working through a math problem, or non-school-related reminders about chores, such as remembering to take the dog for a walk. Clearing working memory for the immediate task at hand allows the brain to focus as the strain is reduced.

Mental flexibility: As students build their independence and grow their homework routines, seeing an array of strategies, or more than one way to solve a problem, is important. Consider the results when a child gets stuck and doesn’t know what to do to get unstuck or when one keeps trying the same failed approach. Chunking homework helps simplify the process. When stuck, a student looks at a smaller piece, which makes it easier to see other solutions. More practice with mental flexibility happens when others model thinking in different ways, and students practice flexible thinking with partners by asking them: What is another way? Use this bubble map to chart out multiple ways.

Self-regulation: Learning how to prioritize work and stick with it by not giving in to impulses is a skill that students develop over time . One way to teach self-regulation is to have students practice control by concentrating for short periods of time with the goal of building up to longer, more sustained periods of time as the year progresses. For a child who struggles with reading for an extended time, start with five minutes and then build from there.

Another self-regulation tip is creating a plan to overcome distractions. What happens when the child stumbles? Three minutes into reading and a student is reaching for their cell phone. Recommend that they practice moving the cell phone away from the homework area, and summarize before returning to the reading. Stops and starts are frustrating and often result in lost homework time. Have students practice responses to distraction, and make this part of their homework. When a student struggles to stay on task, they should be encouraged to remove any distraction in order to regain focus.

Use classroom assessment as a tool to plan for and support student homework. Record the following information for students:

• Do they write, read, and/or solve problems in class? For how many minutes independently?
• What is the quality of their work? Are they actually learning, or are they just going through the motions?
• Do they know how to strategize on their own or get help from a peer when they’re stuck? Observe them and take notes, and/or have them reflect on this question.

We cannot expect that students will independently practice a skill they don’t engage with during class. If it doesn't happen in the classroom, it's not going to happen at home. The teacher should be able to realistically gauge how much and what students might achieve at home. A suggestion to build independence is to use task analysis . Here is a model . For students who struggle with getting homework done, at first they may not actually do homework; rather, they practice the routines of setting up and getting started.

Direct Instruction

The following are some techniques that help students with homework:

• Mindful meditation to gain focus
• Prioritizing and estimating time
• Filtering out distractions

Peers as Partners

Class partnership routines need practice. With strong partnerships, kids learn how to support and learn from each other. Access to teachers will never match the unlimited access to peers. The hours that students who achieve at high levels put in after class are often spent alone rehearsing the content or with peers who push each other to improve.

Class-to-Home Connection

While some students struggle with executive functioning, others rush through their homework. The most important step in having homework count is to make it seamless, not separate from class. Homework flows from classwork. Especially with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous work, now there is no homework, just work done for our classes. Consistent instructional goals with engaging and meaningful tasks help students see the value in working beyond the last bell.

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January 18, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

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Q&A: Does homework still have value? An education expert weighs in

by Vicky Hallett, Johns Hopkins University

The necessity of homework has been a subject of debate since at least as far back as the 1890s, according to Joyce L. Epstein, co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University. "It's always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work," Epstein says.

But after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education remains certain that homework is essential—as long as the teachers have done their homework, too. The National Network of Partnership Schools, which she founded in 1995 to advise schools and districts on ways to improve comprehensive programs of family engagement, has developed hundreds of improved homework ideas through its Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program.

For an English class, a student might interview a parent on popular hairstyles from their youth and write about the differences between then and now. Or for science class, a family could identify forms of matter over the dinner table, labeling foods as liquids or solids. These innovative and interactive assignments not only reinforce concepts from the classroom but also foster creativity, spark discussions, and boost student motivation.

"We're not trying to eliminate homework procedures, but expand and enrich them," says Epstein, who is packing this research into a forthcoming book on the purposes and designs of homework. In the meantime, the Hub couldn't wait to ask her some questions.

What kind of homework training do teachers typically get?

Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units. For example, future teachers are well prepared to teach reading and literacy skills at each grade level, and they continue to learn to improve their teaching of reading in ongoing in-service education.

By contrast, most receive little or no training on the purposes and designs of homework in reading or other subjects. It is really important for future teachers to receive systematic training to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework with a purpose.

Why do students need more interactive homework?

If homework assignments are always the same—10 math problems, six sentences with spelling words—homework can get boring and some kids just stop doing their assignments, especially in the middle and high school years. When we've asked teachers what's the best homework you've ever had or designed, invariably we hear examples of talking with a parent or grandparent or peer to share ideas.

To be clear, parents should never be asked to "teach" seventh grade science or any other subject. Rather, teachers set up the homework assignments so that the student is in charge. It's always the student's homework. But a good activity can engage parents in a fun, collaborative way.

Our data show that with "good" assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, "I learned what's happening in the curriculum." It all works around what the youngsters are learning.

Is family engagement really that important?

At Hopkins, I am part of the Center for Social Organization of Schools, a research center that studies how to improve many aspects of education to help all students do their best in school. One thing my colleagues and I realized was that we needed to look deeply into family and community engagement. There were so few references to this topic when we started that we had to build the field of study. When children go to school, their families "attend" with them whether a teacher can "see" the parents or not. So, family engagement is ever-present in the life of a school.

My daughter's elementary school doesn't assign homework until third grade. What's your take on 'no homework' policies?

There are some parents, writers, and commentators who have argued against homework, especially for very young children. They suggest that children should have time to play after school. This, of course is true, but many kindergarten kids are excited to have homework like their older siblings. If they give homework, most teachers of young children make assignments very short—often following an informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level . "No homework" does not guarantee that all students will spend their free time in productive and imaginative play.

Some researchers and critics have consistently misinterpreted research findings. They have argued that homework should be assigned only at the high school level where data point to a strong connection of doing assignments with higher student achievement. However, as we discussed, some students stop doing homework. This leads, statistically, to results showing that doing homework or spending more minutes on homework is linked to higher student achievement. If slow or struggling students are not doing their assignments, they contribute to—or cause—this "result."

Teachers need to design homework that even struggling students want to do because it is interesting. Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.

Did COVID change how schools and parents view homework?

Within 24 hours of the day school doors closed in March 2020, just about every school and district in the country figured out that teachers had to talk to and work with students' parents. This was not the same as homeschooling—teachers were still working hard to provide daily lessons. But if a child was learning at home in the living room, parents were more aware of what they were doing in school .

One of the silver linings of COVID was that teachers reported that they gained a better understanding of their students' families. We collected wonderfully creative examples of activities from members of the National Network of Partnership Schools. I'm thinking of one art activity where every child talked with a parent about something that made their family unique. Then they drew their finding on a snowflake and returned it to share in class. In math, students talked with a parent about something the family liked so much that they could represent it 100 times. Conversations about schoolwork at home was the point.

How did you create so many homework activities via the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program?

We had several projects with educators to help them design interactive assignments, not just "do the next three examples on page 38." Teachers worked in teams to create TIPS activities, and then we turned their work into a standard TIPS format in math, reading/language arts, and science for grades K-8. Any teacher can use or adapt our prototypes to match their curricula.

Overall, we know that if future teachers and practicing educators were prepared to design homework assignments to meet specific purposes—including but not limited to interactive activities—more students would benefit from the important experience of doing their homework. And more parents would, indeed, be partners in education.

Provided by Johns Hopkins University

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How important is homework, and how much should parents help?

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A version of this post was  originally published  by Parenting Translator. Sign up for  the newsletter  and follow Parenting Translator  on Instagram .

In recent years, homework has become a very hot topic . Many parents and educators have raised concerns about homework and questioned how effective it is in enhancing students’ learning. There are also concerns that students may be getting too much homework, which ultimately interferes with quality family time and opportunities for physical activity and play . Research suggests that these concerns may be valid. For example, one study reported that elementary school students, on average, are assigned three times  the recommended amount of homework.

So what does the research say? What are the potential risks and benefits of homework, and how much is too much?

Academic benefits

First, research finds that homework is associated with higher scores on academic standardized tests for middle and high school students, but not elementary school students . A recent experimental study in Romania found some benefit for a small amount of writing homework in elementary students but not math homework. Yet, interestingly, this positive impact only occurred when students were given a moderate amount of homework (about 20 minutes on average).

Non-academic benefits

The goal of homework is not simply to improve academic skills. Research finds that homework may have some non-academic benefits, such as building responsibility , time management skills, and task persistence . Homework may also increase parents’ involvement in their children’s schooling. Yet, too much homework may also have some negative impacts on non-academic skills by reducing opportunities for free play , which is essential for the development of language, cognitive, self-regulation and social-emotional skills. Homework may also interfere with physical activity and too much homework is associated with an increased risk for being overweight . As with the research on academic benefits, this research also suggests that homework may be beneficial when it is minimal.

What is the “right” amount of homework?

Research suggests that homework should not exceed 1.5 to 2.5 hours per night for high school students and no more than one hour per night for middle school students. Homework for elementary school students should be minimal and assigned with the aim of building self-regulation and independent work skills. Any more than this and homework may no longer have a positive impact. 

The National Education Association recommends 10 minutes of homework per grade and there is also some experimental evidence that backs this up.

Overall translation

Research finds that homework provides some academic benefit for middle and high school students but is less beneficial for elementary school students. Research suggests that homework should be none or minimal for elementary students, less than one hour per night for middle school students, and less than 1.5 to 2.5 hours for high school students. 

What can parents do?

Research finds that parental help with homework is beneficial but that it matters more how the parent is helping rather than  how often  the parent is helping.

So how should parents help with homework, according to the research? 

