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Study.com   Reviews

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Reviews 4.6.

2,688 total

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The most attractive characteristic

The most attractive characteristic of Study.com is the clarity of the teacher's instructions. Because the thought is clear, it is easy to understand and absorb the concepts. Additionally, Study.com offers tests after every course, which is the best learning path for memorizing the key points. In short, Study.com is one of the best platforms for learning and self-improvement.

Date of experience : August 12, 2024

You actually get to learn/understand the material!

I really enjoyed the short videos that made the information more understandable. Science is very complex, and the professors who led this class made the material fun, engaging, and understandable. I would 100% recommend. Depending on the class, there are a lot of video lessons and short quizzes, but it is all necessary to help you learn the material. The proctored exam setup was very easy to follow as well.

Date of experience : August 08, 2024

A great way to knock out some fast credits!

I took 2 courses through study.com that paired with my University rather than spend an additional half-course load at my University. It worked out great! I recommend anyone in that same situation to give it a shot.

Date of experience : August 03, 2024

My kiddos thoroughly enjoyed using this…

My kiddos thoroughly enjoyed using this platform. They could have autonomy in completing as many lessons as they wanted at a time. Most lessons had a video describing the topics being taught and are short enough to keep them engaged. Each lesson has an optional mini quiz to help reinforce the major points. There is also an option to test out of lessons already mastered at the beginning of each course. You can go back to review any lesson anytime and print out a transcript or a written quiz. I would highly recommend this platform to all who are wanting help in supplemental material for their children or even for your personal use.

Date of experience : August 04, 2024

Videos and lessons were to the point…

Videos and lessons were to the point and a number instructors in the videos made the lessons easier to remember. Not all videos are cookie cutter and the animation was helpful.

Date of experience : August 13, 2024

I can truly say this is one of the best application I have used for Instruction!

I can truly say, as an instructor, that this application has been such a great asset for lesson planning! My students love it! It caters to the learning styles of my ELLs and I appreciate the variety of topics and lessons that help develop their English language skills. A teacher's salary is not as affordable for me (out of pocket); unfortunately, our district does not reimburse for these resources. I can only afford to use the platform when I have scheduled classes. Otherwise, I have to take a hiatus from the application to save on cost.

Date of experience : August 07, 2024

It is not similar to the praxis test

It is not similar to the praxis test; it just make you to lose your time. The video explaining the topic is helpful, but the practice questions and test make you waste your time. Nothing similar to the test.

Date of experience : July 27, 2024

2 classes down 6 to go in half the time…

2 classes down 6 to go in half the time and half the cost! I just completed my 2nd class on study.com. I did not believe that this was legit, but I have already completed 2 courses and have 6 left that my advisor as approved as acceptable courses towards my degree. I will finish my bachelor's degree 6 months quicker and save about $6,000 in tuition.

Date of experience : August 05, 2024

Passing Scores

The lessons and practice tests were thorough. Our son passed both of his CLEP exams.

Inconsistent with itself

Inconsistent with itself. Says f=vλ and f=v/λ in the same section without an explanation. (angry emoji)

Date of experience : August 09, 2024

My Go To Exam Prep

I have used Study.com for 3 exams required to maintain my EC certification. From previous experience, I knew I didn’t want to attempt any exams without it!

Date of experience : August 06, 2024

Interesting

Interesting. Enough information for adults who want to either refresh or acquire knowledge of various topics. I recommend it.

Date of experience : August 11, 2024

Extremely helpful study tool

Study.com made the process and experience of studying for the ASVAB very easy. I took a practice test on the website, which helped me target my weaker areas. That allowed me to focus on those particular areas first. The videos for each subject were extremely helpful in explaining the information in real world ways that made it easier to not only understand, but also made it easier to remember. I ended up scoring very well on my ASVAB exam, due greatly to the lessons provided on Study.com.

Study.com prepared me well!

Study.com is great site. The videos, notes, quizzes, full length tests!!!! I was soooo prepared for my test! I have recommended it to everyone. I would use it again if I have to take a test!

The test preparation materials were…

The test preparation materials were excellent! I felt very prepared for the Texes Special Ed EC-12 certification test and was able to pass it on my first try.

Passed Praxis

The lessons were not long. They went straight to the point. I also liked the short summaries they provided at the end of the videos. In addition, I passed my praxis.

Date of experience : August 10, 2024

Sharing our latest experience with…Study.com and CLEP

Sharing our latest experience with Study.com; my family has been familiar with the program for a few years. This summer semester we have decided to use Study.com for two CLEP courses to start college credit for my three students in our cottage homeschool. They kids love learning with the videos and quick quizzes. It allows us to use other video platforms to support the material and back up with quick resource searches.

Date of experience : July 25, 2024

Great Study Material

I was studying for the Praxis 5017 and this helped me prepare for that test. The material is great.

Fantastic lessons

Fantastic lessons, very easy to navigate and great support. I will recommend to my students as an add or alternative to in person college

Highly Recommend

The lessons plans were informative and easy to follow. The flashcards to use for studying were very helpful. Thr pretest let's you bypass content you already know. I highly recommend Study.com..

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Study.com Review

Is Study.com Worth it? Take a Look at Real-Time Data Based Study.com Review Created by Educational Experts and Find Out

✓ Fact Checked

Last Updated: May 17, 2024

If you’re looking for an online course provider, you might encounter multiple user Study.com reviews in your search. After all, it’s one of the more well-known e-learning platforms out there. Thus, I'll take a look at Study.com and give you my own honest review, too.

You'll first find out what is Study.com ( we can’t really make a Study.com review without establishing some sort of an understanding about the company, now can we? ) and then we’ll check out some of the popular things people seem to search for in Study.com reviews - features, prices, course quality, etc.

I'll also offer a couple of alternatives for you - if you're unsure about Study.com, do keep in mind that there are better options to pick from. DataCamp , Udemy and Udacity are a couple of them, but there are many more ! That said, let’s start from the top and talk about what is Study.com.

Verdict at a glance : Study.com is one of the oldest online learning providers that offers a variety of courses and other useful features for students and teachers alike. It has decent course quality, easy-to-navigate user interface, and even provides scholarships. However, it has a very old-school platform design and its certificates are not accredited.

• Easy to navigate
• Free certificates of completion
• Multiple features to choose from
• The possibility of earning college credits
• Outdated website design
• Non-accredited certificates

Table of Contents

• 1. What is Study.com?
• 2. Study.com Review: PROS
• 2.1. Easy to Use
• 2.2. Good Content Quality
• 2.3. Various Features for Students and Teachers
• 2.4. Scholarships
• 3. Study.com Review: CONS
• 3.1. Old-School Platform Design
• 3.2. Non-Accredited Certificates
• 4. Study.com Pricing
• 5. Learning Experience
• 6. Alternatives to Study.com
• 6.1. DataCamp
• 6.2. Udacity
• 7. Conclusions

What is Study.com?

Study.com , just like its many other competitors, is a MOOC-providing platform . MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses . This means that Study.com hosts a variety of different courses on many different topics, ranging from HTML  to money management , and more. It also means that it's available to anyone and everyone willing to pay a certain price.

Study.com was established all the way back ( and it’s a long way ) in 2002, in California. The fact that the platform is more than 22 years old should probably say a lot about the company’s knowledge and experience in the field. Currently, Study.com provides its services to more than 30 million students per month .

Now that you have a basic premise of what is Study.com and what the company does, we can jump straight into the actual Study.com review.

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Study.com Review: PROS

For me, the best way to review a platform is through the prism of pros and cons, so this is exactly what I'll do in this Study.com review. Let’s start with the pros and talk about just how  easy it is to use and navigate the platform .

Easy to Use

A website's usability  is going to be the first thing ( or one of the first things ) that you’ll notice when you search for the company online, and enter its homepage. First impressions matter - this is why a lot of websites have very flashy and fun-to-use front pages , but as soon as you navigate further into the site, you’re left heavily disappointed .

Even if we discount the effect that a first impression might have on your outlook on the site, the actual usage of the platform matters a lot when you decide to not only stay, but also use the services that the platform provides.

Things like the friendliness of the UI , how easy it is to navigate and find your way around the site , and where certain things are can be the points that determine your overall experience with the site. With all of that said, let’s take this Study.com review from the top, and take a look at the front page of the website .

If you were to look at some of the user Study.com reviews found online, you would find that a lot of them stress the simplicity of the site’s main landing page. I guess I’ll have to echo these Study.com reviews - this was also the very first thing I noticed upon entering the site.

In it, you will find all of the main features that you might expect - a search bar, course categories, a section dedicated to popular courses, some promotions, partner lists, and so on .

Honestly, the page is very… well, generic . If you were to close your eyes and imagine a randomly-generated landing page of a course-providing platform, you would probably get pretty close to what you see on Study.com.

I must say, though, it's not the most visually appealing website I've seen. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing - the very first thought that popped into my head when I first saw the page was “legitimacy” .

Why so, you might ask? Well, the website looks serious - no flashy pop-ups, no annoying banners, none of that! People who wonder is Study.com legit will probably be quite satisfied with what they see, since the front page of the platform does install some confidence about the site.

You can choose to find a course that you’re interested in by either typing a keyword in the search bar or navigating through the topic list located at the top of the main page . Not a lot of Study.com reviews mention this, but there’s an interesting way that you can sort and filter courses.

You have the commonly-encountered filters, such as Education Level and Subjects , but the interesting one is called Goals . Just something that I thought was quite unique .

All in all, even though some of the aesthetic parts of the platform might not be the best, the UI works fine and doesn’t really give you any trouble . I also haven’t experienced any technical difficulties while navigating the platform - everything works the way it’s supposed to .

If you don’t mind the visual side of the platform, and are still wondering is Study.com worth it, let’s move on and talk about the quality of the content .

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Good Content Quality

Among the most important aspects of any online education platform’s success, the quality of the content that such a platform provides should always be one of the main points of attention when searching for courses online.

A proper e-learning platform will have approved courses that are led by professional instructors and are up-to-par in both technical quality ( proper sound, clear visuals ) and the quality of the information provided within the course .

When it comes to the quality of Study.com courses, you will find a lot of Study.com reviews that are rather positive . People say that both the quality of the course itself, and everything around it is good, and that they are having a pretty pleasant experience overall.

On the flip side, however, it is worth knowing that since the platform hosts a huge assortment of courses , it’s difficult to generalize and say that “ all of the courses are great ”. For example, some Study.com reviews say that, even though the courses are alright, the information that they provide is very basic and won’t really help some more experienced students learn what they desire.

Various Features for Students and Teachers

So, you have your courses . That’s great, but it’s hardly enough when it comes to keeping a user’s attention focused on the platform - this is where additional features come in. Many different MOOC-providing websites offer various features to their students.

Whether it be guaranteed employment , interactive learning , individual projects , or anything else of that nature, additional features help to both retain a student’s attention and keep them invested in the site , both financially and emotionally . With that said, let’s take a look at some Study.com reviews when it comes to the additional features that the platform provides.

For one, there is the Test Prep section of the platform. Here, Study.com offers its users the ability to prepare for certain tests and examinations. You have the chance to learn at your own pace, which is always a nice added feature. It’s cool that you’ll be able to learn and prepare whether you’re a college or university student, or a highschooler - Study.com has programs for everyone .

Secondly, you can easily earn college credit through Study.com. There are over 220 courses that are even recommended by ACE and NCCRS. If that doesn't answer the question, " Is Study.com legit? ", I don't know what does. Besides, once you complete these courses, you can easily transfer the credit to your school completely for free.

By the way, Study.com works with a huge number of different colleges and universities all around the US ( over 1,500, to be more precise ). This means that students can rest assured that both the information provided in the courses and the credits that the site grants are going to be legitimate .

Moreover, if you need a tutor for basically any topic, you can find them on Study.com, too. Once you pick a tutor, you get one-on-one, private sessions with flexible scheduling. The best part is that Study.com has tutors available 24/7. So, if you're a night owl, you'll be able to learn even at night.

Now, Study.com is not only for students, it's also for teachers . There are over 100,000 video lessons and teaching resources they can use for enhancing their teaching techniques. The teaching resources include lesson plans, fun activities, projects ideas, and much more.

Besides that, teachers can create classrooms and assign homework or other tasks in the Study.com platform, and they also get an online grade book and dashboard for monitoring student work.

Lastly, Study.com also provides a great platform for homeschool . It provides extensive homeschool plans that provide full course coverage. It also includes nifty features, like gial tracking and progress reporting, automatic grading, on-deman help from experts, and certificates of completion, of course.

Scholarships

Another pro that is mentioned in several user Study.com reviews is its student scholarships . Study.com provides a variety of academic awards and scholarships for students, which all sum up to offer over $50,000 . These scholarships are made for students from various backgrounds and identities, as well as those having various academic goals.

For example, it provides scholarships for transfer students, LGBTQ+ students, women in STEM, single parents, moms, adult learners, military spouses & children, business students, homeschool students, and many others.

As you can see, these scholarships are not only made for those who do not have access to education; they are made for everyone .

The scholarships typically range from $1,000 to $2,000 . Just make sure to read the eligibility criteria before applying for a scholarship on Study.com.

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Study.com Review: CONS

Now that we've discussed the pros, let's make this a full-fledged Strudy.com review by also addressing its cons .

Old-School Platform Design

One thing that I can immediately tell you is that I can see why some people question is Study.com legit. I’ve seen users point this out in their Study.com reviews, but I didn’t think that it would actually be that bad. I am, of course, talking about the thumbnails of the courses .

Honestly, they have to be some of the worst ones I’ve seen to date - generic stock photos, wrong aspect ratios, every other thumbnail looks stretched and distorted.

