When a new WebWork assignment is uploaded, many students make the habitual decision to either procrastinate the assignment to a date past the deadline or simply not even attempt the problems. More often than not, students deem WebWork too time-consuming, tedious, and monotonous.
It is undeniable that WebWork is a generally time-consuming task. With either one or two homework sets containing ten questions each being assigned for every class, students often find themselves frustrated over repeatedly getting the same question wrong or being unable to understand a difficult problem. Especially when the homework questions are not reflective of the concepts taught in class or when students are overloaded with summatives, completing WebWork may feel exhausting and not worthwhile. Annoyance over clicking the “Request New Version” button after repeatedly submitting the wrong answer is a universal experience. This leads to a common cycle of students neglecting their WebWork and thus being underprepared for homework quizzes and unit tests.
Being told to complete WebWork may feel painfully repetitive at this point in the school year, as math teachers urge students to do so in nearly every class. Still, it seems the benefits of completing WebWork are entirely ignored. I argue that completing it on time benefits students in numerous ways that ultimately outweigh the reasons that students have for dismissing or procrastinating the task.
As many students have developed a habit of not staying completely focused in class, whether it be out of exhaustion or a desire to socialize with classmates, the material that they learn is often not entirely internalized solely from lectures or in-class practice problems. In contrast, when one is forced to work on homework alone rather than alongside group members who may take full responsibility for completing in-class work, one has no choice but to learn and apply complex math concepts. By encouraging consistent, independent practice, WebWork can be an extremely effective tool for growing one’s mathematical ability.
Another motivating factor is that completing WebWork prepares students for homework quizzes. Particularly in a hyper-competitive, grade-focused environment like that of SIS, any straightforward method for improving grades is sought after, yet many students still neglect WebWork as a tool for boosting their grades with small homework quizzes. These quizzes are rare cases in which summative problems are given to students prior to the test, albeit with altered numbers from the test compared to the homework. While some may believe their grades will not take a hit even if they do not have extra practice, for the vast majority of students, taking advantage of this is paramount.
Beyond academic performance in math, pushing oneself to consistently do WebWork can develop beneficial life skills including persistence and diligence. As WebWork is a formative assignment, not completing it does not directly hurt one’s grades. Yet the lack of discipline of students who choose to neglect it results in a counterproductive mindset and work ethic. This can only hurt students after graduation, particularly in the workplace.
For example, a student who consistently neglects WebWork because they see no benefit for themselves and their grades develops a transactional attitude, meaning they have a habit of only doing activities when they see an immediate benefit for themselves in return. On the other hand, while students who do WebWork may not see immediate improvement in their grades, they gain the invaluable long-term skills of discipline and determination which will ultimately make them more desirable and valuable in the employment field and workplace.
Students, please start doing WebWork regularly. After a few months of hard work, the efforts will prove worthwhile.