• Focus on providing general monitoring, guidance and encouragement, but allow children to generate answers on their own and complete their homework as independently as possible . Specifically, be present while they are completing homework to help them to understand the directions, be available to answer simple questions, or praise and acknowledge their effort and hard work. Research shows that allowing children more autonomy in completing homework may benefit their academic skills.
• Only provide help when your child asks for it and step away whenever possible. Research finds that too much parental involvement or intrusive and controlling involvement with homework is associated with worse academic performance . 
• Help your children to create structure and develop some routines that help your child to independently complete their homework . Have a regular time and place for homework that is free from distractions and has all of the materials they need within arm’s reach. Help your child to create a checklist for homework tasks. Create rules for homework with your child. Help children to develop strategies for increasing their own self-motivation. For example, developing their own reward system or creating a homework schedule with breaks for fun activities. Research finds that providing this type of structure and responsiveness is related to improved academic skills.
• Set specific rules around homework. Research finds an association between parents setting rules around homework and academic performance. 
• Help your child to view homework as an opportunity to learn and improve skills. Parents who view homework as a learning opportunity (that is, a “mastery orientation”) rather than something that they must get “right” or complete successfully to obtain a higher grade (that is, a “performance orientation”) are more likely to have children with the same attitudes. 
• Encourage your child to persist in challenging assignments and emphasize difficult assignments as opportunities to grow . Research finds that this attitude is associated with student success. Research also indicates that more challenging homework is associated with enhanced academic performance.
• Stay calm and positive during homework. Research shows that mothers showing positive emotions while helping with homework may improve children’s motivation in homework.
• Praise your child’s hard work and effort during homework.   This type of praise is likely to increase motivation. In addition, research finds that putting more effort into homework may be associated with enhanced development of conscientiousness in children.
• Communicate with your child and the teacher about any problems your child has with homework and the teacher’s learning goals. Research finds that open communication about homework is associated with increased academic performance.

Cara Goodwin, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, a mother of three and the founder of  Parenting Translator , a nonprofit newsletter that turns scientific research into information that is accurate, relevant and useful for parents.

ChatGPT for Teachers

Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, the homework debate: how homework benefits students.

This post has been updated as of December 2017.

In another of our blog posts,  The Case Against Homework , we articulated several points of view against homework as standard practice for teachers. However, a variety of lessons, content-related and beyond, can be taught or reinforced through homework and are worth exploring. Read on!

Four ways homework aids students’ academic achievement

Homework provides an opportunity for parents to interact with and understand the content their students are learning so they can provide another means of academic support for students. Memphis Parent writer Glenda Faye Pryor-Johnson says that, “When your child does homework, you do homework,” and notes that this is an opportunity for parents to model good behavior for their children.

Pryor-Johnson also identifies four qualities children develop when they complete homework that can help them become high-achieving students:

• Responsibility
• Time management
• Perseverance
• Self-esteem

While these cannot be measured on standardized tests, perseverance has garnered a lot of attention as an essential skill for successful students. Regular accomplishments like finishing homework build self-esteem, which aids students’ mental and physical health. Responsibility and time management are highly desirable qualities that benefit students long after they graduate.

NYU and Duke professors refute the idea that homework is unrelated to student success

In response to the National School Board Association’s Center for Public Education’s findings that homework was not conclusively related to student success, historian and NYU professor Diane Ravitch contends that the study’s true discovery was that students who did not complete homework or who lacked the resources to do so suffered poor outcomes.

Ravitch believes the study’s data only supports the idea that those who complete homework benefit from homework. She also cites additional benefits of homework: when else would students be allowed to engage thoughtfully with a text or write a complete essay? Constraints on class time require that such activities are given as outside assignments.

5 studies support a significant relationship between homework completion and academic success

Duke University professor Harris Cooper supports Ravitch’s assessment, saying that, “Across five studies, the average student who did homework had a higher unit test score than the students not doing homework.” Dr. Cooper and his colleagues analyzed dozens of studies on whether homework is beneficial in a 2006 publication, “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987–2003. ”

This analysis found 12 less-authoritative studies that link achievement to time spent on homework, but control for many other factors that could influence the outcome. Finally, the research team identified 35 studies that found a positive correlation between homework and achievement, but only after elementary school. Dr. Cooper concluded that younger students might be less capable of  benefiting from homework due to undeveloped study habits or other factors.

Recommended amount of homework varies by grade level

“Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” also identifies the amount homework that serves as a learning tool for students. While practice improves test scores at all grade levels, “Homework for junior high students appears to reach the point of diminishing returns after about 90 minutes a night. For high school students, the positive line continues to climb until between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours of homework a night, after which returns diminish.”

Dr. Cooper’s conclusion—homework is important, but discretion can and should be used when assigning it—addresses the valid concerns of homework critics. While the act of completing homework has benefits in terms of developing good habits in students, homework must prove useful for students so that they buy in to the process and complete their assignments. If students (or their parents) feel homework is a useless component of their learning, they will skip it—and miss out on the major benefits, content and otherwise, that homework has to offer.

Continue reading :  Ending the Homework Debate: Expert Advice on What Works

Monica Fuglei is a graduate of the University of Nebraska in Omaha and a current adjunct faculty member of Arapahoe Community College in Colorado, where she teaches composition and creative writing.

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How Much Homework Is Too Much for Our Teens?

Here's what educators and parents can do to help kids find the right balance between school and home.

Does Your Teen Have Too Much Homework?

Today’s teens are under a lot of pressure.

They're under pressure to succeed, to win, to be the best and to get into the top colleges. With so much pressure, is it any wonder today’s youth report being under as much stress as their parents? In fact, during the school year, teens say they experience stress levels higher than those reported by adults, according to a previous American Psychological Association "Stress in America" survey.

Odds are if you ask a teen what's got them so worked up, the subject of school will come up. School can cause a lot of stress, which can lead to other serious problems, like sleep deprivation . According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night, but only 15 percent are even getting close to that amount. During the school week, most teens only get about six hours of zzz’s a night, and some of that sleep deficit may be attributed to homework.

When it comes to school, many adults would rather not trade places with a teen. Think about it. They get up at the crack of dawn and get on the bus when it’s pitch dark outside. They put in a full day sitting in hours of classes (sometimes four to seven different classes daily), only to get more work dumped on them to do at home. To top it off, many kids have after-school obligations, such as extracurricular activities including clubs and sports , and some have to work. After a long day, they finally get home to do even more work – schoolwork.

[Read: What Parents Should Know About Teen Depression .]

Homework is not only a source of stress for students, but it can also be a hassle for parents. If you are the parent of a kid who strives to be “perfect," then you know all too well how much time your child spends making sure every bit of homework is complete, even if it means pulling an all-nighter. On the flip side, if you’re the parent of a child who decided that school ends when the last bell rings, then you know how exhausting that homework tug-of-war can be. And heaven forbid if you’re that parent who is at their wit's end because your child excels on tests and quizzes but fails to turn in assignments. The woes of academics can go well beyond the confines of the school building and right into the home.

This is the time of year when many students and parents feel the burden of the academic load. Following spring break, many schools across the nation head into the final stretch of the year. As a result, some teachers increase the amount of homework they give. The assignments aren’t punishment, although to students and parents who are having to constantly stay on top of their kids' schoolwork, they can sure seem that way.

From a teacher’s perspective, the assignments are meant to help students better understand the course content and prepare for upcoming exams. Some schools have state-mandated end of grade or final tests. In those states these tests can account for 20 percent of a student’s final grade. So teachers want to make sure that they cover the entire curriculum before that exam. Aside from state-mandated tests, some high school students are enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate college-level courses that have final tests given a month or more before the end of the term. In order to cover all of the content, teachers must maintain an accelerated pace. All of this means more out of class assignments.

Given the challenges kids face, there are a few questions parents and educators should consider:

Is homework necessary?

Many teens may give a quick "no" to this question, but the verdict is still out. Research supports both sides of the argument. Personally, I would say, yes, some homework is necessary, but it must be purposeful. If it’s busy work, then it’s a waste of time. Homework should be a supplemental teaching tool. Too often, some youth go home completely lost as they haven’t grasped concepts covered in class and they may become frustrated and overwhelmed.

For a parent who has been in this situation, you know how frustrating this can be, especially if it’s a subject that you haven’t encountered in a while. Homework can serve a purpose such as improving grades, increasing test scores and instilling a good work ethic. Purposeful homework can come in the form of individualizing assignments based on students’ needs or helping students practice newly acquired skills.

Homework should not be used to extend class time to cover more material. If your child is constantly coming home having to learn the material before doing the assignments, then it’s time to contact the teacher and set up a conference. Listen when kids express their concerns (like if they say they're expected to know concepts not taught in class) as they will provide clues about what’s happening or not happening in the classroom. Plus, getting to the root of the problem can help with keeping the peace at home too, as an irritable and grumpy teen can disrupt harmonious family dynamics .

[Read: What Makes Teens 'Most Likely to Succeed?' ]

How much is too much?

According to the National PTA and the National Education Association, students should only be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. But teens are doing a lot more than that, according to a poll of high school students by the organization Statistic Brain . In that poll teens reported spending, on average, more than three hours on homework each school night, with 11th graders spending more time on homework than any other grade level. By contrast, some polls have shown that U.S. high school students report doing about seven hours of homework per week.

Much of a student's workload boils down to the courses they take (such as advanced or college prep classes), the teaching philosophy of educators and the student’s commitment to doing the work. Regardless, research has shown that doing more than two hours of homework per night does not benefit high school students. Having lots of homework to do every day makes it difficult for teens to have any downtime , let alone family time .

How do we respond to students' needs?

As an educator and parent, I can honestly say that oftentimes there is a mismatch in what teachers perceive as only taking 15 minutes and what really takes 45 minutes to complete. If you too find this to be the case, then reach out to your child's teacher and find out why the assignments are taking longer than anticipated for your child to complete.

Also, ask the teacher about whether faculty communicate regularly with one another about large upcoming assignments. Whether it’s setting up a shared school-wide assignment calendar or collaborating across curriculums during faculty meetings, educators need to discuss upcoming tests and projects, so students don’t end up with lots of assignments all competing for their attention and time at once. Inevitably, a student is going to get slammed occasionally, but if they have good rapport with their teachers, they will feel comfortable enough to reach out and see if alternative options are available. And as a parent, you can encourage your kid to have that dialogue with the teacher.

Often teens would rather blend into the class than stand out. That’s unfortunate because research has shown time and time again that positive teacher-student relationships are strong predictors of student engagement and achievement. By and large, most teachers appreciate students advocating for themselves and will go the extra mile to help them out.

Can there be a balance between home and school?