I’m honestly trying to think of a redeeming quality, but there are none - it doesn't look good, and there are no excuses for this. Seriously, it takes like two or three minutes to find or adjust a photo for it to match the parameters of the thumbnail slot, it's not rocket science.

The course pages and the overall platform design also leave a lot to be desired. Now I understand why some Study.com reviews question is Study.com worth it - the pages are very simple, and not in a good way . It seems like once Study.com was created in 2002, not much thought was put into improving its design and simply making it up-to-date.

Of course, this might not be a huge disadvantage for everyone. But, let's be honest, outdated website often look a bit sketchy ( while we know that Study.com is legit, it might not seem like that at the first glance ).

Non-Accredited Certificates

Now, like any other renowned online learning platform, Study.com provides certificates of completion. It even offers an option to earn school credit. So, this might make you think that Study.com certificates are accredited. Unfotunately, they're not.

Study.com does not offer accredited certificates . However, as mentioned before, the courses that provide you with school credit on Study.com are recommended by ACE and NCCRS, which many accredited universities will accept as transfer credit.

If you're looking for accredited certificates, though, you should check out edX or Coursera .

Study.com Pricing

As you’ll probably notice from a significant amount of Study.com reviews online, pricing is a really touchy subject for the platform and its users. Let’s take a look at why that is.

First of all, there isn’t really a “ free trial ” or any free courses on the site ( at least none that I could find ) - the whole platform is subscription-based . There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, though.

That said, as you’ve probably understood from the previously discussed features , there should be several different plans that you can subscribe to. There are five, to be exact, and the pricing goes as follows:

• Study Premium Edition - $59,99 per month
• Test Prep Edition - $59,99 per month
• College Saver Edition - $235 per month
• Classroom Teacher - $29,99 per month
• Group licenses for schools or Working Scholars® - contact Study.com for the pricing

Do note that, in the past, there were actually five plans, and they were called a bit differently: the Basic plan ($39,99 per month), the Premium plan ($59,99 per month), the College Accelerator plan ($199,99 per month), the Teacher Edition plan ($59,99 per month), and the Enterprise Solutions plan, which had a situation-dependant payment.

However, it seems that all these plans were renamed, and their prices were changed, too . What do you get with the current plans?

First of all, the Study Premium Edition plan seems to combine what the Basic and the Premium plans used to offer. This includes a variety of short courses that you can take if you just need some extra help with a class or a subject, as well as individual coaching, personalization, additional study materials, etc.

The Test Prep Edition plan offers full test coverage for realistic exam practice, over 88,000 test prep video lessons, as well as various quizzes and practice tests.

With the College Saver Edition ( just like with the previous College Accelerator plan ), Study.com offers its users the ability to earn college credit on their site. They advertise this by stating that you’ll have the ability to gain the credits that you require, all for a “fraction of the price” that you would pay for traditional universities in the real world.

The company states that there are more than 220 different courses to choose from, all of which provide credit that is transferrable to over 1,500 universities and colleges.

Furthermore, the Classroom Teacher plan allows teachers to access and provide their students with courses both in and out of the classroom using all of the teacher-focused features. This includes video lessons, lesson plans, activities, quizzes, automatic grading and reporting, and much more.

Lastly, when it comes to the group license for schools , there are two types – K-12 and the Higher Ed plans. I will not go into detail about their offerings, you can see what they offer in more detail on Study.com. As for Working Scholars® , there are programs for enterprises, programs for cities, and the philanthropic fund. Again, you can find more information about all these on their website.

Now, I've mentioned before that the pricing is a touchy subject in several user Study.com reviews. Why? The prices of the current plans do seem alright . While definitely not the best, some of them are even on the lower side of things compared to other MOOC-providing e-learning platforms. So, what’s the catch?

Well, some Study.com reviews claim that the platform  bills them even after they cancel their subscription plans . This is a pretty serious accusation in of itself, but it’s not even the main one.

If you were to look online, you’d probably find Study.com reviews that claim that the site is selling their personal information to various profit-seeking universities in the US . While this isn’t a sign of fraud or a scam in itself, it’s still something that you, as a potential paying user, should keep in mind.

Learning Experience

Let's proceed this Study.com review by taking a final look at the overall user learning experience on the platform . This is also a good point to analyze for people who wonder is Study.com legit - the experience that you receive is a good indicator of whether or not it is worth trusting the platform, long-term .

It’s really tough to objectively measure the learning experience of a user, though - many different people will experience many different things, and the experience that you have with a course can be quite literally opposite to that of another person's who takes the same course.

However, if we take a look at the majority of Student.com reviews found online, we can see that most people are quite satisfied with their experience with the platform . The courses are relevant, the learning process is fluid - discounting a few minor hiccups here and there, people seem to be content with what they get.

Speaking about my experience, I must say that I do prefer websites that are more aesthetically pleasing . Though, I did like that different sections of the page ( Overview, Syllabus, Credits, Exams ) are presented by clicking on them, and not jampacked into a single, scrollable page.

Still, while Study.com is truly easy to use , I've found it hard to want to continue learning on it because of the whole old-school type of vibe. After all, once you start using fun and exciting learning platforms like DataCamp , it's hard to go back to the basics.

Alternatives to Study.com

Speaking of other learning platforms, here are a few great alternatives to the platform I've already mentioned in my Study.com review once or twice.

DataCamp is a leading online learning platform specializing in data science, AI, and programming . Established in 2013, it offers over 400 courses that cater to various skill levels, from beginners to professionals.

With a focus on data and technology-specific fields, DataCamp provides a user-friendly interface, interactive learning paths, and hands-on exercises to ensure practical understanding and skill development. The platform also offers structured learning tracks for specific career goals, along with non-accredited but industry-recognized certificates.

Unlike Study.com, which offers a broader range of academic subjects, DataCamp is tailored specifically for those looking to excel in data science and analytics . It stands out with its practical, real-world project-based learning, gamified experience points system to keep learners motivated, flexible pricing plans, and aesthetically pleasing design.

Whether you are an individual looking to enhance your data skills or a business aiming to upskill your team, DataCamp will surely provide you with a comprehensive and engaging learning experience that can help you achieve your professional goals.

Udacity is one of the most popular MOOC-based e-learning platforms that offers a broad range of courses primarily focused on technology, business, and data science. Renowned for its Nanodegree programs, Udacity equips learners with practical skills in high-demand fields , featuring industry-relevant content developed in collaboration with top companies.

The platform provides a subscription-based model that includes access to the entire course catalog, along with free courses and extensive career services to ensure student success.

With intuitive website navigation, hands-on coding interfaces, and the innovative Udacity GPT chatbot for personalized support , Udacity stands out as an excellent alternative to Study.com for those seeking specialized, practical, and innovative education in tech-driven domains.

If you’re searching for university-level online courses, edX is an outstanding alternative to Study.com. Established by Harvard and MIT, edX partners with over 160 prestigious institutions to deliver a comprehensive array of courses .

This online learning platform stands out by offering flexible learning paths that cater to various needs, whether you're looking to audit courses for free or pursue verified certificates that hold substantial value in the job market.

edX also offers a diverse range of programs, including MicroMasters and MicroBachelors, which provide a modular approach to higher education . Additionally, edX even provides complete bachelor's, master's, and even doctorate degrees entirely online, ensuring that students receive the same rigorous education as on-campus counterparts.

By the way, one of edX’s key advantages is its provision of accredited certificates . These certificates, endorsed by top universities and industry leaders, add tangible value to your resume, making them highly respected by employers.

• Easy to use with a learn-by-doing approach
• Offers quality content
• Gamified in-browser coding experience
• Focused on data science skills
• Flexible learning timetable

• High-quality courses
• Nanodegree programs
• Student Career services
• Suitable for enterprises
• Paid certificates of completion

• A wide range of learning programs
• University-level courses
• Verified certificates of completion

Conclusions

All in all, if you’re wondering is Study.com worth it , there isn't really a simple “ yes ” or “ no ” answer. It depends on your expectations , financial situation , goals , and many other things. The platform does provide quality content to its users, but some people might be swayed away by a couple of controversies that it has already experienced.

If you're one of these people, you should be aware of the fact that there are alternative platforms for you to explore - ones that might actually match your wants and needs . DataCamp , Udacity , and edX are a few of the most popular options.

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About article's experts & analysts.

By Aaron S.

Editor-In-Chief

Behind every content piece, there is an Expert. Learn About Our Expert Contributors & Analysts

• + Easy to navigate
• + Free certificates of completion
• + Multiple features to choose from
• + The possibility of earning college credits
• - Outdated website design
• - Non-accredited certificates

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A simple-to-use learning platform that has been around since 2002.

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Recent Study.com User Reviews

Amazing courses.

This is literally the best learning platform i've tried so far. The interface is very user-friendly, prices are not too bad and there are many features! It was just enough to expand my knowledge in social sciences - money well spent!

Aniya Wilkins

Nice but could do with lower pricing.

the platform is easy to use, but i cant be bothered to pay 60 quid a month

money well spent!

I'm a psychology student but still I used this platform to learn about my subject more and it didn't dissapoint. I also suggest you try the history courses too - they're really in-depth and straightforward at the same time!

of pricing. lower the prices please!!

Micah Robinson

nice platform

smartphone interface not for me

i can't access the app normally on my phone, it sometimes gets confusing with the interface there, but I guess that's just me

Enrico gentry

Everything would be fine if not horrendous monthly membership prices - accelerator edition costs $199? am I a joke to you?

harvey-lee says

Lovely platform.

all works fine here - I was as happy as aver after taking courses with study.com! At first, I was scared of the huge pricing, but in the end it was all worth it! reccomending courses in maths and psychology - they're really top notch!

Ansh Harper

very pleased how the platform is well built

Elle-May Armstrong

not a huge admirer of learning platforms and this one is nothing special - simple website, same old courses.

this platforn wins over such competitors as lynda or linkedin learning - its way more simple to use, it has no bugs or errors, the courses are very comprehensive and easy going - what's not to like?? for beginners in a particular subject, this is a great start for sure:)

fix pricing please

not willing to spend my week's salary on this

love this platform very much thank you, hail the inventors of this platform

Cydney Haynes

In my opinion, it's not worth spending that much on some online courses, and if you don't even like this learning method, I may suggest you to keep reading books or find a face-to-face option...

Falak Hendricks

Like study.com.

good platform, nothing too special tho

Vincenzo Feeney

Would reccomend.

I tried many different learning platforms earlier, but there always were issues araising - either my payment got lost, or the quality of courses was horrendous. With study.com I finally found what I've been looking for - mesmerizing features, simple interface, and, most importantly, reliability!

worked fine

tried psychology course, was fine

change price?

too expensive...

Bernard bright

Humanities courses are the best.

had this membership for one month during quarantine and it was very engaging... tried many courses, but since i'm interested in humanities, i wasn't dissapointed at all by this, most likely gonna buy the subscribtion once more...

nothing too different, nothing too bad - good platform for basic knowledge

Is Study.com legit?

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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The 5 Best Homework Help Websites (Free and Paid!)

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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9 Best Homework Help Websites

July 22, 2023

When I was in high school, resources for extra homework help weren’t exactly abundant. If you were struggling with a Shakespeare sonnet, you could always run to the bookstore and pick up a CliffNotes guide. SparkNotes was also gaining in popularity. But these early homework help resources had limited catalogs and were focused primarily on literature. Today, I imagine students suffer from the opposite problem—having too many choices when it comes to homework help websites. When the options are seemingly endless, knowing what to look out for takes on an added importance. Below, I’ll go through a list of 9 stand-out homework help websites and briefly discuss what makes them worth a visit.

Homework Help Websites – The Basics

The best homework help websites do more than just spit out an answer to that tricky math problem. They actually help students learn the material. Common features of homework help websites are educational videos and lectures, practice tests and quizzes, study tools like flashcards, and Q&As with experts. Many sites offer features that allow students to ask specific questions and get real-time feedback. There are also a number of services that offer one-on-one tutoring. Some homework help sites are free, while others require a paid subscription.

1) Khan Academy

Khan Academy is an amazing resource for students of all ages. It’s free, and it really is an academy—it offers full courses in a wide array of subjects, from pre-K math to high school physics. The courses consist of readings, video lectures, practice exercises, and quizzes. The breadth of material is impressive. In math alone, I see course listings for Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Precalculus, Statistics, Multivariable calculus—you get the idea. Khan Academy also offers a wide variety of AP courses, state-specific curricula, test-prep programs, and life skill courses, like personal finance.

It’s important to note that Khan Academy isn’t a one-on-one tutoring platform. But because of their extensive library of material, the search function is especially powerful. Try it out. I did a search for argumentative essay help, and found a comprehensive guide to writing argumentative essays that was a part of a larger writing course.

Chegg is a paid homework help service. Unlike Khan Academy, Chegg isn’t built around specific courses. Rather, it offers a variety of homework-support resources. Among those resources are plagiarism and grammar checkers, a proofreading service, and a “math solver”, which allows students to enter a problem and get back both a solution and a detailed step-by-step explanation of how the problem was solved. Perhaps the most powerful tool Chegg offers is its “Expert Q&A” feature. This service allows students to take a picture of their homework problem, upload it to the site, and get a detailed response in return. Chegg’s emphasis on process and explanation make it a valuable educational resource for students—not just a way to get a quick answer.

Best Homework Help Websites (Continued)

Quizlet is a well-known and worthwhile study resource. It offers a variety of courses, and it also has an expert-response feature. But Quizlet’s best feature, in my option, is the flashcards tool. Students can create their own digital decks of cards and practice them on Quizlet—just like an old fashion set of index cards. I had a ton of success using Quizlet’s flash card feature to help me memorize words for my foreign language requirement in college. It’s a simple but powerful tool. Although often maligned as a learning method, rote rehearsal and spaced repetition are effective ways to encode information . Quizlet’s flashcard feature is a great way to put those techniques into practice.

