Technology's Impact on Math Homework

After my classmates and I shared different educational apps with each other in our Technology for STEM Educators class this week, there seemed to be a common theme running with almost half of them.  While a few of the apps were amplifiers that consisted primarily of creating more effective and efficient ways for students to learn and grow, many were just apps that churn out answers for students.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of apps that solve equations for students who need only to take a picture of their problem without putting forth any effort. These apps pose a problem for educators and make assigning homework and evaluating students a challenge. Cheating has always been and always will be something students find a way to accomplish whether it be with homework, tests, or quizzes, and these apps make it so easy that even kids who may not have cheated before will use it. These apps and other related software have become so commonplace that even social media giant Snapchat has included a feature on their app that solves problems for students. While if used effectively, these apps could be great for students to turn to when stuck on a problem, this is not what students do.  

We as future educators need to realize the popularity of these apps and realize that while it is almost impossible to keep our students from using them outside of the classroom, we must prioritize learning rather than getting the right answer. Too often students are so focused on getting the right answer and not following the right processes to obtaining them that they miss the whole point of the assignment. Students chasing an A+ on every assignment by taking the easy route will have more trouble when it comes to future tests or problem solving in their future careers. These apps are something students turn to way too quickly rather than struggling with a couple homework problems and becoming better learners.

While it would be easy to knock the students for taking the easy way out with these apps, I think it is essential that teachers find ways to make it less appealing to use these solvers. This reaction might come in the form of flipped classrooms, homework having a lesser impact on final grades, or having regular quizzes to ensure students have a solid grasp on the material and the processes. Controlling the learning process while students are in my classroom seems to be the most important way of doing things and keeping control of students learning. While completely giving up on assigning homework is not the right decision, assigning hours of homework every night can oftentimes be counterproductive. I know that when I was in high school, having activities and up to 5 other classes where homework was due, I sometimes found it impossible to completely immerse myself into the homework. Having smaller grade percentages based on homework can help students realize mistakes can be a good thing and struggling through an assignment can end up helping them out in the long run.

As they are new, these apps and recent technologies have many positive impacts, yet some pose many problems to education, and it will be our job as future teachers to find ways to combat cheating and find ways to make learning their best option.