Students can strike a balance between school and home, but parents will have to help them find it. They need your guidance to learn how to better manage their time, get organized and prioritize tasks, which are all important life skills. Equally important is developing good study habits. Some students may need tutoring or coaching to help them learn new material or how to take notes and study. Also, don’t forget the importance of parent-teacher communication. Most educators want nothing more than for their students to succeed in their courses.

Learning should be fun, not mundane and cumbersome. Homework should only be given if its purposeful and in moderation. Equally important to homework is engaging in activities, socializing with friends and spending time with the family.

[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health .]

Most adults don’t work a full-time job and then go home and do three more hours of work, and neither should your child. It's not easy learning to balance everything, especially if you're a teen. If your child is spending several hours on homework each night, don't hesitate to reach out to teachers and, if need be, school officials. Collectively, we can all work together to help our children de-stress and find the right balance between school and home.

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A New Report Reveals That Homework in the United States is an Easy Load

Two new reports debunk the notion that U.S. schoolchildren suffer from a growing homework load, with little time to play and just be kids.

The great majority of students at all grade levels now spend less than one hour studying on a typical day—an amount that has not changed substantially in at least twenty years, according to data analyzed by the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation.

The research contradicts dramatic anecdotes of children overwhelmed with homework. The Brookings and RAND researchers collected and reviewed the best social science available on children’s homework, including data from surveys conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, and the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.

Even at the high school level, where more homework might be expected to prepare students for the demands of college or the workplace, only about a third of seventeen-year-olds spend an hour or more a day on homework.

The Brown Center on Education Policy conducted the study after a wave of dramatic news stories over the past few years described a backlash against homework. Since 2001, feature stories about onerous homework loads and parents fighting back have appeared in Time , Newsweek , and People magazines; the New York Times , Washington Post , Los Angeles Times , Raleigh News and Observer , and the Tampa Tribune ; and the CBS Evening News and other media outlets.

“The stories are misleading,” writes author Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center. “They do not reflect the experiences of a majority—or even a significant minority—of American schoolchildren.”

“Excessive homework is not a common problem,” writes Loveless in the report. “The critics of homework need to produce some very powerful evidence before policymakers start mandating reductions in homework or even banning it altogether. To date, the evidence put forth by homework critics has been weak.”

Across three different age groups, the percentage of students with less than an hour of daily homework has actually risen since 1984, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which for two decades has been asking a nationally representative sample of students questions about homework.

In 1999, 83 percent of nine-year-olds, 66 percent of thirteen-year-olds, and 65 percent of seventeen-year-olds reported having less than an hour of homework per night (see figure 1). In 1984, 81 percent of nine-year-olds, 63 percent of thirteen-year-olds, and 59 percent of seventeen-year-olds had reported spending that amount of time studying.

Another survey, the Third International Math and Science Study, finds that American high school students have one of the lightest homework loads in the world. Of twenty countries, the United States ranked near the bottom, tied for the next-to-last position. Students in France, Italy, Russia, and South Africa reported spending at least twice as much time on homework as American students.

The University of Michigan research does show an increase in the amount of homework given to children ages six to eight. But the increase of ten to eleven minutes a day is largely due to the fact that the baseline was low to begin with—only a third of children ages six to eight spent any time at all on studying in 1981.

“Why is it important to get the homework study right?” asks Loveless. “Mainly because it is positively associated with student learning.” Research shows that the relationship of homework with student achievement is positive for both middle and high school students and neutral for elementary school students.

Moreover, homework is a “barometer of the success—or the limits—of movements to raise academic standards,” write Brian Gill of RAND and Steven Schlossman of Carnegie Mellon University in the fall 2003 issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

“To succeed, academic excellence movements ultimately require students to invest effort in their studies; time spent on homework is a ground-level indicator of this effort,” say Gill and Schlossman.

Gill and Schlossman trace homework time trends of the past fifty years, finding that the only substantial increases in homework for high-school students occurred in the decade after Sputnik, when the nation launched an academic excellence movement motivated by competition with the Soviet Union. Homework time subsequently declined to pre-Sputnik levels, and the excellence movement of the 1980s and 1990s that followed the publication of “A Nation at Risk” caused surprisingly small increases in homework (see figure 8).

Ironically, the only increase in homework in the last two decades has happened precisely in the lower grade levels, where researchers believe it matters least for academic achievement, according to Gill and Schlossman.

Most parents feel the homework load is about right, and, of those who would like to change it, more parents would rather see more homework than less, according to a 2000 poll conducted by the Public Agenda Foundation. Only one out of ten parents believes there is too much homework.

When a homework problem exists, which can happen because children vary in their study habits, solutions should come from parents and teachers, not policymakers, Loveless says.

About the Brown Center on Education Policy and the Brookings Institution

Established in 1992, the Brown Center on Education Policy conducts research on topics in American education, with a special focus on efforts to improve academic achievement in elementary and secondary schools. The Brown Center is part of the Brookings Institution, a private, nonprofit organization devoted to research, education, and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. The Institution maintains a position of neutrality on issues of public policy. Interpretations or conclusions in Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.

For a full copy of the report as well as information about other Brown Center events and publications, please visit the Brown Center’s website , or call Tucker Warren at 202/457-8100.

About RAND Education

RAND Education conducts independent research and analysis on education policy, including school reform and educational assessment and accountability. RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

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15 Surprising Benefits of Homework for Students

• The importance of homework for students
• 3 Helpful tips to do your homework effectively
• 15 benefits of homework

Homework is an important component of the learning and growing process. It is a common practice for students to develop their skills and learn new information.

Homework is simply a general term that we use to describe work that you have to do at home. Typically, it’s assigned by the teacher during school hours and meant to be completed after school in the evenings or weekends.

Homework is loved and hated by many, but it is an integral part of education. It is not just a boring part of the learning process. It has a lot to offer!

The Importance of Homework for Students

So, why should students have homework? According to research conducted by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper , there was a positive relation between homework and student achievement. He found out that homework can help students perform better in school.

This shows the importance of homework in a student’s life. Homework is not always popular with students because it takes away their free time at home.

However, there are many benefits associated with homework.  Homework helps students understand the material in greater depth. Moreover, it allows teachers to assess how much the student has learned.

Tips for Doing Your Homework Faster

It is important to have a homework routine. A routine will help you know what to expect at the end of the day, and it will give you time to digest what you learned.

In addition, a routine will help you to be stress-free because you won’t be worrying about when to start your homework or whether you’re going to finish it on time.

So, here are some tips on how to set up a good homework routine:

• Find a place in the house where you can study without interruption.
• Set a timer for how long each assignment should take.
• Make sure your table is neat and that you have all of your materials ready before starting.

These tips will surely make your student life easier and put you on the right track towards higher grades!

The Benefits of Homework for Students

There are numerous reasons why homework is given in schools and colleges. Students can reap the benefits even in their professional lives.

But what exactly are the benefits of homework and how can it help students? Let us take a look at some of them:

1. Students Learn the Importance of Time Management

They will learn to balance play and work. Students will also learn to complete assignments within deadlines by learning to prioritize their time.

It helps them understand the importance of time management skills . When they are assigned a project or a test, they will know when it is due, how much time they have to complete it, and what they need to do.

This also helps them in their future careers. Employees must be able to manage their time efficiently in order to be successful.

If a project is due soon, employees should take effective steps to get it done on time. Homeworks in the schooling years teaches this practice of time management.

2. Promotes Self-Learning

Students get more time to review the content and this promotes self-learning . This is a big advantage of homework.

It also promotes continuous learning as students can revise their syllabus on their own. Homework gives them an opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

3. Helps Teachers Assess a Student’s Learning

Homeworks help teachers track how well the students are grasping the content . They can modify their teaching methods based on the responses they receive from their students.

4. Teaches Students to Be Responsible

Students learn to become independent learners as they do their homework without any help from the teacher.

Studying at home also motivates students to study harder in order to achieve better results. This encourages them to take up more responsibilities at home too.

5. Boosts Memory Retention

Homework provides practice time to recall concepts discussed in class, thereby enabling students to memorize facts and figures taught at school.

One of the advantages of homework is that it sharpens memory power and concentration.

6. Enables Parents to Track a Student’s Performance

Parents can assess how well their children are doing with regard to academic performance by checking their homework assignments.

This gives parents a chance to discuss with teachers about improving their child’s performance at school .

7. Allows Students to Revise Content

Revising together with other students can also help with understanding  information because it gives you another perspective, as well as an opportunity to ask questions and engage with others.

8. Practice Makes Perfect

Doing homework has numerous benefits for students. One of them is that it helps students learn the concepts in depth.

Homework teaches them how to apply the concepts to solve a problem. It gives them experience on how to solve problems using different techniques.

9. Develops Persistence

When students do their homework, they have to work hard to find all the possible solutions to a problem.

They have to try out different methods until they reach a solution that works. This teaches them perseverance and helps them develop their determination and grit to keep working hard.

10. Helps Them to Learn New Skills

Homework is important because it helps students to learn new and advanced skills. It promotes self-study, research and time management skills within students.

It also builds their confidence in tackling problems independently without constant help from teachers and parents.

11. Helps in Building a Positive Attitude Towards Learning

12. Students Can Explore Their Areas of Interest

Homework helps in building curiosity about a subject that excites them. Homework gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a subject matter.

When they become curious, they themselves take the initiative to learn more about it.

13. Encourages In-Depth Understanding of The Concepts

Homeworks allow students to learn the subject in a more detailed manner. It gives students the chance to recall and go over the content.

This will lead to better understanding and they will be able to remember the information for a long time.

14. Minimizes Screen Time:

Homework is not only a great way to get students to do their work themselves, but it can also encourage them to reduce screen time.

Homework gives students a good reason to stay off their computers and phones. Homework promotes the productive use of time .

15. Helps Develop Good Study Habits

The more they do their homework, the better they will get it. They will learn to manage their time in a more effective way and be able to do their work at a faster rate.

Moreover, they will be able to develop a good work ethic, which will help them in their future careers.

We all know that too much of anything can be bad. Homework is no different. If the workload of the students is too much, then it can lead to unnecessary stress .