4) Socratic

is an AI-powered homework support app that allows students to type or take pictures of questions and receive solutions right away. Since it works with AI, it relies on the web’s vast stores of accumulated knowledge—you’re not interacting with a human tutor. Nonetheless, I found it to be an extremely helpful tool. I tried it out first using a specific math problem. In just a few seconds I was provided with the solution and an explainer with relevant formulas, plus a graphic to help visualize the underlying logic. There were also suggested links to additional resources. For example, when I asked Socratic to explain how the German genitive case works, it suggested a YouTube video and a number of articles from blogs and other language-learning sites.

Since Socratic doesn’t feature courses or one-on-one tutoring support, I wouldn’t lean on it if I were really struggling in a particular class. But as a tool to check your work, make sure you’re on the right track, and become aware of additional resources, it’s worth a download.

5) Photomath

Photomath is, as you might have guessed, a site for math homework help. Like other homework help websites, Photomath allows students to take a picture of a problem and receive an instant, step-by-step solution. Included along with the solution is an explanation of relevant concepts and formulas, plus videos covering mathematical concepts. Photomath does offer a few basic courses, too. So if in addition to homework-specific help you want to brush up on the basics, they’ve got you covered in arithmetic, algebra, and calculus crash courses.

6) Studypool

Studypool is a paid homework support service that provides solutions to specific questions. Studypool offers support in all the major subjects, with a particular emphasis on science. Students can ask questions on everything from anatomy to physics. Like other services, students upload their exact questions or problems directly to the site. But Studypool’s payment model is a bit different: instead of paying for tutoring time or a monthly subscription, students pay for solutions to each question they submit. When a student submits a question, tutors submit bids to answer them. The student then can select which tutor/price option works best. After students select the price and tutor they want, they’re connected with the tutor and given the solution and explanation via messenger.

The draw of Studypool is that it gives students access to real (i.e., human) tutors who are experts in their field. The downside is that pricing isn’t transparent, and students pay per question.

7) College Info Geek

College Info Geek is the study-support website that I wish I knew about when I was in high school and college (they didn’t pay me to write that, I swear). The site focuses not on specific courses or questions, but on how to become a more effective learner. Here it’s all about “learning how to learn”—study tips, memorization and note-taking techniques, and much more. The articles are well-researched, clearly-communicated, practical, and comprehensive. For example, the article on how to improve your memory includes a breakdown of the different types of memory processes, memorization techniques, and even a discussion of how nutrition affects memory. College Info Geek is a great resource for everyone, not just high school and college students.

8) SparkNotes

Yes, Sparknotes made the list! The site offers lessons in a whole bunch of subjects—biology, chemistry, computer science, history, philosophy, math—but its specialty is literature. SparkNotes provides summaries and analyses of novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction, from The Canterbury Tales to Toni Morrison, Saul Bellow, and Junot Diaz. SparkNotes breaks down books into sub-sections and provides synopses and analyses for each section. There are also separate pages for character breakdowns, discussions of themes and motifs, and explanations of important quotes. I’d caution against using SparkNotes if you’re trying to “hack” a novel or poem and get simple answers about what it “means.” But as a way to supplement your own understanding and interpretation, it’s a great resource. Shmoop is also worth checking out for extra support in literature, poetry, mythology, and the history of literary movements.

9) Grammarly

I’m not sure if Grammarly is an obvious or unexpected choice to round out the list. Either way, it deserves a mention here. Grammarly is a writing tool. It checks and suggests corrections for incorrectly spelled words and misused punctuation. But Grammarly also scans and corrects for things like clarity and vocab usage. It flags sentences that are vague, or overly wordy, and alerts you if you’re using that flashy vocab word incorrectly. It even gives suggestions if it thinks your writing is a bit bland. I don’t see Grammarly as a crutch, but rather as a tool. It can help you master those pesky recurring grammar and usage issues. Always mix up effect and affect? Grammarly will continue to course correct until you’ve got it down yourself.

Homework Help Websites – Final Thoughts

None of the above homework help websites should be seen as a panacea. Each has benefits and drawbacks, strengths and weak points. The list is far from exhaustive. And the sites don’t have to be used in isolation. Try a few out, mix and match. College Info Geek is an excellent supplement to any study regimen. Socratic can be used as a tool to check answers for math homework, and at the same time you can use Grammarly to describe your problem to a tutor on Chegg. At their best, these sites are more than quick fixes to stubborn homework problems—they’re aids to genuine learning.

Additional Resources

You should also check out College Transitions’ “ High School Success ” blogs for help with a number of common high school assignments, including:

• Lord of the Flies Summary & Analysis 
• The Great Gatsby and The American Dream
• Analysis of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” Speech
• Robert Frost’s Road Not Taken Analysis 
• High School Success

Dane Gebauer

Dane Gebauer is a writer and teacher living in Miami, FL. He received his MFA in fiction from Columbia University, and his writing has appeared in Complex Magazine and Sinking City Review .

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Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says

A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.

The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.

But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:

For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”

A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.

New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.

The research

The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.

Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.

Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.

Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.

“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”

Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.

“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.

“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”

Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.

“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

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Write to Katie Reilly at [email protected]

Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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The Cult of Homework

America’s devotion to the practice stems in part from the fact that it’s what today’s parents and teachers grew up with themselves.

America has long had a fickle relationship with homework. A century or so ago, progressive reformers argued that it made kids unduly stressed , which later led in some cases to district-level bans on it for all grades under seventh. This anti-homework sentiment faded, though, amid mid-century fears that the U.S. was falling behind the Soviet Union (which led to more homework), only to resurface in the 1960s and ’70s, when a more open culture came to see homework as stifling play and creativity (which led to less). But this didn’t last either: In the ’80s, government researchers blamed America’s schools for its economic troubles and recommended ramping homework up once more.

The 21st century has so far been a homework-heavy era, with American teenagers now averaging about twice as much time spent on homework each day as their predecessors did in the 1990s . Even little kids are asked to bring school home with them. A 2015 study , for instance, found that kindergarteners, who researchers tend to agree shouldn’t have any take-home work, were spending about 25 minutes a night on it.

But not without pushback. As many children, not to mention their parents and teachers, are drained by their daily workload, some schools and districts are rethinking how homework should work—and some teachers are doing away with it entirely. They’re reviewing the research on homework (which, it should be noted, is contested) and concluding that it’s time to revisit the subject.

Read: My daughter’s homework is killing me

Hillsborough, California, an affluent suburb of San Francisco, is one district that has changed its ways. The district, which includes three elementary schools and a middle school, worked with teachers and convened panels of parents in order to come up with a homework policy that would allow students more unscheduled time to spend with their families or to play. In August 2017, it rolled out an updated policy, which emphasized that homework should be “meaningful” and banned due dates that fell on the day after a weekend or a break.

“The first year was a bit bumpy,” says Louann Carlomagno, the district’s superintendent. She says the adjustment was at times hard for the teachers, some of whom had been doing their job in a similar fashion for a quarter of a century. Parents’ expectations were also an issue. Carlomagno says they took some time to “realize that it was okay not to have an hour of homework for a second grader—that was new.”

Most of the way through year two, though, the policy appears to be working more smoothly. “The students do seem to be less stressed based on conversations I’ve had with parents,” Carlomagno says. It also helps that the students performed just as well on the state standardized test last year as they have in the past.

Earlier this year, the district of Somerville, Massachusetts, also rewrote its homework policy, reducing the amount of homework its elementary and middle schoolers may receive. In grades six through eight, for example, homework is capped at an hour a night and can only be assigned two to three nights a week.

Jack Schneider, an education professor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell whose daughter attends school in Somerville, is generally pleased with the new policy. But, he says, it’s part of a bigger, worrisome pattern. “The origin for this was general parental dissatisfaction, which not surprisingly was coming from a particular demographic,” Schneider says. “Middle-class white parents tend to be more vocal about concerns about homework … They feel entitled enough to voice their opinions.”

Schneider is all for revisiting taken-for-granted practices like homework, but thinks districts need to take care to be inclusive in that process. “I hear approximately zero middle-class white parents talking about how homework done best in grades K through two actually strengthens the connection between home and school for young people and their families,” he says. Because many of these parents already feel connected to their school community, this benefit of homework can seem redundant. “They don’t need it,” Schneider says, “so they’re not advocating for it.”

That doesn’t mean, necessarily, that homework is more vital in low-income districts. In fact, there are different, but just as compelling, reasons it can be burdensome in these communities as well. Allison Wienhold, who teaches high-school Spanish in the small town of Dunkerton, Iowa, has phased out homework assignments over the past three years. Her thinking: Some of her students, she says, have little time for homework because they’re working 30 hours a week or responsible for looking after younger siblings.

As educators reduce or eliminate the homework they assign, it’s worth asking what amount and what kind of homework is best for students. It turns out that there’s some disagreement about this among researchers, who tend to fall in one of two camps.

In the first camp is Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. Cooper conducted a review of the existing research on homework in the mid-2000s , and found that, up to a point, the amount of homework students reported doing correlates with their performance on in-class tests. This correlation, the review found, was stronger for older students than for younger ones.

This conclusion is generally accepted among educators, in part because it’s compatible with “the 10-minute rule,” a rule of thumb popular among teachers suggesting that the proper amount of homework is approximately 10 minutes per night, per grade level—that is, 10 minutes a night for first graders, 20 minutes a night for second graders, and so on, up to two hours a night for high schoolers.

In Cooper’s eyes, homework isn’t overly burdensome for the typical American kid. He points to a 2014 Brookings Institution report that found “little evidence that the homework load has increased for the average student”; onerous amounts of homework, it determined, are indeed out there, but relatively rare. Moreover, the report noted that most parents think their children get the right amount of homework, and that parents who are worried about under-assigning outnumber those who are worried about over-assigning. Cooper says that those latter worries tend to come from a small number of communities with “concerns about being competitive for the most selective colleges and universities.”

According to Alfie Kohn, squarely in camp two, most of the conclusions listed in the previous three paragraphs are questionable. Kohn, the author of The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing , considers homework to be a “reliable extinguisher of curiosity,” and has several complaints with the evidence that Cooper and others cite in favor of it. Kohn notes, among other things, that Cooper’s 2006 meta-analysis doesn’t establish causation, and that its central correlation is based on children’s (potentially unreliable) self-reporting of how much time they spend doing homework. (Kohn’s prolific writing on the subject alleges numerous other methodological faults.)

In fact, other correlations make a compelling case that homework doesn’t help. Some countries whose students regularly outperform American kids on standardized tests, such as Japan and Denmark, send their kids home with less schoolwork , while students from some countries with higher homework loads than the U.S., such as Thailand and Greece, fare worse on tests. (Of course, international comparisons can be fraught because so many factors, in education systems and in societies at large, might shape students’ success.)

Kohn also takes issue with the way achievement is commonly assessed. “If all you want is to cram kids’ heads with facts for tomorrow’s tests that they’re going to forget by next week, yeah, if you give them more time and make them do the cramming at night, that could raise the scores,” he says. “But if you’re interested in kids who know how to think or enjoy learning, then homework isn’t merely ineffective, but counterproductive.”

His concern is, in a way, a philosophical one. “The practice of homework assumes that only academic growth matters, to the point that having kids work on that most of the school day isn’t enough,” Kohn says. What about homework’s effect on quality time spent with family? On long-term information retention? On critical-thinking skills? On social development? On success later in life? On happiness? The research is quiet on these questions.

Another problem is that research tends to focus on homework’s quantity rather than its quality, because the former is much easier to measure than the latter. While experts generally agree that the substance of an assignment matters greatly (and that a lot of homework is uninspiring busywork), there isn’t a catchall rule for what’s best—the answer is often specific to a certain curriculum or even an individual student.

Given that homework’s benefits are so narrowly defined (and even then, contested), it’s a bit surprising that assigning so much of it is often a classroom default, and that more isn’t done to make the homework that is assigned more enriching. A number of things are preserving this state of affairs—things that have little to do with whether homework helps students learn.

Jack Schneider, the Massachusetts parent and professor, thinks it’s important to consider the generational inertia of the practice. “The vast majority of parents of public-school students themselves are graduates of the public education system,” he says. “Therefore, their views of what is legitimate have been shaped already by the system that they would ostensibly be critiquing.” In other words, many parents’ own history with homework might lead them to expect the same for their children, and anything less is often taken as an indicator that a school or a teacher isn’t rigorous enough. (This dovetails with—and complicates—the finding that most parents think their children have the right amount of homework.)

Barbara Stengel, an education professor at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, brought up two developments in the educational system that might be keeping homework rote and unexciting. The first is the importance placed in the past few decades on standardized testing, which looms over many public-school classroom decisions and frequently discourages teachers from trying out more creative homework assignments. “They could do it, but they’re afraid to do it, because they’re getting pressure every day about test scores,” Stengel says.

Second, she notes that the profession of teaching, with its relatively low wages and lack of autonomy, struggles to attract and support some of the people who might reimagine homework, as well as other aspects of education. “Part of why we get less interesting homework is because some of the people who would really have pushed the limits of that are no longer in teaching,” she says.

“In general, we have no imagination when it comes to homework,” Stengel says. She wishes teachers had the time and resources to remake homework into something that actually engages students. “If we had kids reading—anything, the sports page, anything that they’re able to read—that’s the best single thing. If we had kids going to the zoo, if we had kids going to parks after school, if we had them doing all of those things, their test scores would improve. But they’re not. They’re going home and doing homework that is not expanding what they think about.”

