Ever experienced feeling so excited about the winter break but your professor suddenly assigns packets of worksheets? It’s safe to say that pretty much all students have had that one professor who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of vacation.
As the old adage goes, too much of anything is bad. The same applies to assigning homework over winter break. In fact, many studies show that busy work during the holidays doesn’t do much in terms of helping students improve learning.
Students Never Stop Learning in the 21st Century
According to homework research experts, traditional homework will become a thing of the past in the coming decade. The immense popularity and usage of computers enable students to learn all the time. And what’s great is that they learn at their own pace. Instead of following a rigid formula for learning, students now have the option of choosing what things they want to learn about.
Learning websites have also increased in popularity over the past few years. These online platforms are dedicated to helping students learn about various topics even without being confined to the four corners of the classroom. Of course, many teachers argue that not everything found online is accurate. Sure, there’s no arguing that fact. But part of their responsibility should be to teach students how to research properly and find legitimate sources of information.
More Homework Isn’t Equal to Better Learning
Homework reinforces the lessons taught in school. It teaches students how to sort out their priorities. Students inevitably perform better when they’re given a lot of homework to complete.
How many times have you heard of these arguments? More times than you can count probably. Teachers like to go on and on about the benefits of giving homework even when it’s winter break, but repeating their one-sided statements doesn’t make them right.
Assigning homework can be beneficial for students, but giving too many can prove counterproductive. Even the countries that give out more homework do not do any better than those that assign fewer at-home tasks.
There’s also the problem of taking too much time to complete piles of homework. Winter break might only be one of the few opportunities for students to have some quality time with family and close friends. Why put so much burden on their shoulders by having them complete a ton of work at a time when they should be having fun?
A Call for Increasing Emphasis on Fun Activities
Nobody wants to do research, crunch numbers, and write essays during the holidays. Even parents do not want their kids doing “school things” at home when it’s vacation time. Some assignments, however, can be reasonable. Teachers and professors will have a much better chance of helping their students if they let students have a bit more fun with their homework.
A good example is letting students read any novel of choice over winter break. This offers a breath of fresh air for students. It serves as a good reminder that reading puts them on an adventurous ride and that this activity can be as enjoyable as any.
A similar approach can be used for college students. For instance, letting them attend plays related to the books they read at school can help them appreciate the characters better. And once the break is over, this activity instantly provides an interesting topic for discussion. That is heaps better than having to discuss with classmates whether they completed all the worksheets.
The Case Against Homework
It’s clear that students aren’t the only ones who dislike holiday homework. Parents don’t want them, too. The teachers need to get on board as well to make everyone happy. Unfortunately, not all teachers are convinced that homework can hurt students more than it can help them.
A select few places in the country do not allow homework to be given on weekends and holidays with the exception of reading tasks. Hopefully, this will be followed by other schools and universities. After all, students are likely to perform poorly on winter break. They’re not in “school mode,” so to speak. And no teacher wants to grade poorly written essays or hear absurd excuses from students like how their dog ate their assignment.
Clearly, there needs to be a shift in the way teachers assign homework, especially during the holidays. There’s still a long way to go. Many will keep on giving out assignments without any regard for family time. Thankfully, there’s a saving grace for students—online assignment help services. You can have experts do your homework for you, giving you all the time in the world to bond with family and friends and do all the things you’re looking forward to over winter break. Now you have the keys to having a vacation well spent!