Therefore, it is necessary for teachers to be mindful of the workload of students. That way, students will be able to enjoy their free time and actually enjoy doing homework instead of seeing it as a burden.

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Duke Study: Homework Helps Students Succeed in School, As Long as There Isn't Too Much

The study, led by professor Harris Cooper, also shows that the positive correlation is much stronger for secondary students than elementary students

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It turns out that parents are right to nag: To succeed in school, kids should do their homework.

Duke University researchers have reviewed more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 and concluded that homework does have a positive effect on student achievement.

Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology, said the research synthesis that he led showed the positive correlation was much stronger for secondary students --- those in grades 7 through 12 --- than those in elementary school.

READ MORE: Harris Cooper offers tips for teaching children in the next school year in this USA Today op-ed published Monday.

"With only rare exception, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant," the researchers report in a paper that appears in the spring 2006 edition of "Review of Educational Research."

Cooper is the lead author; Jorgianne Civey Robinson, a Ph.D. student in psychology, and Erika Patall, a graduate student in psychology, are co-authors. The research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

While it's clear that homework is a critical part of the learning process, Cooper said the analysis also showed that too much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels.

"Even for high school students, overloading them with homework is not associated with higher grades," Cooper said.

Cooper said the research is consistent with the "10-minute rule" suggesting the optimum amount of homework that teachers ought to assign. The "10-minute rule," Cooper said, is a commonly accepted practice in which teachers add 10 minutes of homework as students progress one grade. In other words, a fourth-grader would be assigned 40 minutes of homework a night, while a high school senior would be assigned about two hours. For upper high school students, after about two hours' worth, more homework was not associated with higher achievement.

The authors suggest a number of reasons why older students benefit more from homework than younger students. First, the authors note, younger children are less able than older children to tune out distractions in their environment. Younger children also have less effective study habits.

But the reason also could have to do with why elementary teachers assign homework. Perhaps it is used more often to help young students develop better time management and study skills, not to immediately affect their achievement in particular subject areas.

"Kids burn out," Cooper said. "The bottom line really is all kids should be doing homework, but the amount and type should vary according to their developmental level and home circumstances. Homework for young students should be short, lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading."

Cooper pointed out that there are limitations to current research on homework. For instance, little research has been done to assess whether a student's race, socioeconomic status or ability level affects the importance of homework in his or her achievement.

This is Cooper's second synthesis of homework research. His first was published in 1989 and covered nearly 120 studies in the 20 years before 1987. Cooper's recent paper reconfirms many of the findings from the earlier study.

Cooper is the author of "The Battle over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents" (Corwin Press, 2001).

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​Why School Absences Have ‘Exploded’ Almost Everywhere

The pandemic changed families’ lives and the culture of education: “Our relationship with school became optional.”

By Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris

Sarah Mervosh reports on K-12 education, and Francesca Paris is a data reporter.

In Anchorage, affluent families set off on ski trips and other lengthy vacations, with the assumption that their children can keep up with schoolwork online.

In a working-class pocket of Michigan, school administrators have tried almost everything, including pajama day, to boost student attendance.

And across the country, students with heightened anxiety are opting to stay home rather than face the classroom.

In the four years since the pandemic closed schools, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts, from learning loss , to enrollment , to student behavior .

But perhaps no issue has been as stubborn and pervasive as a sharp increase in student absenteeism, a problem that cuts across demographics and has continued long after schools reopened.

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute . Chronic absence is typically defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason.

Source: Upshot analysis of data from Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute. Districts are grouped into highest, middle and lowest third.

The increases have occurred in districts big and small, and across income and race. For districts in wealthier areas, chronic absenteeism rates have about doubled, to 19 percent in the 2022-23 school year from 10 percent before the pandemic, a New York Times analysis of the data found.

Poor communities, which started with elevated rates of student absenteeism, are facing an even bigger crisis: Around 32 percent of students in the poorest districts were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, up from 19 percent before the pandemic.

Even districts that reopened quickly during the pandemic, in fall 2020, have seen vast increases.

“The problem got worse for everybody in the same proportional way,” said Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who collected and studied the data.

Victoria, Texas reopened schools in August 2020, earlier than many other districts. Even so, student absenteeism in the district has doubled.

Kaylee Greenlee for The New York Times

The trends suggest that something fundamental has shifted in American childhood and the culture of school, in ways that may be long lasting. What was once a deeply ingrained habit — wake up, catch the bus, report to class — is now something far more tenuous.

“Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor with the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University.

The habit of daily attendance — and many families’ trust — was severed when schools shuttered in spring 2020. Even after schools reopened, things hardly snapped back to normal. Districts offered remote options, required Covid-19 quarantines and relaxed policies around attendance and grading .

Source: Nat Malkus, American Enterprise Institute . Includes districts with at least 1,500 students in 2019. Numbers are rounded. U.S. average is estimated.

Today, student absenteeism is a leading factor hindering the nation’s recovery from pandemic learning losses , educational experts say. Students can’t learn if they aren’t in school. And a rotating cast of absent classmates can negatively affect the achievement of even students who do show up, because teachers must slow down and adjust their approach to keep everyone on track.

“If we don’t address the absenteeism, then all is naught,” said Adam Clark, the superintendent of Mt. Diablo Unified, a socioeconomically and racially diverse district of 29,000 students in Northern California, where he said absenteeism has “exploded” to about 25 percent of students. That’s up from 12 percent before the pandemic.

U.S. students, overall, are not caught up from their pandemic losses. Absenteeism is one key reason.

Why Students Are Missing School

Schools everywhere are scrambling to improve attendance, but the new calculus among families is complex and multifaceted.

At South Anchorage High School in Anchorage, where students are largely white and middle-to-upper income, some families now go on ski trips during the school year, or take advantage of off-peak travel deals to vacation for two weeks in Hawaii, said Sara Miller, a counselor at the school.

For a smaller number of students at the school who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the reasons are different, and more intractable. They often have to stay home to care for younger siblings, Ms. Miller said. On days they miss the bus, their parents are busy working or do not have a car to take them to school.

And because teachers are still expected to post class work online, often nothing more than a skeleton version of an assignment, families incorrectly think students are keeping up, Ms. Miller said.

Sara Miller, a counselor at South Anchorage High School for 20 years, now sees more absences from students across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Ash Adams for The New York Times

Across the country, students are staying home when sick , not only with Covid-19, but also with more routine colds and viruses.

And more students are struggling with their mental health, one reason for increased absenteeism in Mason, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Cincinnati, said Tracey Carson, a district spokeswoman. Because many parents can work remotely, their children can also stay home.

For Ashley Cooper, 31, of San Marcos, Texas, the pandemic fractured her trust in an education system that she said left her daughter to learn online, with little support, and then expected her to perform on grade level upon her return. Her daughter, who fell behind in math, has struggled with anxiety ever since, she said.

“There have been days where she’s been absolutely in tears — ‘Can’t do it. Mom, I don’t want to go,’” said Ms. Cooper, who has worked with the nonprofit Communities in Schools to improve her children’s school attendance. But she added, “as a mom, I feel like it’s OK to have a mental health day, to say, ‘I hear you and I listen. You are important.’”

Experts say missing school is both a symptom of pandemic-related challenges, and also a cause. Students who are behind academically may not want to attend, but being absent sets them further back. Anxious students may avoid school, but hiding out can fuel their anxiety.

And schools have also seen a rise in discipline problems since the pandemic, an issue intertwined with absenteeism.

Dr. Rosanbalm, the Duke psychologist, said both absenteeism and behavioral outbursts are examples of the human stress response, now playing out en masse in schools: fight (verbal or physical aggression) or flight (absenteeism).

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” said Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas.

Quintin Shepherd, the superintendent in Victoria, Texas, first put his focus on student behavior, which he described as a “fire in the kitchen” after schools reopened in August 2020.

The district, which serves a mostly low-income and Hispanic student body of around 13,000, found success with a one-on-one coaching program that teaches coping strategies to the most disruptive students. In some cases, students went from having 20 classroom outbursts per year to fewer than five, Dr. Shepherd said.

But chronic absenteeism is yet to be conquered. About 30 percent of students are chronically absent this year, roughly double the rate before the pandemic.

Dr. Shepherd, who originally hoped student absenteeism would improve naturally with time, has begun to think that it is, in fact, at the root of many issues.

“If kids are not here, they are not forming relationships,” he said. “If they are not forming relationships, we should expect there will be behavior and discipline issues. If they are not here, they will not be academically learning and they will struggle. If they struggle with their coursework, you can expect violent behaviors.”

Teacher absences have also increased since the pandemic, and student absences mean less certainty about which friends and classmates will be there. That can lead to more absenteeism, said Michael A. Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. His research has found that when 10 percent of a student’s classmates are absent on a given day, that student is more likely to be absent the following day.

Absent classmates can have a negative impact on the achievement and attendance of even the students who do show up.

Is This the New Normal?

In many ways, the challenge facing schools is one felt more broadly in American society: Have the cultural shifts from the pandemic become permanent?

In the work force, U.S. employees are still working from home at a rate that has remained largely unchanged since late 2022 . Companies have managed to “put the genie back in the bottle” to some extent by requiring a return to office a few days a week, said Nicholas Bloom, an economist at Stanford University who studies remote work. But hybrid office culture, he said, appears here to stay.

Some wonder whether it is time for schools to be more pragmatic.

Lakisha Young, the chief executive of the Oakland REACH, a parent advocacy group that works with low-income families in California, suggested a rigorous online option that students could use in emergencies, such as when a student misses the bus or has to care for a family member. “The goal should be, how do I ensure this kid is educated?” she said.

Relationships with adults at school and other classmates are crucial for attendance.

In the corporate world, companies have found some success appealing to a sense of social responsibility, where colleagues rely on each other to show up on the agreed-upon days.

A similar dynamic may be at play in schools, where experts say strong relationships are critical for attendance.

There is a sense of: “If I don’t show up, would people even miss the fact that I’m not there?” said Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, the commissioner of education in Connecticut.

In her state, a home visit program has yielded positive results , in part by working with families to address the specific reasons a student is missing school, but also by establishing a relationship with a caring adult. Other efforts — such as sending text messages or postcards to parents informing them of the number of accumulated absences — can also be effective.