“Exploratory” is one word Mike Simpson used when describing the types of homework he’d like his students to undertake. Simpson is the head of the Stone Independent School, a tiny private high school in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that opened in 2017. “We were lucky to start a school a year and a half ago,” Simpson says, “so it’s been easy to say we aren’t going to assign worksheets, we aren’t going assign regurgitative problem sets.” For instance, a half-dozen students recently built a 25-foot trebuchet on campus.

Simpson says he thinks it’s a shame that the things students have to do at home are often the least fulfilling parts of schooling: “When our students can’t make the connection between the work they’re doing at 11 o’clock at night on a Tuesday to the way they want their lives to be, I think we begin to lose the plot.”

When I talked with other teachers who did homework makeovers in their classrooms, I heard few regrets. Brandy Young, a second-grade teacher in Joshua, Texas, stopped assigning take-home packets of worksheets three years ago, and instead started asking her students to do 20 minutes of pleasure reading a night. She says she’s pleased with the results, but she’s noticed something funny. “Some kids,” she says, “really do like homework.” She’s started putting out a bucket of it for students to draw from voluntarily—whether because they want an additional challenge or something to pass the time at home.

Chris Bronke, a high-school English teacher in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove, told me something similar. This school year, he eliminated homework for his class of freshmen, and now mostly lets students study on their own or in small groups during class time. It’s usually up to them what they work on each day, and Bronke has been impressed by how they’ve managed their time.

In fact, some of them willingly spend time on assignments at home, whether because they’re particularly engaged, because they prefer to do some deeper thinking outside school, or because they needed to spend time in class that day preparing for, say, a biology test the following period. “They’re making meaningful decisions about their time that I don’t think education really ever gives students the experience, nor the practice, of doing,” Bronke said.

The typical prescription offered by those overwhelmed with homework is to assign less of it—to subtract. But perhaps a more useful approach, for many classrooms, would be to create homework only when teachers and students believe it’s actually needed to further the learning that takes place in class—to start with nothing, and add as necessary.

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Is homework a necessary evil?

After decades of debate, researchers are still sorting out the truth about homework’s pros and cons. One point they can agree on: Quality assignments matter.

By Kirsten Weir

March 2016, Vol 47, No. 3

Print version: page 36

• Schools and Classrooms

Homework battles have raged for decades. For as long as kids have been whining about doing their homework, parents and education reformers have complained that homework's benefits are dubious. Meanwhile many teachers argue that take-home lessons are key to helping students learn. Now, as schools are shifting to the new (and hotly debated) Common Core curriculum standards, educators, administrators and researchers are turning a fresh eye toward the question of homework's value.

But when it comes to deciphering the research literature on the subject, homework is anything but an open book.

The 10-minute rule

In many ways, homework seems like common sense. Spend more time practicing multiplication or studying Spanish vocabulary and you should get better at math or Spanish. But it may not be that simple.

Homework can indeed produce academic benefits, such as increased understanding and retention of the material, says Duke University social psychologist Harris Cooper, PhD, one of the nation's leading homework researchers. But not all students benefit. In a review of studies published from 1987 to 2003, Cooper and his colleagues found that homework was linked to better test scores in high school and, to a lesser degree, in middle school. Yet they found only faint evidence that homework provided academic benefit in elementary school ( Review of Educational Research , 2006).

Then again, test scores aren't everything. Homework proponents also cite the nonacademic advantages it might confer, such as the development of personal responsibility, good study habits and time-management skills. But as to hard evidence of those benefits, "the jury is still out," says Mollie Galloway, PhD, associate professor of educational leadership at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. "I think there's a focus on assigning homework because [teachers] think it has these positive outcomes for study skills and habits. But we don't know for sure that's the case."

Even when homework is helpful, there can be too much of a good thing. "There is a limit to how much kids can benefit from home study," Cooper says. He agrees with an oft-cited rule of thumb that students should do no more than 10 minutes a night per grade level — from about 10 minutes in first grade up to a maximum of about two hours in high school. Both the National Education Association and National Parent Teacher Association support that limit.

Beyond that point, kids don't absorb much useful information, Cooper says. In fact, too much homework can do more harm than good. Researchers have cited drawbacks, including boredom and burnout toward academic material, less time for family and extracurricular activities, lack of sleep and increased stress.

In a recent study of Spanish students, Rubén Fernández-Alonso, PhD, and colleagues found that students who were regularly assigned math and science homework scored higher on standardized tests. But when kids reported having more than 90 to 100 minutes of homework per day, scores declined ( Journal of Educational Psychology , 2015).

"At all grade levels, doing other things after school can have positive effects," Cooper says. "To the extent that homework denies access to other leisure and community activities, it's not serving the child's best interest."

Children of all ages need down time in order to thrive, says Denise Pope, PhD, a professor of education at Stanford University and a co-founder of Challenge Success, a program that partners with secondary schools to implement policies that improve students' academic engagement and well-being.

"Little kids and big kids need unstructured time for play each day," she says. Certainly, time for physical activity is important for kids' health and well-being. But even time spent on social media can help give busy kids' brains a break, she says.

All over the map

But are teachers sticking to the 10-minute rule? Studies attempting to quantify time spent on homework are all over the map, in part because of wide variations in methodology, Pope says.

A 2014 report by the Brookings Institution examined the question of homework, comparing data from a variety of sources. That report cited findings from a 2012 survey of first-year college students in which 38.4 percent reported spending six hours or more per week on homework during their last year of high school. That was down from 49.5 percent in 1986 ( The Brown Center Report on American Education , 2014).

The Brookings report also explored survey data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which asked 9-, 13- and 17-year-old students how much homework they'd done the previous night. They found that between 1984 and 2012, there was a slight increase in homework for 9-year-olds, but homework amounts for 13- and 17-year-olds stayed roughly the same, or even decreased slightly.

Yet other evidence suggests that some kids might be taking home much more work than they can handle. Robert Pressman, PhD, and colleagues recently investigated the 10-minute rule among more than 1,100 students, and found that elementary-school kids were receiving up to three times as much homework as recommended. As homework load increased, so did family stress, the researchers found ( American Journal of Family Therapy , 2015).

Many high school students also seem to be exceeding the recommended amounts of homework. Pope and Galloway recently surveyed more than 4,300 students from 10 high-achieving high schools. Students reported bringing home an average of just over three hours of homework nightly ( Journal of Experiential Education , 2013).

On the positive side, students who spent more time on homework in that study did report being more behaviorally engaged in school — for instance, giving more effort and paying more attention in class, Galloway says. But they were not more invested in the homework itself. They also reported greater academic stress and less time to balance family, friends and extracurricular activities. They experienced more physical health problems as well, such as headaches, stomach troubles and sleep deprivation. "Three hours per night is too much," Galloway says.

In the high-achieving schools Pope and Galloway studied, more than 90 percent of the students go on to college. There's often intense pressure to succeed academically, from both parents and peers. On top of that, kids in these communities are often overloaded with extracurricular activities, including sports and clubs. "They're very busy," Pope says. "Some kids have up to 40 hours a week — a full-time job's worth — of extracurricular activities." And homework is yet one more commitment on top of all the others.

"Homework has perennially acted as a source of stress for students, so that piece of it is not new," Galloway says. "But especially in upper-middle-class communities, where the focus is on getting ahead, I think the pressure on students has been ratcheted up."

Yet homework can be a problem at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum as well. Kids from wealthier homes are more likely to have resources such as computers, Internet connections, dedicated areas to do schoolwork and parents who tend to be more educated and more available to help them with tricky assignments. Kids from disadvantaged homes are more likely to work at afterschool jobs, or to be home without supervision in the evenings while their parents work multiple jobs, says Lea Theodore, PhD, a professor of school psychology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. They are less likely to have computers or a quiet place to do homework in peace.

"Homework can highlight those inequities," she says.

Quantity vs. quality

One point researchers agree on is that for all students, homework quality matters. But too many kids are feeling a lack of engagement with their take-home assignments, many experts say. In Pope and Galloway's research, only 20 percent to 30 percent of students said they felt their homework was useful or meaningful.

"Students are assigned a lot of busywork. They're naming it as a primary stressor, but they don't feel it's supporting their learning," Galloway says.

"Homework that's busywork is not good for anyone," Cooper agrees. Still, he says, different subjects call for different kinds of assignments. "Things like vocabulary and spelling are learned through practice. Other kinds of courses require more integration of material and drawing on different skills."

But critics say those skills can be developed with many fewer hours of homework each week. Why assign 50 math problems, Pope asks, when 10 would be just as constructive? One Advanced Placement biology teacher she worked with through Challenge Success experimented with cutting his homework assignments by a third, and then by half. "Test scores didn't go down," she says. "You can have a rigorous course and not have a crazy homework load."

Still, changing the culture of homework won't be easy. Teachers-to-be get little instruction in homework during their training, Pope says. And despite some vocal parents arguing that kids bring home too much homework, many others get nervous if they think their child doesn't have enough. "Teachers feel pressured to give homework because parents expect it to come home," says Galloway. "When it doesn't, there's this idea that the school might not be doing its job."

Galloway argues teachers and school administrators need to set clear goals when it comes to homework — and parents and students should be in on the discussion, too. "It should be a broader conversation within the community, asking what's the purpose of homework? Why are we giving it? Who is it serving? Who is it not serving?"

Until schools and communities agree to take a hard look at those questions, those backpacks full of take-home assignments will probably keep stirring up more feelings than facts.

Further reading

• Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., & Patall, E. A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational Research, 76 (1), 1–62. doi: 10.3102/00346543076001001
• Galloway, M., Connor, J., & Pope, D. (2013). Nonacademic effects of homework in privileged, high-performing high schools. The Journal of Experimental Education, 81 (4), 490–510. doi: 10.1080/00220973.2012.745469
• Pope, D., Brown, M., & Miles, S. (2015). Overloaded and underprepared: Strategies for stronger schools and healthy, successful kids . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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Homework – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

From dioramas to book reports, from algebraic word problems to research projects, whether students should be given homework, as well as the type and amount of homework, has been debated for over a century. [ 1 ]

While we are unsure who invented homework, we do know that the word “homework” dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger asked his followers to practice their speeches at home. Memorization exercises as homework continued through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment by monks and other scholars. [ 45 ]

In the 19th century, German students of the Volksschulen or “People’s Schools” were given assignments to complete outside of the school day. This concept of homework quickly spread across Europe and was brought to the United States by Horace Mann , who encountered the idea in Prussia. [ 45 ]

In the early 1900s, progressive education theorists, championed by the magazine Ladies’ Home Journal , decried homework’s negative impact on children’s physical and mental health, leading California to ban homework for students under 15 from 1901 until 1917. In the 1930s, homework was portrayed as child labor, which was newly illegal, but the prevailing argument was that kids needed time to do household chores. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]

Public opinion swayed again in favor of homework in the 1950s due to concerns about keeping up with the Soviet Union’s technological advances during the Cold War . And, in 1986, the US government included homework as an educational quality boosting tool. [ 3 ] [ 45 ]

A 2014 study found kindergarteners to fifth graders averaged 2.9 hours of homework per week, sixth to eighth graders 3.2 hours per teacher, and ninth to twelfth graders 3.5 hours per teacher. A 2014-2019 study found that teens spent about an hour a day on homework. [ 4 ] [ 44 ]

Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the very idea of homework as students were schooling remotely and many were doing all school work from home. Washington Post journalist Valerie Strauss asked, “Does homework work when kids are learning all day at home?” While students were mostly back in school buildings in fall 2021, the question remains of how effective homework is as an educational tool. [ 47 ]

Is Homework Beneficial?

