With distance learning, homework is unnecessary

Charlotte Connerton, Opinion Editor

Since the pandemic began, education has been majorly affected. Having to learn and do school every day consistently over a computer or in a mask is exhausting. Distance learning has been quite difficult for many, and piling on the additional stress of homework seems, frankly, witless.

First of all, North Kingstown High School’s new schedule allows students to only take the four classes per semester. This means that we see the same teachers and have the same classes day by day. Giving homework on top of interacting with and participating in class every day seems futile. Homework is necessary to brush up and refresh our minds about what we had done a few days prior, not just to say we did it.

Because what even is homework, if we do most of our work at home anyway?

 

Through distance learning comes a possible outcome of cheating. Although not that many students are dishonest, this outcome can be likely, though, if we are being realistic. My point is, if teachers are giving out homework assignments that are not worth much, some students will either just not do it because it is not worth it for them, or they could just simply Google the answers to it. It just is not sensible to give out meaningless assignments that students will not spend their time and effort on.

In a Current Wave poll about homework, about 83 percent of students do not think homework is necessary for distance and hybrid schedules this year, at least.

Some alternatives to homework would be assigning unfinished work from class that day. On another note, teachers could provide students with extra credit assignments that would help students increase their grades by allowing them to showcase their dedication to that particular class.

Because what even is homework, if we do most of our work at home anyway?

As previously mentioned, there are plenty of other options that differ from the normal homework assignments traditionally given to students in the past. Just as we now do distance learning and everything educationally is changing and conforming to suit COVID-19, so should conventional forms of homework to increase student success this year.