Regina Murff has worked to re-establish the daily habit of school attendance for her sons, who are 6 and 12.

Sylvia Jarrus for The New York Times

In Ypsilanti, Mich., outside of Ann Arbor, a home visit helped Regina Murff, 44, feel less alone when she was struggling to get her children to school each morning.

After working at a nursing home during the pandemic, and later losing her sister to Covid-19, she said, there were days she found it difficult to get out of bed. Ms. Murff was also more willing to keep her children home when they were sick, for fear of accidentally spreading the virus.

But after a visit from her school district, and starting therapy herself, she has settled into a new routine. She helps her sons, 6 and 12, set out their outfits at night and she wakes up at 6 a.m. to ensure they get on the bus. If they are sick, she said, she knows to call the absence into school. “I’ve done a huge turnaround in my life,” she said.

But bringing about meaningful change for large numbers of students remains slow, difficult work .

Nationally, about 26 percent of students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic.

The Ypsilanti school district has tried a bit of everything, said the superintendent, Alena Zachery-Ross. In addition to door knocks, officials are looking for ways to make school more appealing for the district’s 3,800 students, including more than 80 percent who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. They held themed dress-up days — ’70s day, pajama day — and gave away warm clothes after noticing a dip in attendance during winter months.

“We wondered, is it because you don’t have a coat, you don’t have boots?” said Dr. Zachery-Ross.

Still, absenteeism overall remains higher than it was before the pandemic. “We haven’t seen an answer,” she said.

Data provided by Nat Malkus, with the American Enterprise Institute. The data was originally published on the Return to Learn tracker and used for the report “ Long COVID for Public Schools: Chronic Absenteeism Before and After the Pandemic .”

The analysis for each year includes all districts with available data for that year, weighted by district size. Data are sourced from states, where available, and the U.S. Department of Education and NCES Common Core of Data.

For the 2018-19 school year, data was available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2022-23, it was available for 40 states and D.C., due to delays in state reporting.

Closure length status is based on the most in-person learning option available. Poverty is measured using the Census Bureau’s Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. School size and minority population estimates are from NCES CCD.

How absenteeism is measured can vary state by state, which means comparisons across state lines may not be reliable.

An earlier version of this article misnamed a research center at Duke University. It is the Center for Child and Family Policy, not the Center of Child and Family Policy.

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Homework in Russian Education Facilities: Key Facts and Types

1 Comment · Posted by Alex Smirnov in Education

What is homework in the first place? In a nutshell, it is one of the forms of educational activities performed by students outside the classroom or in extracurricular time. This form of activity can pursue a number of goals:

• To help students assimilate and retain the material presented in the class better;
• To let students self-study certain topics or concepts that don’t require clarification from the teacher;
• To assess how well students have grasped the material. Also, to understand how well they can apply the obtained knowledge and skills for finding solutions to certain problems;
• To identify gaps in knowledge.

For decades, homework of all shapes and kinds has been an integral part of the educational process. This type of activity is used by pretty much all education facilities, regardless of the level, and all across the world. However, the essence and types of homework can vary from country to country.

Namely, due to a significant difference in the overall education system in Russia, the types of homework assigned to students in this country can be somewhat different. For example, it will be different from homework types assigned, say, in the US. As we know, here, the largest academic challenge facing students is writing, which can be delegated to make my essay service professionals. But, the situation in Russian education facilities is different.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at the homework in Russia and discover what types of this extracurricular activity are there.

Basic Requirements for the Content and Volume of Homework

In Russia, both the volume and content of homework are regulated by law. The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation sets very specific sanitary and epidemiological norms for the conditions and organization of training in educational institutions and closely monitors their compliance.

According to these regulations, the organization of home schoolwork has to be an integral part of the general problem of improving the educational process at school. The content, nature, and functions of homework cannot be considered in isolation from the content, nature, and methods of teaching applied in the classroom. It is during the lessons that teachers must create the right conditions for the successful completion of homework.

Many components and stages of the lesson are directly related to the subsequent completion of homework: checking homework, assigning homework lessons, students’ independent work in the lesson, etc. The combination of these components should be such that in the lesson, the student would get fully prepared for the homework and so that the lesson and subsequent independent work are a uniform process.

Currently, there are the following basic requirements for homework in Russia:

• The overall volume of the homework should not exceed 30% of the total amount of work performed in the classroom.
• The total time spent by students on homework should not exceed: 1.5 hours for 2 through 3 grade; 2 hours for 4 through 5 grade; 2.5 hours for 6 through 8 grade; and 3.5 for 9 through 11 grade.

According to stats, Russia is among the countries where students spend the most time on homework – on average, they are dealing with 9.7 hours of homework per week.

Types and Forms of Homework in Russia

Schools and higher education facilities in Russia use different types of homework assignments to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the learning process. Namely, we can distinguish the following types of assignments:

• Individual;
• Differentiated;
• One for the whole class;
• Compiling homework for a deskmate.

Now, let’s look at each type in detail.

As you can easily guess, individual homework is usually assigned to individual students and is tailored to their specific needs, the current level of knowledge, existing gaps, and other individual factors. This form of homework makes it easy for the teacher to check the level of knowledge of a particular student. Such work can be done on cards or using printed workbooks.

Group homework is also a pretty common activity. It implies that the class is being divided into smaller groups of students, and each of the groups is assigned to work on a specific task that is part of the overall classroom assignment.

Differentiated homework is shaped based on the concept of differentiated instruction, which implies distinguishing students’ differences and using them to boost the effectiveness of learning. For example, this type of homework can be characterized by the following features:

• The assignment is the same for everyone, but the method of its completion varies depending on each student’s differences.
• There can be several options in the assignment, giving students the right to choose any of them independently.

Compiling homework for a deskmate is the most innovative approach to assigning homework. It implies that students will formulate the homework tasks for their peers themselves, based on the tasks that have been performed in the classroom.

Creative assignments include academic writing, personal projects, research, etc. They are typically assigned less frequently, and teachers give students more time to complete them. For example, a typical homework can have a deadline in just a day, whereas students should be given at least a week to complete a creative assignment.

Finally, the last and the most common type of homework in Russia is one assignment for the whole class. This can include different types of activities, including reading, writing, problem-solving, testing, etc. Typically, this is the form of the task students in Russia are dealing with daily.

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Cost of Living in Moscow

This guide was written prior to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and is therefore not reflective of the current situation. Travel to Russia is currently not advisable due to the area's volatile political situation.

The cost of living in Moscow is quite high but is largely dependent on an expat's lifestyle. Expats working in Moscow who earn a decent salary will be able to manage day-to-day costs just fine, especially in comparison to those in major cities such as New York and London. Additionally, expats may be lured to Moscow by lucrative employment packages which offer benefits including private health insurance, a driver and schooling allowances.

While there are a few expenses in Moscow that expats will not be able to avoid, such as accommodation, many expats can decrease their cost of living through their choice of lifestyle . Living like the locals, which could involve cooking at home most nights and not spending large amounts of money on going out and visiting expensive tourist attractions, would certainly decrease expats living expenses, for example. 

Cost of accommodation in Moscow

Housing will likely be an expat’s largest expense in the Russian capital. Expats living in central areas can expect to spend more than a third of their monthly salary on rent. New arrivals looking for accommodation on a budget should consider exploring the areas and suburbs outside the city centre, while still bearing in mind public transport connections.

Additionally, while utilities may be cheaper than in major European capitals, expats in Moscow should budget for water, electricity and gas. These are not always included in the monthly rental and could be additional expenses.

Cost of transport in Moscow

From the metro, buses and minibus shuttles known as marshrutka to taxis and self-driving, there are many options for getting around. Each comes with its own costs, and expats may be pleasantly surprised by the affordability of transport in Moscow . Public transport tickets are fairly cheap, and petrol prices also fall below the global average.

Expats who plan on driving in Moscow may need to invest in car insurance, while others may opt to hire a driver. These may add to an expat's general expenses.

Cost of education and schools in Moscow

Families relocating with children will most likely need to cover the cost of school fees. Most expats who face a language barrier in Russia send their children to a private or international school that follows the same language and curriculum as their home country. Fees at international schools can be high, and preschool fees for young children are also fairly costly. Where possible, we recommend expats negotiate an allowance for school fees in their employment contract.

Cost of groceries in Moscow

The cost of groceries in Moscow can be comparable to or higher than prices in other major international cities. Prices for necessities like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products can be relatively affordable, while speciality items are generally pricier.

Cost of entertainment and eating out in Moscow

The cost of entertainment and eating out in Moscow can vary greatly and largely depends on the type of establishment. On the whole, though Russian prices are generally quite reasonable, prices in Moscow can be higher than what expats might expect. In terms of entertainment options, Moscow offers a wide variety of options to suit various interests and tastes. From visiting museums, theatres and concert halls to enjoying outdoor activities, expats will find a range of options to keep themselves entertained.

Cost of living chart for Moscow

Prices may vary depending on the product and service provider. The list below shows the average cost of living in Moscow before Russia's war in Ukraine and was last updated prior to 2022. 

Further reading

►An expat's expenses depend on their personal preferences and lifestyle choices. Get some insights on the lifestyle in Moscow

►For more info on expenses in the country as a whole, read Cost of Living in Russia

Expat Experiences "Meat, poultry and milk products are considerably cheaper compared to Indonesia. But fish and tropical fruits are as expensive as gold." Eva, an expat from Indonesia, shares her experience of moving to Moscow in her interview with Expat Arrivals . 

Are you an expat living in Moscow?

Expat Arrivals is looking for locals to contribute to this guide, and answer forum questions from others planning their move to Moscow. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute.

Expat Health Insurance

Cigna Global Health Insurance. Medical insurance specifically designed for expats. With Cigna, you won't have to rely on foreign public health care systems, which may not meet your needs. Cigna allows you to speak to a doctor on demand, for consultations or instant advice, wherever you are in the world. They also offer full cancer care across all levels of cover, and settle the cost of treatments directly with the provider. Get a quote from Cigna Global - 20% off

Aetna Aetna International, offering comprehensive global medical coverage, has a network of 1.3 million medical providers worldwide. You will have the flexibility to choose from six areas of coverage, including worldwide, multiple levels of benefits to choose from, plus various optional benefits to meet your needs. Get your free no-obligation quotes now!