Pro 1 Homework improves student achievement. Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicated that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” [ 6 ] Students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework on both standardized tests and grades. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take-home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school. [ 10 ] Read More

Pro 2 Homework helps to reinforce classroom learning, while developing good study habits and life skills. Students typically retain only 50% of the information teachers provide in class, and they need to apply that information in order to truly learn it. Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer, co-founders of Teachers Who Tutor NYC, explained, “at-home assignments help students learn the material taught in class. Students require independent practice to internalize new concepts… [And] these assignments can provide valuable data for teachers about how well students understand the curriculum.” [ 11 ] [ 49 ] Elementary school students who were taught “strategies to organize and complete homework,” such as prioritizing homework activities, collecting study materials, note-taking, and following directions, showed increased grades and more positive comments on report cards. [ 17 ] Research by the City University of New York noted that “students who engage in self-regulatory processes while completing homework,” such as goal-setting, time management, and remaining focused, “are generally more motivated and are higher achievers than those who do not use these processes.” [ 18 ] Homework also helps students develop key skills that they’ll use throughout their lives: accountability, autonomy, discipline, time management, self-direction, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving. Freireich and Platzer noted that “homework helps students acquire the skills needed to plan, organize, and complete their work.” [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 49 ] Read More

Pro 3 Homework allows parents to be involved with children’s learning. Thanks to take-home assignments, parents are able to track what their children are learning at school as well as their academic strengths and weaknesses. [ 12 ] Data from a nationwide sample of elementary school students show that parental involvement in homework can improve class performance, especially among economically disadvantaged African-American and Hispanic students. [ 20 ] Research from Johns Hopkins University found that an interactive homework process known as TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork) improves student achievement: “Students in the TIPS group earned significantly higher report card grades after 18 weeks (1 TIPS assignment per week) than did non-TIPS students.” [ 21 ] Homework can also help clue parents in to the existence of any learning disabilities their children may have, allowing them to get help and adjust learning strategies as needed. Duke University Professor Harris Cooper noted, “Two parents once told me they refused to believe their child had a learning disability until homework revealed it to them.” [ 12 ] Read More

Con 1 Too much homework can be harmful. A poll of California high school students found that 59% thought they had too much homework. 82% of respondents said that they were “often or always stressed by schoolwork.” High-achieving high school students said too much homework leads to sleep deprivation and other health problems such as headaches, exhaustion, weight loss, and stomach problems. [ 24 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Alfie Kohn, an education and parenting expert, said, “Kids should have a chance to just be kids… it’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.” [ 27 ] Emmy Kang, a mental health counselor, explained, “More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies.” [ 48 ] Excessive homework can also lead to cheating: 90% of middle school students and 67% of high school students admit to copying someone else’s homework, and 43% of college students engaged in “unauthorized collaboration” on out-of-class assignments. Even parents take shortcuts on homework: 43% of those surveyed admitted to having completed a child’s assignment for them. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Read More

Con 2 Homework exacerbates the digital divide or homework gap. Kiara Taylor, financial expert, defined the digital divide as “the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don’t. Though the term now encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology—along with access (or a lack of access) to the Internet—the gap it refers to is constantly shifting with the development of technology.” For students, this is often called the homework gap. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] 30% (about 15 to 16 million) public school students either did not have an adequate internet connection or an appropriate device, or both, for distance learning. Completing homework for these students is more complicated (having to find a safe place with an internet connection, or borrowing a laptop, for example) or impossible. [ 51 ] A Hispanic Heritage Foundation study found that 96.5% of students across the country needed to use the internet for homework, and nearly half reported they were sometimes unable to complete their homework due to lack of access to the internet or a computer, which often resulted in lower grades. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] One study concluded that homework increases social inequality because it “potentially serves as a mechanism to further advantage those students who already experience some privilege in the school system while further disadvantaging those who may already be in a marginalized position.” [ 39 ] Read More

Con 3 Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We’ve known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that “homework had no association with achievement gains” when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7 ] Fourth grade students who did no homework got roughly the same score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math exam as those who did 30 minutes of homework a night. Students who did 45 minutes or more of homework a night actually did worse. [ 41 ] Temple University professor Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek said that homework is not the most effective tool for young learners to apply new information: “They’re learning way more important skills when they’re not doing their homework.” [ 42 ] In fact, homework may not be helpful at the high school level either. Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, stated, “I interviewed high school teachers who completely stopped giving homework and there was no downside, it was all upside.” He explains, “just because the same kids who get more homework do a little better on tests, doesn’t mean the homework made that happen.” [ 52 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Is homework beneficial? Consider the study data, your personal experience, and other types of information. Explain your answer(s).

2. If homework were banned, what other educational strategies would help students learn classroom material? Explain your answer(s).

3. How has homework been helpful to you personally? How has homework been unhelpful to you personally? Make carefully considered lists for both sides.

Take Action

1. Examine an argument in favor of quality homework assignments from Janine Bempechat.

2. Explore Oxford Learning’s infographic on the effects of homework on students.

3. Consider Joseph Lathan’s argument that homework promotes inequality .

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

More School Debate Topics

Should K-12 Students Dissect Animals in Science Classrooms? – Proponents say dissecting real animals is a better learning experience. Opponents say the practice is bad for the environment.

Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? – Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression.

Should Corporal Punishment Be Used in K-12 Schools? – Proponents say corporal punishment is an appropriate discipline. Opponents say it inflicts long-lasting physical and mental harm on students.

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Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

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What we know about online learning and the homework gap amid the pandemic

America’s K-12 students are returning to classrooms this fall after 18 months of virtual learning at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some students who lacked the home internet connectivity needed to finish schoolwork during this time – an experience often called the “ homework gap ” – may continue to feel the effects this school year.

Here is what Pew Research Center surveys found about the students most likely to be affected by the homework gap and their experiences learning from home.

Children across the United States are returning to physical classrooms this fall after 18 months at home, raising questions about how digital disparities at home will affect the existing homework gap between certain groups of students.

Methodology for each Pew Research Center poll can be found at the links in the post.

With the exception of the 2018 survey, everyone who took part in the surveys is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the  ATP’s methodology .

The 2018 data on U.S. teens comes from a Center poll of 743 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted March 7 to April 10, 2018, using the NORC AmeriSpeak panel. AmeriSpeak is a nationally representative, probability-based panel of the U.S. household population. Randomly selected U.S. households are sampled with a known, nonzero probability of selection from the NORC National Frame, and then contacted by U.S. mail, telephone or face-to-face interviewers. Read more details about the NORC AmeriSpeak panel methodology .

Around nine-in-ten U.S. parents with K-12 children at home (93%) said their children have had some online instruction since the coronavirus outbreak began in February 2020, and 30% of these parents said it has been very or somewhat difficult for them to help their children use technology or the internet as an educational tool, according to an April 2021 Pew Research Center survey .

Gaps existed for certain groups of parents. For example, parents with lower and middle incomes (36% and 29%, respectively) were more likely to report that this was very or somewhat difficult, compared with just 18% of parents with higher incomes.

This challenge was also prevalent for parents in certain types of communities – 39% of rural residents and 33% of urban residents said they have had at least some difficulty, compared with 23% of suburban residents.

Around a third of parents with children whose schools were closed during the pandemic (34%) said that their child encountered at least one technology-related obstacle to completing their schoolwork during that time. In the April 2021 survey, the Center asked parents of K-12 children whose schools had closed at some point about whether their children had faced three technology-related obstacles. Around a quarter of parents (27%) said their children had to do schoolwork on a cellphone, 16% said their child was unable to complete schoolwork because of a lack of computer access at home, and another 14% said their child had to use public Wi-Fi to finish schoolwork because there was no reliable connection at home.

Parents with lower incomes whose children’s schools closed amid COVID-19 were more likely to say their children faced technology-related obstacles while learning from home. Nearly half of these parents (46%) said their child faced at least one of the three obstacles to learning asked about in the survey, compared with 31% of parents with midrange incomes and 18% of parents with higher incomes.

Of the three obstacles asked about in the survey, parents with lower incomes were most likely to say that their child had to do their schoolwork on a cellphone (37%). About a quarter said their child was unable to complete their schoolwork because they did not have computer access at home (25%), or that they had to use public Wi-Fi because they did not have a reliable internet connection at home (23%).

A Center survey conducted in April 2020 found that, at that time, 59% of parents with lower incomes who had children engaged in remote learning said their children would likely face at least one of the obstacles asked about in the 2021 survey.

A year into the outbreak, an increasing share of U.S. adults said that K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide all students with laptop or tablet computers in order to help them complete their schoolwork at home during the pandemic. About half of all adults (49%) said this in the spring 2021 survey, up 12 percentage points from a year earlier. An additional 37% of adults said that schools should provide these resources only to students whose families cannot afford them, and just 13% said schools do not have this responsibility.

While larger shares of both political parties in April 2021 said K-12 schools have a responsibility to provide computers to all students in order to help them complete schoolwork at home, there was a 15-point change among Republicans: 43% of Republicans and those who lean to the Republican Party said K-12 schools have this responsibility, compared with 28% last April. In the 2021 survey, 22% of Republicans also said schools do not have this responsibility at all, compared with 6% of Democrats and Democratic leaners.

Even before the pandemic, Black teens and those living in lower-income households were more likely than other groups to report trouble completing homework assignments because they did not have reliable technology access. Nearly one-in-five teens ages 13 to 17 (17%) said they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection, a 2018 Center survey of U.S. teens found.

One-quarter of Black teens said they were at least sometimes unable to complete their homework due to a lack of digital access, including 13% who said this happened to them often. Just 4% of White teens and 6% of Hispanic teens said this often happened to them. (There were not enough Asian respondents in the survey sample to be broken out into a separate analysis.)

A wide gap also existed by income level: 24% of teens whose annual family income was less than $30,000 said the lack of a dependable computer or internet connection often or sometimes prohibited them from finishing their homework, but that share dropped to 9% among teens who lived in households earning $75,000 or more a year.

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• Education & Learning Online

Katherine Schaeffer is a research analyst at Pew Research Center .

How Americans View the Coronavirus, COVID-19 Vaccines Amid Declining Levels of Concern

Online religious services appeal to many americans, but going in person remains more popular, about a third of u.s. workers who can work from home now do so all the time, how the pandemic has affected attendance at u.s. religious services, mental health and the pandemic: what u.s. surveys have found, most popular.

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Home > Blog > Tips for Online Students > The Pros and Cons of Homework

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: July 16, 2024

Published: January 23, 2020

Remember those nights when you’d find yourself staring at a mountain of homework, eyes drooping, wondering if you’d ever see the light at the end of the tunnel? The debate over homework’s role in education is as old as time. Is it a crucial tool for reinforcing learning or just an unnecessary burden?

For college students, this question takes on new dimensions. Juggling homework with the endless amount of classes, part-time jobs, and social lives can feel like walking on thin ice. The pressure to maintain grades, meet deadlines, and still find time for friends and relaxation can be overwhelming. So, is homework a friend or foe?

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

The homework dilemma.

A large amount of college students report feeling overwhelmed by their academic workload, leading to high levels of stress and anxiety. According to Research.com , 45% of college students in the U.S. experience “more than average” stress, with 36.5% citing stress as a major impediment to their academic performance. This stress often stems directly from the homework load, leading to symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, and difficulty sleeping. The intense pressure to manage homework alongside other responsibilities makes us question the true impact of homework on students’ overall well-being.

And then there’s the digital twist. A whopping 89% of students confessed to using AI tools like ChatGPT for their assignments. While these tools can be a godsend for quick answers and assistance, they can also undermine the personal effort and critical thinking necessary to truly understand the material.

On the brighter side, homework can be a powerful ally. According to Inside Higher Ed , structured assignments can actually help reduce stress by providing a clear learning roadmap and keeping students engaged with the material. But where’s the balance between helpful and harmful? 

With these perspectives in mind, let’s dive into the pros and cons of homework for college students. By understanding both sides, we can find a middle ground that maximizes learning while keeping stress at bay.

The Pros of Homework

When thoughtfully assigned, homework can be a valuable tool in a student’s educational journey . Let’s explore how homework can be a beneficial companion to your studies:

Enhances Critical Thinking

Homework isn’t just busywork; it’s an opportunity to stretch your mental muscles. Those late-night problem sets and essays can actually encourage deeper understanding and application of concepts. Think of homework as a mental gym; each assignment is a new exercise, pushing you to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in ways that strengthen your critical thinking skills .

Time Management Skills

Do you ever juggle multiple deadlines and wonder how to keep it all together? Regular homework assignments can be a crash course in time management . They teach you to prioritize tasks, manage your schedule, and balance academic responsibilities with personal commitments. The ability to juggle various tasks is a skill that will serve you well beyond your college years.

Reinforcement of Learning

There’s a reason why practice makes perfect. Homework reinforces what you’ve learned in class, helping to cement concepts and theories in your mind. Understanding a concept during a lecture is one thing, but applying it through homework can deepen your comprehension and retention. 

Preparation for Exams

Think of homework as a sound check and warm-up for exams. Regular assignments keep you engaged with the material, making it easier to review and prepare when exam time rolls around. By consistently working through problems and writing essays, you build a solid foundation that can make the difference between cramming and confident exam performance.

Encourages Independent Learning

Homework promotes a sense of responsibility and independence. It pushes you to tackle assignments on your own, encouraging problem-solving and self-discipline. This independence prepares you for the academic challenges ahead and the autonomy required in your professional and personal life.

The Cons of Homework

Despite its potential benefits, homework can also have significant downsides. Let’s examine the challenges and drawbacks of homework:

Impact on Mental Health

Homework can be a double-edged sword when it comes to mental health . While it’s meant to reinforce learning, the sheer volume of assignments can lead to stress and anxiety. The constant pressure to meet deadlines and the fear of falling behind can create a relentless cycle of stress. Many students become overwhelmed, leading to burnout and negatively impacting their overall well-being. 

Limited Time for Other Activities

College isn’t just about hitting the books. It’s also a time for personal growth, exploring new interests, and building social connections. Excessive homework can eat into the time you might otherwise spend on extracurricular activities, hobbies, or simply hanging out with friends. This lack of balance can lead to a less fulfilling college experience. Shouldn’t education be about more than just academics?

Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to homework, more isn’t always better. Piling on assignments can lead to diminished returns on learning. Instead of diving deep into a subject and gaining a thorough understanding, students might rush through tasks just to get them done. This focus on quantity over quality can undermine the educational value of homework. 

Inequity in Education

Homework can sometimes exacerbate educational inequalities. Not all students can access the same resources and support systems at home. While some might have a quiet space and access to the internet, others might struggle with distractions and lack of resources. This disparity can put certain students at a disadvantage, making homework more of a burden than a learning tool. 

Dependence on AI Tools

With the advent of AI tools like ChatGPT , homework has taken on a new dimension. While these tools can provide quick answers and assistance, they also pose the risk of students becoming overly reliant on technology. This dependence can take away from the actual learning process, as students might bypass the critical thinking and effort needed to truly understand the material. Is convenience worth the potential loss in learning?

Finding the Balance

Finding the right balance with homework means tackling assignments that challenge and support you. Instead of drowning in a sea of tasks, focus on quality over quantity. Choose projects that spark your critical thinking and connect to real-world situations. Flexibility is key here. Recognize that your circumstances are unique, and adjusting your approach can help reduce stress and create a more inclusive learning environment. Constructive feedback makes homework more than just a chore; it turns it into a tool for growth and improvement.

It’s also about living a well-rounded college life. Don’t let homework overshadow other important parts of your life, like extracurricular activities or personal downtime. Emphasize independent learning and use technology wisely to prepare for future challenges. By balancing thoughtful assignments with your personal needs, homework can shift from being a burden to becoming a helpful companion on your educational journey, enriching your academic and personal growth.

