Perusing Twitter just now, I saw this tweet from the @CSTeachingTips account, and it got me thinking about the general topic of homework as it applies to our discipline:
Downsize homework because, like a job, students should be able to do the work during business hours.
I personally struggled a lot with what and how much homework to assign my AP students this past year. I wanted it to be effective and not just "homework-for-homework's-sake."
I found students worked more effectively on coding when I was in the room and they could ask for help. If they hit a brick wall at home, they were stuck until a) they got to class the next day or b) they received an email from me (presuming they took the time to send one and I got it in time to reply in a timely manner).
On the other hand, the content required in an AP class, especially CS50 AP, seems to necessitate some work be done at home. There's a lot to cover, and class minutes are at a premium, so if homework can reinforce the day's work and/or give a head start for the next day, it's worth it. Yet, as with the tweet's sentiment, I want to honor the lives of students outside of just my classroom.
For my question, I'm thinking particularly of honors-level HS students (either AP CSP or AP CS A - I think this would apply roughly equally to both).
What homework assignments do you and your students find beneficial? What type/amount of work done at home is most effective for increasing student learning?
flip classroom
? Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor. — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom $\endgroup$