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International Movers. Get Quotes. Compare Prices. Sirelo has a network of more than 500 international removal companies that can move your furniture and possessions to your new home. By filling in a form, you’ll get up to 5 quotes from recommended movers. This service is free of charge and will help you select an international moving company that suits your needs and budget. Get your free no-obligation quotes from select removal companies now!

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UNITE Fall 2024 Course Offerings

UNITE Distributed Learning provides access to live streaming video of class sessions plus same-day access to streaming video archives and downloadable video and audio files of course meetings to the students who enroll through UNITE, "piggybacking" on an on-campus section of the course in a UNITE-enhanced classroom.

Semester Schedule

The UNITE sections of a course follow the same semester schedule as the on-campus section of the course. This includes exams (which may be required synchronous events - see below) and homework deadlines as well as University deadlines for adding courses, cancelling courses, refunds, etc.

Exams, Presentations and Homework

Assessments (exams, presentations, homework, etc.) vary class-to-class, instructor-to-instructor.  Note that some courses require that exams be taken at the same time/same day as the on-campus section of the course upon which UNITE is "piggybacking" for UNITE-enrolled students as well as live student presentations to the class.

Courses Exams Requiring Synchronous, Live Proctoring

For courses in which the instructor is holding in-class, proctored exams for those enrolled in the on-campus sections, students enrolled through UNITE are REQUIRED  to take exams on the same day/same time as the students enrolled in the on-campus sections of the course with a UNITE-approved proctor.

Any deviation from the same day/same time proctored exams for these courses - including the request to take the exams with the on-campus students - must be approved by the instructor.  UNITE will NOT grant these permissions. Work out these arrangements with the instructor before the 100% refund period ends.  

Students who arrange to come to campus and take in-class, proctored exams with the students enrolled in the on-campus section of a course do not need to find/submit a local proctor - note that this must be arranged with the instructor to verify permission/space (enrollment in a UNITE section does not hold a physical classroom seat in the classroom).

Students are responsible for finding and submitting proctor information to UNITE to evaluate and approve. UNITE will contact all students enrolled through UNITE to initiate this process shortly after the semester begins.

Final Exams: Final exam dates are posted in the official University of Minnesota Class Schedule.  UNITE will stream video on Saturdays. If you are enrolled in a UNITE section with an exam on a Saturday, you will need to have a proctor administer the exam. If you need to make other arrangements you will need to contact the instructor directly to seek approval.

Courses with Exams Not Requiring Live, In-Person Proctoring

For courses for which the instructors are using other types of exams - take-home exams, online exams (with a video proctoring service or without) -  instead of in-class, proctored exams, there is no need for students who enroll in the UNITE section of a course to find and submit a proctor to UNITE for approval.

Presentations

For courses with required live presentations by students - individually or as a group - UNITE will work with the student(s) and instructor to provide a live webconference between the remote student(s) and the classroom in real time.  In some instances, UNITE-enrolled students are able to join the on-campus students in the classroom to present in person (though that is not required).  For courses with required, live presentations  it is best to note that commitment for the course with the instructor before the 100% refund period ends.  

Homework Submission and Return

Increasing, faculty and TAs are using Canvas course sites for submission and return of homework.

For those faculty and TAs who do not, homework may be submitted to UNITE via email. Our office will record submissions and deliver to instructors and/or TAs for grading. Graded materials will be returned to your University email account when we receive it.

For more information, refer to the "Step Two: Know How UNITE Works" of UNITE Steps to Success .

The courses offered are subject to change. For the summer semester, UNITE will stop recording/streaming a course if there are no students enrolled in that course through UNITE.

Course descriptions taken from the University of Minnesota's Schedule Builder . Courses topics may be revised per instructor. Contact instructor for more detailed and up-to-date information.

Grad 0999 – 51566 Call Number – UNITE students must register online themselves for this status. Graduate students registering for this status must register before the semester begins or they will be charged the normal late registration fees.

Undergraduate students taking classes on campus may enroll in UNITE courses with instructors' permission. Learn more about Undergraduate Credit Enrollment though UNITE .

Please note Important Fall Semester Dates .

Students enrolled in on-campus sections have limited access to UNITE Media; refer to UNITE Streaming Video Access for On-Campus Students for more details.

FALL SCHEDULE

(Updated April 2nd, 2024)

Use online tools to search all University credit offerings:  Aerospace Engineering's Class Schedules by Department online search tool  Humphrey School of Public Affairs' ClassInfo online search tool  (Note: These tools list ALL offerings - on-campus, including UNITE offerings)

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

AEM 5321 (also offered as EE 5231) - Linear Systems and Optimal Control (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [EE 3015, CSE grad student] or instr consent  Description:   Properties and modeling of linear systems. Linear quadratic and linear-quadratic-Gaussian regulators. Maximum principle.

AEM 5401 - Intermediate Dynamics (3.0 cr)   Yohannes Ketema   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 11:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE upper div or grad, 2012, Math 2243  Description:   Three-dimensional Newtonian mechanics, kinematics of rigid bodies, dynamics of rigid bodies, generalized coordinates, holonomic constraints, Lagrange equations, applications.

AEM 5451 (also offered as EE 5251) - Optimal Filtering and Estimation (3.0 cr)   Demoz Gerbe-Egziabher UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [[MATH 2243, STAT 3021] or equiv], CSE grad student] or dept consent; EE 3025, EE 4231 recommended  Description:   Basic probability theory, stochastic processes. Gauss-Markov model. Batch/recursive least squares estimation. Filtering of linear/nonlinear systems. Continuous-time Kalman-Bucy filter. Unscented Kalman filter, particle filters. Applications.

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

BMEN 5001 - Advanced Biomaterials (3.0)  Wei Shen   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   3301 or MatS 3011 or grad student or instr consent   Description:   Commonly used biomaterials. Chemical/physical aspects. Practical examples from such areas as cardiovascular/orthopedic applications, drug delivery, and cell encapsulation. Methods used for chemical analysis and for physical characterization of biomaterials. Effect of additives, stabilizers, processing conditions, and sterilization methods.

BMEN 5401 - Advanced Biomedical Imaging (3.0 cr)   Alexander Opitz UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE upper div or grad student or instr consent Description:   Functional biomedical imaging modalities. Principles/applications of technologies that offer high spatial/temporal resolution. Bioelectromagnetic and magnetic resonance imaging. Other modalities.

BMEN 5411 - Neural Engineering (3.0 cr)   Tay Netoff UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   BMEN 3401 recommended  Description:   Theoretical basis. Signal processing techniques. Modeling of nervous system, its response to stimulation. Electrode design, neural modeling, cochlear implants, deep brain stimulation. Prosthetic limbs, micturition control, prosthetic vision. Brain machine interface, seizure prediction, optical imaging of nervous system, place cell recordings in hippocampus.

BMEN 5910 - Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering: Biomedical Science Data (3.0 cr)   Matthew Johnson   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE student, upper div or grad  Description:   Description coming from department.

BMEN 8001 - Polymeric Biomaterials (3.0 cr)   Chun Wang UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [5001, [CHEN 4214 or MATS 4214 or equiv]] or instr consent Description:   Introduction to polymeric biomaterial research. Molecular engineering, characterization of properties, material-cell interaction, biocompatibility/bioactivity. Applications in biology and medicine.

BMEN 8601 - Biomedical Engineering Seminar (1.0 cr)   Seminars and Colloquia taken for credit are offered only as live and archived streaming video - NO downloadable video or audio podcast versions are offered.   Wei Shen   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 3:35 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Description:   Lectures and demonstrations of university and industry research introducing students and faculty to methods and goals of biomedical engineering.  For more information, see the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Seminar Web Site .

Looking for a course not listed here? Ask for it! We already offer many College of Science and Engineering courses through UNITE, but are looking for other courses that we can offer through UNITE.  Use our online  Course Request Form . 

NOTE: UNITE WILL NOT TAKE REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL COURSES FOR FALL 2024 AFTER AUGUST 1ST, 2024.

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

CSCI 5106 - Programming Languages (3.0)  UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m.–2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   4011 or instr consent  Description:   Design and implementation of high-level languages. Course has two parts: (1) language design principles, concepts, constructs; (2) language paradigms, applications. Note: course does not teach how to program in specific languages.

CSCI 5204 (also offered as EE 5364) - Advanced Computer Architecture (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   4203 or EE 4363; Credit will not be granted if credit has been received forEE 5364  Description:   Instruction set architecture, processor microarchitecture, memory, I/O systems. Interactions between computer software and hardware. Methodologies of computer design.

CSCI 5421 - Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSCI 4041 or instr consent  Description:   Fundamental paradigms of algorithm and data structure design. Divide-and-conquer, dynamic programming, greedy method, graph algorithms, amortization, priority queues and variants, search structures, disjoint-set structures. Theoretical underpinnings. Examples from various problem domains.

CSCI 5451 - Introduction to Parallel Computing: Architectures, Algorithms, and Programming (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   4041 or instr consent  Description:   Parallel architectures design, embeddings, routing. Examples of parallel computers. Fundamental communication operations. Performance metrics. Parallel algorithms for sorting. Matrix problems, graph problems, dynamic load balancing, types of parallelisms. Parallel programming paradigms. Message passing programming in MPI. Shared-address space programming in openMP or threads.

Looking for a course not listed here? Ask for it! We already offer many College of Science and Engineering courses through UNITE, but are looking for other courses that we can offer through UNITE.  Use our online  Course Request Form .    NOTE: UNITE WILL NOT TAKE REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL COURSES FOR FALL 2024 AFTER AUGUST 1ST, 2024.

CSCI 5481 - Computational Techniques for Genomics (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSCI 4041 or instr consent  Description:   Techniques to analyze biological data generated by genome sequencing, proteomics, cell-wide measurements of gene expression changes. Algorithms for single/multiple sequence alignments/assembly. Search algorithms for sequence databases, phylogenetic tree construction algorithms. Algorithms for gene/promoter and protein structure prediction. Data mining for micro array expression analysis. Reverse engineering of regulatory networks.