Homework has its pros and cons, especially for college students. It can enhance critical thinking, time management, and learning, but it also brings stress, impacts mental health, and can become overwhelming. Finding the right balance is key. 

Focus on quality assignments, maintain flexibility, and make sure your homework complements rather than dominates your life. With a thoughtful approach, homework can support your educational journey, fostering both academic success and personal growth.

How can I manage my time effectively to balance homework and other activities?

Create a schedule that allocates specific times for homework, classes, and personal activities. Use planners or digital calendars to keep track of deadlines and prioritize tasks. Don’t forget to include breaks to avoid burnout.

How can I reduce the stress associated with homework?

To manage stress, practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing exercises. Break assignments into smaller, manageable tasks and tackle them one at a time. If needed, seek support from classmates, tutors, or mental health professionals.

Is using AI tools for homework cheating?

While AI tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for quick assistance, relying on them too much can hinder your learning process. Use them as a supplement rather than a replacement for your own effort and critical thinking.

How can teachers make homework more equitable?

Teachers can offer flexible deadlines, provide resources for students who lack them, and design assignments that account for different learning styles and home environments. Open communication between students and teachers can also help address individual challenges.

What are some strategies to make homework more meaningful?

Focus on quality over quantity by designing assignments that encourage deep thinking and application of knowledge. Integrate real-world problems to make homework more relevant and engaging. Provide constructive feedback to help students learn and grow from their assignments.

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Homework vs. No Homework Is the Wrong Question

Does your school have a homework policy? How does your school ensure that teachers don’t overload students with busy work?

The real question we should be asking is, "What do we believe should happen after the end of the school day to help ensure that students retain what they have learned and are primed to learn more?" Any answer with the word, "work" in its name, as in "homework," is not typically going to be met with eagerness or enthusiasm by students.

Ideally, we want children to understand that they are always learners. In school, we refer to them as "students" but outside of school, as children, they are still learners. So it makes no sense to even advertise a "no homework" policy in a school. It sends the wrong message. The policy should be, "No time-wasting, rote, repetitive tasks will be assigned that lack clear instructional or learning purposes."

A realistic homework strategy should be a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year. But it should also reflect a considered school policy and not simply be up to each individual teacher to carry out according to his or own theory of student learning. Another advantage of this approach is to ensure that individual children are not inadvertently overloaded with demands from teachers who may not know what other teachers are asking of the same student. This is a particular concern in secondary schools.

Home Activities That Matter the Most

Children should be encouraged to read, write, perform arithmetic, better understand the world around them in terms of civics, science, and the arts, and, of course, develop their people skills -- their emotional intelligence. This encouragement should be part of everyday family interactions outside of school, and the school should provide developmental guidance to all parents, in the appropriate languages, to help them do this. For some children, specialized guidance will be needed, and this, too, should be provided proactively to parents.

Some parents will select focused programs or after-school experiences to help foster their children's learning in one or more of the aforementioned areas. To promote equity within and across schools, communities should think about how to make these kinds of experiences available to all children in high-quality ways -- without undue or unrealistic expense to families.

Of course, some teachers will have specific, creative ideas about how learning can be enhanced at home, in the context of particular units of study in school. Maybe what we need is a new word for all this. Instead of "homework," how about "continued learning" or "ongoing growth activities?"

Parents Playing Their Part

Finally, students' learning would be greatly enhanced by schools taking a clear stance about supporting good parenting. My colleague Yoni Schwab and I have written about the importance of parents focusing on parenting as a priority, and secondarily working on assisting schools with educational issues (Elias, M. J., and Schwab, Y., 2004).

Aspects of good parenting that could be encouraged by schools include workshops, family nights, and discussion series on ways to promote:

• Children's social-emotional and character development
• Parents spending more time directly interacting with their kids in enjoyable ways
• Parents visibly showing how much they value the importance of education and effort
• Parents monitoring their children's use of and exposure to electronic media
• Children's "continued learning" in as many possible opportunities during everyday household routines
• Above all, schools should remind parents to never lose sight of modeling for their children the value of close relationships, support, caring, and fun. That is the most important home work of all.

Elias, M. J., and Schwab, Y. (2004). What About Parental Involvement in Parenting? The Case for Home-Focused School-Parent Partnerships. Education Week, 24 (8), 39,41.

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The Pros and Cons of Homework: Is Homework Really Worth It?

Homework has been a long-debated topic in the realm of education. Homework used to be a given for teachers; all students were assigned homework. Nowadays, especially because of the initial year with COVID- 19, teachers are not assigning as much homework.

With COVID-19, the majority of students in a class do not complete homework. They sat around and texted while their classes were occurring. Some students have learned that they can get away with not completing it. Teachers are frustrated with the back and forth regarding homework so there has been a shift in the perspective. It is not assumed for each class anymore, but generally just assumed for certain core classes such as Math or Language Arts. So, what are the pros and cons of assigning homework to students?

The purpose of homework is to reinforce what students learn in the classroom and to prepare them for future academic tasks. However, there are a number of potential disadvantages to assigning homework. It can create more work for teachers and parents, be a source of stress for students, and can interfere with family time On the bright side, assigning homework can help students learn new material, help them develop study skills, and significantly reduce screen time.

The Cons of Homework

Completing homework incorrectly does more harm than good.

A large part of having homework is practicing a previous concept a student already learned. The student learns something that day during class, takes it home, and works on it a handful more times in order to instil the procedures and strategies in their head.

Occasionally, or sometimes more frequently with certain students, a student brings back a homework assignment almost all wrong. They didn’t pay attention during class and so when it came to the homework, they just guessed. As a teacher, it can be incredibly frustrating; the teacher is upset because they don’t know the concept and they’re starting to develop an incorrect way of solving or doing the concept.

If a student completes homework incorrectly, they become discouraged. They are also frustrated that they don’t understand the concept. They feel as if their time has been wasted. Well, because it kinda has. They spent 20 minutes, 45 minutes, or whatever it was, doing nothing beneficial with their time. The outcome they had from the homework didn’t create anything positive other than showing diligence in attempting to complete work.

Not Every Home Is Supportive of Completing Homework

For some students, their parents are incredibly supportive of the school; they continually check grades, they ask their students how school was that day, and some parents even help their students with their homework. This also creates a positive atmosphere to complete homework in. Students are more motivated and likely to complete their homework if someone else is showing interest in them completing it. Also, if the homework is challenging, it is better for the student’s level of understanding if an adult can help them.

Some parents could care less about school. Maybe the parent is so busy with work, they have no time to help and support their student. It could also be a circumstance where the parent struggled in school as well so they feel like individuals place too much emphasis regarding school.

In these instances where students are not supported, why would they do the homework? How could they do the homework? Students are generally motivated by things like getting their phone taken away or losing friend time, so if the parent doesn’t care enough for there to be possible negative outcomes, there might not be motivation there to do the homework.

It Discourages Opportunities for Other Activities

If students are doing homework, they are missing out on other activities. Spending time inside doing homework means no spending time outside on a bike. Spending time inside doing homework means not spending time watching a favorite TV show either. It is important for students to engage in other interests in their life outside of school. School goes alongside other interests a student has. School should not be the only thing they are worried about.

Play is an important part of a kid’s development. It gives kids the opportunity to be creative. Through being creative, they can develop in areas of dexterity, cognitive, emotional strength, and imagination, just to name a few. It is crucial for kids to run outside and play to make discoveries on their own.

Play can also strengthen a student’s interest in school . If they develop outside interests, they can apply these interests in a school setting. For example, if a student is interested in a specific football team, they might be provided with the opportunity to write a creative writing piece regarding a game played by that favorite team.

The Pros of Homework

Parents get more involved in their children’s learning.

When a parent knows more of what’s going on in a classroom, they can be more involved if they chose to do so! A parent can get more involved by helping their student with homework, working on the additional practice of what the student is currently learning, helping improve grades, and even asking the teacher questions.

Teachers most certainly appreciate when a parent wants to be involved in a student’s learning. It shows that they care. It also shows that they have their back when teaching the child. If a child is acting up, as a teacher, it is nice to know that the parent at home will support your efforts in trying to diminish a behavior or further understand a concept.

If requested by a parent, most teachers will even provide extra work for a student to practice more at home. Even though it might not account for any sort of credit, continually practicing a concept that the student does not understand will benefit them in the long run. Unfortunately, parents being supportive of homework is less common in the education world than you might think.

Even though the student is the one working on the homework, the homework is also the teacher providing the parent with the opportunity to speak up and become more involved. Teachers want parents to know what their child is working on during school. Teachers want parents to assist in making sure their student understands the concepts that are gone over during class.

Reinforces Learning and Practicing Good Study Habits

By having students complete homework, you are having them practice learning. Most things in life are learning. We constantly take in new information and remold it into a way that benefits us or a way we want to see it. With learning, we adapt new ways of doing something or even dislikes we might have. Students practicing a skill is important to mastering that skill. As time goes on, the hope is that students will realize they need to continually work on learning something in order to be a pro.

Practicing good study habits is a key outcome of homework. Most students are in school Kindergarten through 12th grade, with some even extending 15 years after 12th grade. Some individuals don’t realize the full extent of time they are in school. It is years and years and years. It is crucial to set yourself up for success by attending school for such a long time. By developing positive routines and effective methods of studying, a student will experience more wins during their time in school.

One of the more important study habits that develop from homework is t ime management skills . Developing the skill to know how long to spend on what things in life will allow a person to succeed. Students can use these skills on a daily basis to figure out how much time they will get to spend with friends or how long it takes them to get to and from school.

Time management skills are also so applicable to other things later in life. When students are learning time management skills with homework, they can apply this to spending time with friends, watching a television show, or even a job.

Can Reduce Screen Time

We spend so much time on devices, just about everyone included. We are on social media, reading articles, buying things, watching movies, etc. Especially now in the world of COVID- 19, even more, has been transferred to an online format. Students are on computers daily at most schools. When they get home, oftentimes students are on phones texting friends or on Snapchat. Completing homework instead of being on social media, means a reduced amount of time in front of a screen .

Now, some homework might be online, but not all homework is. Depending on the subject, teachers assign plenty of homework on paper. Most homework is on paper because teachers cannot assume a child has a device available at home to complete homework. Some families are low income and can’t afford to have a computer at home. Assigning homework on the computer would put low-income families at a disadvantage.

Related: What are the Pros and Cons of Virtual Learning?

The Bottom Line – Pros and Cons of Homework

Is assigning homework beneficial or hurtful? Every subject, teacher, and circumstance is different.

Homework can be a mainly positive item for some students and mainly a negative item for other students. The reason why it is such a debate is that a teacher is assigning homework for an entire class, not just one student. Even if they know each student well, there is no way that every single student has a supportive household.

If a teacher assigns homework, they are benefiting only part of the students. If a teacher doesn’t assign homework, they are giving the students, who would be completing it, a disadvantage.

Do the pros outweigh the cons with homework? What do you think?

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Home > Blog > The 7 Best Websites for Homework Answers

The 7 Best Websites for Homework Answers

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: August 13, 2024
• General Guide About Content and Writing

Everyone needs a little help sometimes. The years spent in education consistently present challenges, especially as you progress in your academic career. The fact is, at some point or another, we’ve all needed some help with our homework, and there’s no shame in that!

The good news is that students today have some fantastic AI tools available to help them with homework . There are so many websites designed to provide assistance and answers to homework queries.

Whether you’re struggling with math, science, literature, or any other subject, there’s almost certainly a resource available for you.

In this article, we’ll take a thorough look through the best websites for homework answers, and highlight their key features and benefits. So let’s dive into the best homework platforms you can find online to help you with your studies.

How Do Homework Websites Help?

A lot of students rely on Googling something like “homework answers websites free” to get the assistance they need without any cost. This isn’t the most effective route to take when seeking help on your homework.

Different sites serve specific needs and functions, so there’s almost certainly a platform to help you with what you need! Using the best websites for homework answers will significantly enhance your understanding and retention of the material. For example, platforms like Quizlet allow you to create and use flashcards, making it easier to memorize key concepts and terms.

On the other hand, websites like Slader and Course Hero provide step-by-step solutions to textbook problems. They enable you to learn the process behind the answers. These resources are incredibly useful for students looking to improve their grades.

Additionally, many of these homework-help websites offer interactive features such as video tutorials and forums. These features allow you to ask questions and receive answers from experts and peers.

Websites like Socratic and Brainly foster a collaborative learning environment, encouraging students to engage with the material and each other. This interactive approach not only helps you find the answers you need but also develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Why Use Websites for Online Homework?

The best online homework websites provide resources like practice tests, instructional videos, and step-by-step solutions for homework questions. Covering primary subjects like math, science, and computer science, these sites help students understand complex concepts and improve their subject knowledge.

For college students, online homework platforms offer class notes, study tools, and even help with writing academic papers , covering all the aspects needed for success. Most paid homework services often come with a money-back guarantee. So they really are confident in ensuring high-quality content and reliable answers. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Whether you’re tackling a college homework assignment or preparing for exams, the best sites for online homework will help you stay organized and efficient.

By using these resources, you can deepen your understanding of the material and improve your grades.

Best Websites for Homework Answers: Our Top 7

Let’s take a deeper look at some of the top websites that can help you excel in your studies. We’re sure they’ll make your homework experience more manageable and enjoyable!

1. The Khan Academy

Khan Academy is arguably the best free resource for students of all ages. It offers a wide range of courses in subjects like math, science, economics, and history. The website provides video lessons, practice exercises, and quizzes to teach students about different topics.