CSCI 5525 - Machine Learning (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Grad student or instr consent  Description:   Models of learning. Supervised algorithms such as perceptrons, logistic regression, and large margin methods (SVMs, boosting). Hypothesis evaluation. Learning theory. Online algorithms such as winnow and weighted majority. Unsupervised algorithms, dimensionality reduction, spectral methods. Graphical models.

CSCI 5541 - Natural Language Processing (3.0 cr)    UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 a.m.– 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSCI 2041  Description:   Computers are poor conversationalists, despite decades of attempts to change that fact. This course will provide an overview of the computational techniques developed in the attempt to enable computers to interpret and respond appropriately to ideas expressed using natural languages (such as English or French) as opposed to formal languages (such as C++ or Python). Topics in this course will include parsing, semantic analysis, machine translation, dialogue systems, and statistical methods in speech recognition.

CSCI 5707 - Principles of Database Systems (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   4041 or instr consent], grad student; Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for CSCI 4707 or INET 4707  Description:   Concepts, database architecture, alternative conceptual data models, foundations of data manipulation/analysis, logical data models, database designs, models of database security/integrity, current trends.

CSCI 8115 - Human-Computer Interaction and User Interface Technology (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10  Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   5115 or instr consent Description:   Current research issues in human-computer interaction, user interface toolkits and frameworks, and related areas. Research techniques, model-based development, gesture-based interfaces, constraint-based programming, event processing models, innovative systems, HCI in multimedia systems.

CSCI 8523 - AI for Earth: Monitoring Changes in the Environment via Deep Learning (3.0) UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10  Vipin Kumar UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m.–3:45 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSci 5523, CSci 5521, or equivalent Description:   Advances in machine learning in conjunction with massive amounts of data from Earth observing satellites offer huge potential for improving our understanding of how the Earth's environment and ecosystems have been changing and how they are being impacted by humans actions and changing climate. Deep learning approaches, that have had phenomenal success in the domain of computer vision and language/speech translation, hold promise in dealing with environmental problems. However, due to challenges that are unique to environmental applications, off-the-shelf deep learning techniques developed for related applications such as computer vision often have limited utility. This class will introduce to the students the promise and challenges in using deep learning techniques to analyze complex, multi-scale, spatio-temporal data for monitoring changes in the Earth and its environment on a global scale.

CSCI 8970 (also offered as DSCI 8970) - Computer Science Colloquium (1.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10  Seminars and Colloquia taken for credit are offered only as live and archived streaming video - NO downloadable video or audio podcast versions are offered.   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on M 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Description:   Recent developments in computer science and related disciplines. Students must attend 13 of the 15 lectures.  For the entire schedule, see the Computer Science & Engineering Colloquia Series Web Site

DATA SCIENCE

DSCI 8970 (also offered as CSCI 8970) - Data Science Colloquium (1.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10 Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on M 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Description:   Recent developments in computer science and related disciplines. Students must attend 13 of the 15 lectures.  For the entire schedule, see the Computer Science & Engineering Colloquia Series Web Site

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

EE 4389W (also offered as EE 5389) - Introduction to Predictive Learning (3.0 cr)   Vladimir Cherkassky UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [3025, ECE student] or STAT 3022; computer programming or MATLAB or similar environment is recommended for ECE students Description:   Empirical inference and statistical learning. Classical statistical framework, model complexity control, Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) theoretical framework, philosophical perspective. Nonlinear methods. New types of inference. Application studies.

EE 4541 - Digital Signal Processing (3.0 cr)   Georgios Giannakis   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    [3015, 3025] or instr consent  Description:   Review of linear discrete time systems and sampled/digital signals. Fourier analysis, discrete/fast Fourier transforms. Interpolation/decimation. Design of analog, infinite-impulse response, and finite impulse response filters. Quantization effects.

EE 5163 - Semiconductor Properties and Devices I (3.0 cr)   Tony Low   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    [3161, 3601, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Principles/properties of semiconductor devices. Selected topics in semiconductor materials, statistics, and transport. Aspects of transport in p-n junctions, heterojunctions.

EE 5171 - Microelectronic Fabrication (4.0 cr)   Steven Koester   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student or dept consent  Description:   Fabrication of microelectronic devices. Silicon integrated circuits, GaAs devices. Lithography, oxidation, diffusion. Process integration of various technologies, including CMOS, double poly bipolar, and GaAs MESFET.

EE 5181 - Micro and Nanotechnology by Self Assembly (3.0 cr)   Jeong-Hyun Cho UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   EE 3161, Phys 1302 Description:   Self-assembly process of micro and nano structures for realization of 1-, 2-, 3-dimensional micro- and nano-devices. Micro and nanoscale fabrication by electrostatic, magnetic, surface tension, Capillary, intrinsic and extrinsic forces. Nanoscale lithographic patterning. Devices packaging, Self-healing process.

EE 5231 (also offered as AEM 5321) - Linear Systems and Optimal Control (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [EE 3015, CSE grad student] or instr consent  Description:   Properties and modeling of linear systems. Linear quadratic and linear-quadratic-Gaussian regulators. Maximum principle.

EE 5239 - Introduction to Nonlinear Optimization (3.0)  Mingyi Hong   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [3025, Math 2373, Math 2374, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Nonlinear optimization. Analytical/computational methods. Constrained optimization methods. Convex analysis, Lagrangian relaxation, non-differentiable optimization, applications in integer programming. Optimality conditions, Lagrange multiplier theory, duality theory. Control, communications, management science applications.

EE 5241 - Optimal Control and Reinforcement Learning (3.0 cr)   Andrew Lamperski   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student or instructor consent  Description:   A wide variety of control problems such as "walk from home to school via the shortest path" or "maintain a constant temperature" can be modeled using optimization. This course will survey a variety of methods for modeling and solving optimal control problems. In particular, we will cover numerical optimal control, model predictive control, system identification, dynamic programming, and reinforcement learning. Examples from robotics and aerospace systems will be given.

EE 5251 (also offered as AEM 5451) - Optimal Filtering and Estimation (3.0 cr)   Demoz Gerbe-Egziabher UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [[MATH 2243, STAT 3021] or equiv], CSE grad student] or dept consent; EE 3025, EE 4231 recommended  Description:   Basic probability theory, stochastic processes. Gauss-Markov model. Batch/recursive least squares estimation. Filtering of linear/nonlinear systems. Continuous-time Kalman-Bucy filter. Unscented Kalman filter, particle filters. Applications.

EE 5271 - Robot Vision (3.0 cr)   Changhyun Choi   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [Math 2373 or equivalent; EE 1301 or equivalent basic programming course]  Description:   Modern visual perception for robotics that includes position and orientation, camera model and calibration, feature detection, multiple images, pose estimation, vision-based control, convolutional neural networks, reinforcement learning, deep Q-network, and visuomotor policy learning.

EE 5301 - VLSI Design Automation I (3.0 cr)    Kia Bazargan   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [2301, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Basic graph/numerical algorithms. Algorithms for logic/high-level synthesis. Simulation algorithms at logic/circuit level. Physical-design algorithms.

EE 5323 - VSLI Design I (3.0 cr)   Gerald Sobelman This course uses software that is only available to students in CSELabs due to vendor licensing - there is no off-campus software option. Students will need to come to campus to use the software.   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 3:35 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [2301, 3115, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Combinational static CMOS circuits. Transmission gate networks. Clocking strategies, sequential circuits. CMOS process flows, design rules, structured layout techniques. Dynamic circuits, including Domino CMOS and DCVS. Performance analysis, design optimization, device sizing.

EE 5329 - VLSI Digital Signal Processing Systems (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA This course uses software that is only available to students in CSELabs due to vendor licensing - there is no off-campus software option. Students will need to come to campus to use the software.   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 3:35 p.m. - 4:25 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [[5323 or concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in 5323], CSE grad student] or dept consent   Description:   Programmable architectures for signal/media processing. Data-flow representation. Architecture transformations. Low-power design. Architectures for two's complement/redundant representation, carry-save, and canonic signed digit. Scheduling/allocation for high-level synthesis.

EE 5333 - Analog Integrated Circuit Design   Ramesh Harjani   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 8:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [3115, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Fundamental circuits for analog signal processing. Design issues associated with MOS/BJT devices. Design/testing of circuits. Selected topics (e.g., modeling of basic IC components, design of operational amplifier or comparator or analog sampled-data circuit filter).

EE 5340 - Introduction to Quantum Computing and Physical Basics of Computing (3.0 cr)     Ulya Karpuzcu   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student; A previous course in computer architecture is suggested but not required.  Description:   Physics of computation will explore how physical principles and limits have been shaping paradigms of computing. A key goal of this course is to understand how (and to what extent) a paradigm shift in computing can help with emerging energy problems. Topics include physical limits of computing, coding and information theoretical foundations, computing with beyond-CMOS devices, reversible computing, quantum computing, stochastic computing.

EE 5351 - Applied Parallel Programming (3.0 cr)   John Sartori    On-campus sections meets MW 1:25 p.m. - 2:40 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [4363 or equivalent], programming experience (C/C++ preferred)  Description:   Parallel programming/architecture. Application development for many-core processors. Computational thinking, types of parallelism, programming models, mapping computations effectively to parallel hardware, efficient data structures, paradigms for efficient parallel algorithms, application case studies.

EE 5364 (also offered as CSCI 5204) - Advanced Computer Architecture (3.0 cr)   UNITE section enrollment limited by department to 10  Pen-Chung Yew UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    [[4363 or CSci 4203], CSE grad student] or dept consent; Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: CSCI 5204  Description:   Instruction set architecture, processor microarchitecture. Memory and I/O systems. Interactions between computer software and hardware. Methodologies of computer design.

EE 5389 (also offered as EE 4389W) - Introduction to Predictive Learning (3.0 cr)   Vladimir Cherkassky UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   EE 3025, STAT 3022 or equivalent; computer programming or MATLAB or similar environment is recommended. Description:   Empirical inference and statistical learning. Classical statistical framework, model complexity control, Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) theoretical framework, philosophical perspective. Nonlinear methods. New types of inference. Application studies.