• Free access to all content
• Courses from pre-K to college level
• Interactive practice exercises
• Educational videos

The Khan Academy is especially strong in math and science subjects. It provides step-by-step explanations and interactive tools, so you can easily understand complex problems. It’s an excellent resource empowering students to learn at their own pace. The platform also includes progress tracking, so you can see how well you’re doing and identify areas where you need more practice.

Additionally, the Khan Academy offers personalized learning dashboards that guide students through their learning journeys based on their individual needs and performance. This ensures that you get the most relevant content and practice exercises tailored specifically for you.

2. College Info Geek

College Info Geek focuses on helping students become better learners. This homework help website offers study tips, memorization techniques, and strategies for effective learning. While it doesn’t provide direct answers to homework questions, it helps you develop the skills to find those answers yourself.

• Study tips and techniques
• Articles on effective learning
• Resources for college students

College Info Geek is a great resource for students who want to improve their study habits and become more effective learners. The website covers a variety of topics, including time management, productivity, and personal finance for students. Its podcast and YouTube channel offer additional insights and advice from experts and successful students.

By utilizing the strategies and tips provided by College Info Geek, you can enhance your academic performance and overall college experience.

3. SparkNotes

SparkNotes is well-known for its literature guides, but it also offers resources in other subjects like the sciences and history. It provides summaries and explanations of key concepts in specific subject areas.

• Literature guides
• Study guides for various subjects
• Summaries and analyses
• Free access to content

SparkNotes is particularly useful for literature and history homework. It offers detailed explanations and summaries to help you understand complex texts. The site’s “No Fear Shakespeare” section is especially popular, providing modern translations of Shakespeare’s works alongside the original text.

This makes it easier for students to grasp the meaning and themes of these classic plays. SparkNotes also includes quizzes and study guides, which can help you prepare for exams and improve your writing skills .

Chegg is one of the most well-known homework sites. It is a paid service that offers a variety of homework help resources. It includes textbook rentals, online tutoring, and expert Q&A. Chegg’s standout feature is its “Expert Q&A” where you can upload a picture of your homework question and get a detailed answer.

• Textbook rentals
• 24/7 homework help
• Step-by-step explanations
• Math solver and grammar checker

Chegg is great for students who need one-on-one tutoring and step-by-step explanations for their homework tasks. However, it’s important to use this service responsibly to maintain academic integrity. You don’t want to fall into the trap of using Chegg to complete your homework for you!

Chegg also offers services like internship matching and scholarship search tools, which can be very helpful for college students.

The platform’s study guides and flashcards are brilliant tools for preparing for exams, ensuring you have a thorough understanding of the material. Chegg’s subscription also includes access to a vast library of textbook solutions. Resources like these can be invaluable when you’re stuck on a tough problem.

5. Grammarly

If you’re a few years into your academic career, chances are you’ve heard of Grammarly by now. Grammarly is a writing tool that checks for grammar, punctuation, and style errors, making it ideal for essay writing. It also offers suggestions to improve clarity and readability. While not a traditional homework help site, it’s invaluable for writing assignments.

• Grammar and punctuation checker
• Style and clarity suggestions
• Plagiarism detection
• Free and premium versions

Grammarly helps you polish your writing and ensures your essays and papers are error-free. It’s a must-have tool for any student. The platform’s browser extension and desktop app make it easy to use Grammarly with your favorite word processors and email clients. Its advanced features, available in the premium version, include genre-specific writing style checks and vocabulary enhancement suggestions.

Grammarly’s plagiarism detection tool is particularly useful for ensuring the originality of your work. It really does give you peace of mind before submitting your assignments!

6. Socratic

Socratic is an AI-powered app by Google that helps students find answers to their homework questions. You can take a picture of a question or type it in, and Socratic will provide a detailed answer with relevant resources.

• AI-driven answers
• Covers a wide range of subjects
• Provides explanations and additional resources
• Free to use

Socratic is perfect for quick homework help and checking your work. While it doesn’t offer one-on-one tutoring, it’s a great tool for finding reliable answers quickly. The app’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to get the help you need fast. Also, its integration with various educational resources means you’ll get well-rounded answers. Socratic also supports voice search, making it even more convenient for students on the go.

Additionally, the app provides links to videos and articles related to your question, giving you more context and understanding.

Again, be cautious of over-using this tool. It would be easy to use Socratic to complete all of your homework, only to have it flagged as plagiarized once submitted!

7. Course Hero

Course Hero provides study resources like course notes, study guides, and practice problems. It’s a paid service but offers a lot of valuable content that can greatly assist with your homework and exam preparation. Course Hero also features step-by-step explanations and a vast library of textbook solutions, making it a go-to resource for many students.

• Access to course notes and study guides
• Practice problems and textbook solutions
• Paid subscription service

Course Hero is perfect for students who need extensive resources and detailed explanations. It’s especially useful for subjects that require a lot of practice, such as math and science. With its huge collection of study materials, Course Hero helps you grasp difficult concepts and perform better in your classes.

Free Homework Answer Websites

If you are looking for a completely free homework answer website, there are plenty of other tools out there to help you with your subject knowledge and teach you how to become more productive . We’ve listed a couple of options below for you to explore if a paid subscription isn’t an option.

HippoCampus

HippoCampus offers free educational resources for middle school, high school, and college students. It covers subjects like math, science, and humanities. The website provides multimedia content including videos, simulations, and interactive lessons to enhance your understanding of complex topics.

HippoCampus is especially beneficial for visual and auditory learners who can take advantage of engaging video tutorials and animations.

• Free access to educational resources
• Subjects include math, science, and humanities
• Multimedia content like videos and simulations
• Resources for middle school, high school, and college students

HippoCampus stands out as an excellent resource for students seeking homework help websites that offer a variety of learning materials. With its comprehensive content and interactive tools, you can deepen your understanding of subjects and improve your academic performance.

Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is a computational engine that can solve math problems, generate plots, and provide answers to various questions. It’s especially useful for math and science homework due to its powerful computational capabilities.

You can use Wolfram Alpha to check your work, understand step-by-step solutions, and explore detailed explanations of complex problems.

• Computational engine for solving math problems
• Ability to generate plots and graphs
• Provides answers to a wide range of questions
• Free and premium versions available

Wolfram Alpha is ideal for students who need quick and accurate solutions to math and science problems. Its advanced computational tools make it an indispensable resource for tackling challenging homework assignments. Whether you’re working on algebra, calculus, or physics, Wolfram Alpha can help you find the answers you need.

Use Online Homework Help for Your Studies

Online homework help is crucial for students seeking the best websites for homework answers. Numerous homework help websites offer step-by-step explanations to complex problems, aiding students in their math homework and writing assignments.

These online resources cater to various needs, from free homework answers websites to paid homework services. One-on-one tutoring with an online tutor offers personalized assistance, while math homework help sites feature math solvers for tricky equations. These tools empower students to understand their material fully, ensuring they complete their homework assignments with confidence.

Many homework-help sites also include grammar checkers and math solvers. This helps students produce polished academic papers and solve mathematical concepts with ease. With the right homework help, students can achieve better grades and deepen their understanding of their coursework.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your academic goals are, homework help is vital for students of all ages. Homework help platforms make learning easier and more effective for both middle school and college students.

What is the best website for free homework answers?

Khan Academy is one of the best websites for free homework answers. It offers a wide range of courses and resources for students of all ages.

Can I get one-on-one tutoring online?

Yes, websites like Chegg offer one-on-one tutoring services where you can connect with an online tutor for personalized help.

How can I improve my writing assignments?

Using tools like Grammarly can help you improve your writing assignments by checking for grammar, punctuation, and style errors.

Are there any free math homework help websites?

Khan Academy and Socratic are excellent free resources for math homework help.

What is the best website for literature homework help?

SparkNotes is a great resource for literature homework help, offering summaries, analyses, and explanations of key concepts.

Get Assistance With Your Homework and Essays With Smodin

The best websites for homework answers can make your academic life much easier, and dare we say, enjoyable! You can use homework answers websites for free or you can get a paid subscription. There are options for every student.

Using these resources can help you achieve better grades and become a more effective learner. However, it’s vitally important that you remember to use these tools responsibly, maintain academic integrity, and avoid plagiarism.

Are you ready to excel in your studies? Enhance your learning experience with Smodin’s AI writing and tutoring tools. Smodin offers a wide range of services to help you with your homework, writing assignments, and more. Join now at Smodin.io and take your academic performance to the next level !

Long Covid remains a challenge to diagnosis, according to new study

A new study has shown that lab tests may be 'unreliable' when it comes to diagnosing long Covid - as experts warn the need for 'quick and accurate' diagnosis is 'key'

• 16:41, 13 AUG 2024

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Experts suggest routine lab tests may be 'unreliable' for diagnosing long Covid , after a new study highlighted significant challenges in detection.

The research , backed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has put a spotlight on the complexities involved with identifying long Covid sufferers through standard tests.

Dr David Goff, director for the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, stressed the urgency of the situation: "Our challenge is to discover biomarkers that can help us quickly and accurately diagnose long Covid to ensure people struggling with this disease receive the most appropriate care as soon as possible.

"Long Covid symptoms can prevent someone from returning to work or school , and may even make everyday tasks a burden, so the ability for rapid diagnosis is key."

While most Covid sufferers feel better within a couple of days or weeks, some experience its symptoms for far longer. This is what's referred to as 'long Covid' - encompassing a wide series of symptoms that may persist for months or even years.

Extreme tiredness, feeling out of breath, brain fog and even heart palpitations are among its most common symptoms. Others have reported a loss of smell and chest pain too.

Within the NIH's study, researchers were keen to see where Covid-19 leads to a change in 'biomarkers' found in the human body. In a nutshell, these are molecules within tissues or bodily fluids that indicate the presence of a disease or condition.

Although these are widely used by the medical community to diagnose patients, no clinical biomarkers of long Covid have been validated or found. So, as of now, diagnosing the condition is quite challenging, requiring extensive lab work and various tests.

As part of their research, more than 10,000 adults were recruited at 83 enrolling sites across the US.

Among them, 8,746 had previously suffered from different variants of Covid, while 1,348 had never been infected. These participants then completed several surveys, blood tests, urine tests and a physical examination before scientists monitored their lives through a two-year study period.

Unfortunately, lab tests showed very little differences in biomarkers between those who'd previously been infected and those who hadn't. Although some patients experienced an increase in blood sugar levels, the cause was soon identified as diabetes.

"Future work will use RECOVER’s biobank of cohort samples such as blood and spinal fluid, to develop more novel laboratory-based tests that help us better understand the pathophysiology of long COVID," said Professor Kristine Erlandson who led the study.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below

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Loneliness epidemic an overblown myth, study says

By StudyFinds Staff

Reviewed by Steve Fink

Research led by Jeffrey A. Hall, University of Kansas

Aug 13, 2024

Photo by whoislimos on Unsplash

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Contrary to popular belief, Americans aren’t becoming more isolated. A comprehensive new study finds that friendship is alive and well in the United States, with most people reporting multiple close relationships and regular social interactions.

The American Friendship Project (AFP), a survey of social patterns across the country, reveals that the average American has four to five close friends . This finding challenges recent reports suggesting a dramatic rise in social isolation and friendlessness. In fact, the study found that less than 3% of Americans report having no friends at all – a figure that has remained remarkably stable over the past 40 years.

Led by researchers Natalie Pennington, Jeffrey A. Hall, and Amanda J. Holmstrom, the AFP aims to provide the most accurate and complete account of American friendship to date. The study, published in PLOS One , examines not only how many friends people have but also the quality of these relationships and their impact on overall well-being.

One of the most striking findings is the diversity of relationships that people consider friendships. While we often think of friends as peers we’ve known since school or work colleagues we’ve bonded with, the AFP reveals that many Americans count family members, romantic partners, and even casual acquaintances among their friends. This broader definition of friendship paints a richer picture of social connections than previous studies that narrowly focused only on non-family “ best friends .”

The study also sheds light on how Americans maintain their friendships in the digital age. Contrary to fears that technology is replacing in-person interaction, the AFP found that face-to-face meetings remain the most common way people connect with friends. About two-thirds of participants reported seeing their friends in person at least once a month. Phone calls and text messaging were also popular, with social media playing a supporting rather than a dominant role in most friendships.

Interestingly, the research reveals that long-distance friendships are quite common, with nearly half of participants reporting having friends who live in different cities or states. This suggests that modern communication technologies are helping people maintain connections across larger geographic divides.

While the overall picture of American friendship is positive, the study does highlight some areas of concern. Many participants expressed a desire for closer friendships and more time with their friends.

Over 40% felt they weren’t as close to their friends as they would like to be, and less than half were satisfied with the amount of time they spent with them. This suggests that while Americans aren’t lacking in friendships, many are yearning for deeper connections .

The AFP also explored how major life changes and events impact friendships. College students, for example, were much more likely to report both making new friends and losing touch with old ones compared to older adults. This reflects the natural ebb and flow of social circles during times of transition.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the study found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a mixed impact on friendships. While some participants reported losing friends or missing out on opportunities to make new connections due to social distancing, others felt the pandemic actually strengthened their existing friendships. This resilience of social bonds in the face of unprecedented challenges speaks to the fundamental importance of friendship in human life.

The AFP’s findings offer a hopeful counternarrative to prevailing concerns about social isolation. While it’s true that many Americans wish for more or deeper friendships, the vast majority have meaningful social connections. This research reminds us that friendship remains a vital and enduring part of the human experience, adapting to new technologies and life circumstances while continuing to provide essential emotional support and companionship.