EE 5531 - Probability and Stochastic Processes (3.0 cr)   Soheil Mohajer   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    [3025, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Probability, random variables and random processes. System response to random inputs. Gaussian, Markov and other processes for modeling and engineering applications. Correlation and spectral analysis. Estimation principles. Examples from digital communications and computer networks.

EE 5561 - Image Processing and Applications: From linear filters to artificial intelligence (3.0)  Mehmet Akcakaya   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    [4541, 5581, CSE grad student] or instr consent  Description:   Image enhancement, denoising, segmentation, registration, and computational imaging. Sampling, quantization, morphological processing, 2D image transforms, linear filtering, sparsity and compression, statistical modeling, optimization methods, multiresolution techniques, artificial intelligence concepts, neural networks and their applications in classification and regression tasks in image processing. Emphasis is on the principles of image processing. Implementation of algorithms in Matlab/Python and using deep learning frameworks.

EE 5601 - Introduction to RF/Microwave Engineering (3.0 cr)   Rhonda Franklin   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [EE 3601, CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Fundamentals of EM theory and transmission lines concepts. Transmission lines and network analysis. CAD tool. Lumped circuit component designs. Passive circuit components. Connectivity to central communication theme.

EE 5624 - Optical Electronics (4.0 cr)   James Leger   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 2:30 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [[3601 or Phys 3002], CSE grad student] or dept consent  Description:   Fundamentals of lasers, including propagation of Gaussian beams, optical resonators, and theory of laser oscillation. Polarization optics, electro-optic, acousto-optic modulation, nonlinear optics, phase conjugation.

EE 5653 - Physical Principles of Magnetic Materials (3.0 cr)   Randall Victora   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student or dept consent  Description:   Physics of diamagnetism, paramagnetism, ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism. Ferromagnetic phenomena. Static/dynamic theory of micromagnetics, magneto-optics, and magnetization dynamics. Magnetic material applications.

EE 5811 - Biological Instrumentation (3.0) Sang-Hyun Oh   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:    CSE grad student  Description:   This course will cover the physics and technology of biological instruments. The operating principles of optical, electrical, and mechanical biosensors will be discussed, followed by transport and delivery of biomolecules to the sensors. Techniques to manufacture these sensing devices, along with microfluidic packaging, will be covered. Lectures will be complemented by lab demo sessions to give students hands-on experiences in microfluidic chip fabrication, microscopy, and particle trapping experiments.

EE 5940 - Special Topics in Electrical Engineering I (3.0) Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 9:45 p.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE student, upper div or grad  Description:   Course description coming from department.

EE 8351 - Design Automation Techniques for Variation-Aware Computer (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student. Some background in VLSI design and/or design automation is suggested but not required. Such prior exposure will make the experience in the class much more meaningful.  Description:   High-performance chip design can only be performed with the assistance of design automation tools that comprehend the needs of the designer and deliver solutions that can correctly analyze and optimize these systems. The objective of this class is to provide a view of this emerging universe and acquaint students with new research in this area. Specific topics to be covered include 1) Overview of technology trends and emerging systems 2) Variation-aware design and 3) Design automation issues.

EE 8591 - Predictive Learning from Data   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   CSE grad student or instr consent  Description:   Methods for estimating dependencies from data have been traditionally explored in such diverse fields as: statistics (multivariate regression and classification), engineering (pattern recognition, system identification), computer science (artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining) and bioinformatics. Recent interest in learning methods is triggered by the widespread use of digital technology and availability of data. Unfortunately, developments in each field are seldom related to other fields. This course is concerned with estimation of predictive data-analytic models that are estimated using past data, but are used for prediction or decision making with new data. This course will first present general conceptual framework for learning predictive models from data, using Vapnik-Chervonenkis (VC) theoretical framework, and then discuss various methods developed in statistics, pattern recognition and machine learning. Course descriptions will emphasize methodological aspects of machine learning, rather than development of new algorithms.

EE 8660 - Magnetics Seminar (1.0 cr)   Seminars and Colloquia taken for credit are offered only as live and archived streaming video - NO downloadable video or audio podcast versions are offered.   Beth Stadler   UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on F 1:25 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Description:   Current literature, individual assignments (no online seminar schedule available to share).

INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

IE 3521 - Statistics, Quality and Reliability (4.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 3:35 p.m. - 5:20 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   MATH 1372 or equiv  Description:   Random variables/probability distributions, statistical sampling/measurement, statistical inferencing, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, single/multivariate regression, design of experiments, statistical quality control, quality management, reliability, maintainability.

IE 5511 - Human Factors and Work Analysis (4.0 cr)    Instructor TBA  UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 10:10 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Upper div CSE or grad student; Credit will not be granted if credit has been received for: HUMF 5211, IE 4511 or ME 5211 Description:   Human factors engineering (ergonomics), methods engineering, and work measurement. Human-machine interface: displays, controls, instrument layout, and supervisory control. Anthropometry, work physiology and biomechanics. Work environmental factors: noise, illumination, toxicology. Methods engineering, including operations analysis, motion study, and time standards.

IE 5531 - Engineering Optimization I (4.0 cr)    Instructor TBA  UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 11:15 a.m. - 1:10 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Upper div or grad student or CNR  Description:   Linear programming, simplex method, duality theory, sensitivity analysis, interior point methods, integer programming, branch/bound/dynamic programming. Emphasizes applications in production/logistics, including resource allocation, transportation, facility location, networks/flows, scheduling, production planning.

IE 5532 - Stochastic Models (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 10:10 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Undergraduate probability and statistics. Familiarity with computer programming in a high level language.  Description:   Introduction to stochastic modeling and stochastic processes. Probability review, random variables, discrete- and continuous-time Markov chains, queueing systems, simulation. Applications to industrial and systems engineering including production and inventory control.

IE 8521 - Optimization (4.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 1:25 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Familiarity with linear algebra and calculus. Description: Theory and applications of linear and nonlinear optimization. Linear optimization: simplex method, convex analysis, interior point method, duality theory. Nonlinear optimization: interior point methods and first-order methods, convergence and complexity analysis. Applications in engineering, economics, and business problems.

IE 8564 - Optimization for Machine Learning (4.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on M 2:45 p.m. - 6:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Graduate Student Description: Machine learning has been widely used in many areas such as computer vision, search engines, speech recognition, robotics, recommender systems, bioinformatics, social networks, and finance. It has become an important tool in prediction and data analysis. This course provides a comprehensive overview of important optimization models for machine learning. It also systematically provides a theoretical and computational study on various optimization methods for solving these models and more general problems.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ME 5312 -  Solar Thermal Technologies(3.0) Natasha Wright UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MW 10:10 p.m.–12:05 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   [3333, CSE upper Div] or grad student Description:   Solar radiation fundamentals. Measurement/processing needed to predict solar irradiance dependence on time, location, and orientation. Characteristics of components in solar thermal systems: collectors, heat exchangers, thermal storage. System performance, low-temperature applications. Concentrating solar energy, including solar thermo-chemical processes, to produce hydrogen/solar power systems and photovoltaics. Solar design project.

ME 8446 - Advanced Combustion (3.0) Sayan Biswas UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on TTh 11:15 a.m.–12:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   Undergrad courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, IT grad student; 5446 or 8641 highly recommended Description:   Fundamental understanding of linkage between thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and transport phenomena in combustion systems. Heat release rate, flame stability, and emissions. How those issues arise in furnaces, internal combustion engines, and rockets.  

STAT 5021 - Statistical Analysis (4.0 cr)   Enrollment in STAT 5021 includes on-campus lab in section 2 of the lab sections (T 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.), live-streamed from a UNITE classroom   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus lecture section on MWF 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  UNITE streams live video of on-campus lab section on T 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   college algebra or instr consent; credit will not be granted if credit has been received for STAT 3011  Description:   Intensive introduction to statistical methods for graduate students needing statistics as a research technique.

STAT 5102 - Theory of Statistics II (4.0 cr)   Enrollment in STAT 5101 includes on-campus lab in section 2 of the lab sections (T 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.), live-streamed from a UNITE classroom   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus lecture section on MWF 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  UNITE streams live video of on-campus lab section on T 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   5101 or Math 5651  Description:   Sampling, sufficiency, estimation, test of hypotheses, size/power. Categorical data. Contingency tables. Linear models. Decision theory.

STAT 5302 - Applied Regression Analysis (4.0 cr)   Enrollment in STAT 5302 includes on-campus lab in section 2 of the lab sections (Th 11:15 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.), live-streamed from a UNITE classroom   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus lecture section on MWF 1:25 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  UNITE streams live video of on-campus lab section on Th 11:15 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   3032 or 3022 or 4102 or 5021 or 5102 or instr consent Please note this course generally does not count in the Statistical Practice BA or Statistical Science BS degrees. Please consult with a department advisor with questions.  Description:   Simple, multiple, and polynomial regression. Estimation, testing, prediction. Use of graphics in regression. Stepwise and other numerical methods. Weighted least squares, nonlinear models, response surfaces. Experimental research/applications.

STAT 5421 - Statistical Analysis (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 1:25 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   STAT 3022 or 3032 or 3301 or 5302 or 4051 or 8051 or 5102 or 4102  Description:   Varieties of categorical data, cross-classifications, contingency tables. Tests for independence. Combining 2x2 tables. Multidimensional tables/log linear models. Maximum-likelihood estimation. Tests for goodness of fit. Logistic regression. Generalized linear/multinomial-response models.

STAT 5511 - Time Series Analysis (3.0 cr)   Instructor TBA UNITE streams live video of on-campus section on MWF 2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.  Archived videos typically available to UNITE-enrolled students within an hour  Prerequisites:   STAT 4102 or STAT 5102 Description:   Characteristics of time series. Stationarity. Second-order descriptions, time-domain representation, ARIMA/GARCH models. Frequency domain representation. Univariate/multivariate time series analysis. Periodograms, non parametric spectral estimation. State-space models.

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