“Americans long for greater closeness with friends; although over 75% were satisfied with the number of friends they had, 42% felt they were not as close to their friends as they would like,” the researchers conclude in a media release.

Paper Summary

Methodology.

The American Friendship Project conducted surveys with two national samples of American adults in 2022 and 2023, as well as a large sample of college students from three universities in 2022. Participants completed detailed questionnaires about their friendships, including a “name generator” task where they listed up to seven friends and provided information about each relationship. The surveys also included measures of well-being, social support, and communication habits. To ensure data quality, researchers used multiple screening methods to identify and remove unreliable responses.

Key Results

The average American has 4-5 close friends. Less than 3% of Americans report having no friends.

Over 75% of participants were satisfied with the number of friends they had. Face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and texting were the most common ways of communicating with friends. Long-distance friendships were common, with about half of friends living in different cities or states.

Many participants (42%) wished for closer friendships or more time with friends. College students reported more friend turnover (both gaining and losing friends) than older adults.

Study Limitations

While the study used large samples, they may not be fully representative of all Americans. The college student sample, in particular, cannot be generalized to all young adults. Additionally, all information about friends was self-reported by participants, which may introduce some bias. The study also allowed for a broad definition of friendship, including family members, which may make comparisons to other friendship studies challenging.

Discussion & Takeaways

The AFP challenges the narrative of increasing social isolation in America. It suggests that friendships are more resilient and diverse than often portrayed in media. The study highlights the importance of considering a wide range of relationships when studying social connections.

It also points to areas for further research, such as understanding why many people desire closer friendships despite having satisfactory numbers of friends. The findings have implications for public health initiatives aimed at combating loneliness and could inform strategies for fostering social connections in communities.

Funding & Disclosures

The study was supported by grants from the University of Kansas, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Michigan State University. The authors declared no competing interests.

About StudyFinds Staff

StudyFinds sets out to find new research that speaks to mass audiences — without all the scientific jargon. The stories we publish are digestible, summarized versions of research that are intended to inform the reader as well as stir civil, educated debate. StudyFinds Staff articles are AI assisted, but always thoroughly reviewed and edited by a Study Finds staff member. Read our AI Policy for more information.

Our Editorial Process

StudyFinds publishes digestible, agenda-free, transparent research summaries that are intended to inform the reader as well as stir civil, educated debate. We do not agree nor disagree with any of the studies we post, rather, we encourage our readers to debate the veracity of the findings themselves. All articles published on StudyFinds are vetted by our editors prior to publication and include links back to the source or corresponding journal article, if possible.

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Ohio hospital price transparency could save patients thousands of dollars: Patricia Kelmar

• Updated: Aug. 14, 2024, 5:45 a.m.
• | Published: Aug. 14, 2024, 5:44 a.m.

A U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) study on hospital bill estimates released earlier this year found hospital bill estimate information to be unreliable and hard to obtain in Greater Cleveland. In a guest column today, Patricia Kelmar, who directs the health care campaign work for U.S. PIRG, urges Ohio lawmakers to agree on a tougher House-passed version of House Bill 49 regarding hospital pricing and speedily send it to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature. AP file photo

• Guest Columnist, cleveland.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It’s easy to feel helpless as a “consumer” of health care. During “open enrollment,” we see the monthly insurance premiums. When we park at the hospital, a sign says how much we’ll pay per hour. But whether at home, a hospital or doctor’s office, it’s hard to determine in advance how much a medical visit or procedure will cost. Usually, we don’t even know until a bill arrives weeks or months later, when it’s too late to shop around.

The Ohio state legislature wants to cure the ailing health care system with a dose of House Bill 49 .

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EY study: consumers are still spending on digital home products and services despite cost-of-living crisis

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• Just 16% of survey respondents have reduced or plan to reduce expenditure on home broadband, mobile connectivity or streaming
• Value-for-money perceptions remain positive; premium service appetite grows
• Pain points persist: 26% still regularly experience unreliable internet access

Less than one in five digital households (16%) have reduced or plan to reduce their spending on home broadband, mobile connectivity or streaming according to the latest EY Decoding the digital home study – which surveyed more than 21,000 consumers on their attitudes toward technology, media and telecoms experienced in the home across eight countries: Canada, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US. Less than a third (32%) have not taken any measures cited in the study to reduce spending on connectivity content and home technology in response to the cost-of-living crisis, rising to 49% in the UK.

Despite growing concerns among some households about rising broadband and streaming/pay-TV prices (cited by 63% and 60% respectively), perceived value-for-money remains consistent year-on-year and has risen substantially in relation to content from broadband providers (51%, up from 41% last year) and smart home products (40% vs. 34% last year). Perceived value for money for broadband provider content is highest in the US (60%) and the UK (55%).

This positivity is compounded by increased enthusiasm for premium broadband offerings, with consumers increasingly willing to pay more for good customer service (up 6% year-on-year to 36%) and back-up connectivity (also up 6% to 35%). Turning to streaming services, 40% of respondents would be willing to pay more to access all content via a single platform, rising to 50% in the US and 51% among 25- to 34-year-olds across all markets.

Tom Loozen, EY Global Telecommunications Leader, says:

“Consumers are reprioritizing as society adapts to hyper-inflation, yet broadband and connectivity offerings have in many ways weathered the storm. Improved value perceptions are encouraging for connectivity providers, suggesting their bundle propositions are resonating well. This is not only intensifying competition but presents huge opportunities for providers that can differentiate themselves by offering superior customer service and network reliability through the lens of simplified packages that appeal to all demographics.”

Uptake of new services and smart home tech stalls

While the study highlights the resilience of the digital home, new services and emerging smart home products are still challenged by the pressure on household spending. Nearly half of households say the economic climate has made them less likely to pursue new connectivity and content experiences (43%) and adopt new technologies and gadgets for the home (48%). And 56% say pressure on finances has made them more likely to shop around for the best connectivity or content deals.

Similarly, penetration rates of more sophisticated home tech remain low. None of the 17 devices or products featured in the study (including smart security and digital home assistants) are currently owned by more than one in five households, and adoption levels are only increasing slightly year-on-year. Notably, attractive pricing is the No. 1 factor influencing consumers when choosing a smart home device (40%), with trust in the brand ranking closely behind (39%).

Platform overwhelm in a competitive streaming market

Competition between streaming services continues. As more services enter the market, there are signs of decision fatigue with 54% agreeing that they are faced with too much choice across platforms. Meanwhile, 20% of streamers indicate that they have canceled at least one monthly subscription in the previous 12 months, with 13% planning to cancel one or more in the future. The competitive landscape and spending pressures both feed into these decisions, with 45% citing cost savings as a reason to cancel, while 31% cite inadequate content or preference for alternative streaming services.

Network reliability fails to show material improvement

The study further highlights that network reliability continues to be a key pain point for consumers. More than a quarter of respondents (26%) say they experience an unreliable home broadband connection, down only slightly from 28% in each of the preceding two years. Perceptions around mobile data are more concerning: despite increasing 4G and 5G coverage levels, 29% indicate that they experience an unreliable mobile connection often or very often – up from 24% (2022) and 22% (2021). Overall, a third of households (33%) rank improving the reliability of their connection as the biggest service improvement their provider could make.

Adrian Baschnonga, EY Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Lead Analyst, says:

“Streaming providers need to be as agile as possible when pricing and positioning their packages if they are to cut through an increasingly crowded landscape. Meanwhile, connectivity providers should take steps to address persistent issues around reliability, whether by educating customers around how to maximize signal strength or providing more proactive support during network outages. Better levels of brand trust will be critical to smart home providers if they are to accelerate adoption of new technology for the home.”                                                                                               -ends-

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Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About the study

The EY Decoding the digital home study is based on an online survey conducted for the EY Global Technology, Media & Entertainment, and Telecommunications (TMT) team of 21,000 households in Canada, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US. It was conducted in February and March 2023, updating our previous annual surveys of multiple markets.

The survey is designed to understand changing consumers’ changing behavior and attitudes in relation to technology, media and telecommunications products and services. Our latest findings focus on topics such as the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, the appetite for service bundles, and changing customer journeys, also providing specific insights relating to connectivity, content and smart home technology. Additional thinking, insights and analysis are provided by the EY Global TMT team.  

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LONDON, 6 February 2024. The EY organization today announces an alliance between MoneyLion Inc. (NYSE: ML), a leading enterprise and consumer FinTech company, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), to help drive innovation and growth within the banking sector.

EY announces alliance with Reveal to offer clients AI-powered solutions to advance data discovery and compliance needs

LONDON, 29 JANUARY 2024. The EY organization today announces a global alliance with Reveal Data Corporation, a global provider of leading artificial intelligence (AI)-powered eDiscovery – a review and investigations platform that helps clients better manage their data discovery needs using automation and deep analytics.

EY and ServiceNow expand strategic alliance to provide solution for GenAI compliance, governance and risk management

NEW YORK, 24 JANUARY 2024. The EY organization and ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW), leading digital workflow organizations making the world work better for everyone, have announced an expansion of their strategic alliance to provide solutions for generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) compliance, governance and risk management.

Multiple crosswinds superseded global IPOs despite market rally in 2023

London, 14 December 2023. The Global IPO market closed 2023 with 1,298 IPO raising US$123.2b.

Tech industry outlook brighter than 12 months ago, with GenAI emerging as top opportunity for 2024

LONDON, 7 DECEMBER 2023. Following a challenging start to 2023 for the technology sector, characterized by macroeconomic weaknesses and cost-savings, company strategies centered on generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) have triggered a rebound in confidence.

EY announces alliance with Moody’s to bring together software, data and services to help improve how clients measure and manage risk

LONDON, 07/12 2023 . The EY organization today announces an alliance between Moody’s Analytics, Inc. (Moody’s), a provider of industry-leading financial intelligence and analytical tools, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), to help organizations make better data-driven business decisions and manage risk.

The emergence of GenAI is reshaping the 2024 telecoms risk radar

LONDON, 30 NOVEMBER 2023. Changing imperatives in privacy, security and trust emerges as the top risk facing telecoms companies in 2024.

EY announces alliance with Aspen Technology to support clients’ sustainability initiatives, improve manufacturing operations and modernize utility grids

LONDON, 27 NOVEMBER 2023. The EY organization today announces an alliance between Aspen Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AZPN), a global leader in industrial software, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US).

EY announces strategic alliance with BlueVoyant to help enterprises deploy Microsoft 365 E5 advanced security tools

LONDON, 20 November 2023. The EY organization today announces a strategic alliance between BlueVoyant, a leading cyber defense company, and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) to provide proven cyber risk management design.

Businesses revise climate targets as reality of long-term sustainability transformation hits

LONDON, 16 November 2023 – The EY organization today announced its participation in the Microsoft Security Copilot Partner Private Preview.

EY launches ‘The Face of the Future,’ a creative marketing campaign that puts people at the center of AI to boost confidence

LONDON, 30 October 2023 – The EY organization (EY) today announces the launch of a new and fully integrated marketing campaign entitled “The Face of the Future.”

Cyber leaders’ confidence in their organization’s defenses plummets, but costs mount

LONDON, 24 October 2023. CEOs globally recognize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), but most are encountering significant challenges in formulating and operationalizing related strategies, according to the latest EY CEO Outlook Pulse survey.

EY wins 2023 CrowdStrike Global System Integrator of the Year award

London, 23 October 2023. The EY organization today announces that it has been named as the 2023 CrowdStrike Global System Integrator of the Year during the Partner Summit of Fal.Con 2023. This annual conference recognizes organizations that have consistently built successful client relationships, as well as delivered innovation and business outcomes leveraging the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform.

EY announces first enterprise user to leverage EY Blockchain’s SaaS platform using fourth generation EY Blockchain Analyzer: Reconciler

London, 17 October 2023. The EY organization today announced that the fourth generation of EY Blockchain Analyzer: Reconciler, which supports organizations’ needs to derive wallet addresses and query on-chain data from an independent third party to augment internal risk management.

EY and IBM launch artificial intelligence solution designed to help increase productivity and drive efficiencies within HR

LONDON, October 10th 2023 - The EY organization and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the launch of EY.ai Workforce, an innovative HR solution that helps enable organizations to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their key HR business processes.

EY and Microsoft expand social impact collaboration and advance sustainability education worldwide with Green Skills Passport

LONDON, October 2, 2023 – Today, the EY organization and Microsoft announce the launch of Green Skills Passport, which helps learners aged 16 and over develop skills to find green jobs and pursue opportunities in the growing green economy.

Global IPO market: Investor appetite shifts from growth to value amid tighter liquidity

London, 28 September 2023. Globally, the first three quarters of 2023 recorded 968 IPOs with US$101.2b capital raised, a 5% and 32% decrease year-over-year (YOY), respectively.

LONDON, 14 SEPTEMBER 2023. Less than one in five digital households (16%) have reduced or plan to reduce their spending on home broadband, mobile connectivity or streaming according to the latest EY Decoding the digital home study – which surveyed more than 21,000 consumers on their attitudes toward technology, media and telecoms experienced in the home across eight countries: Canada, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US.

LONDON, 13 SEPTEMBER 2023 – The global EY organization (EY) today announces the launch of EY.ai, a unifying platform that brings together human capabilities and artificial intelligence (AI) to help clients transform their businesses through confident and responsible adoption of AI.

EY reports record global revenue results of just under US$50b

LONDON, 13 SEPTEMBER 2023. The Global EY organization (EY) today announces combined global revenues of US$49.4b for the financial year ending June 2023 (FY23), an increase of 14.2% in local currency (9.3% in US dollars).

Failure to respond to rise in cost-of-living tops telecoms risk radar

LONDON, 30 NOVEMBER 2022. The rise in the cost-of-living has driven consumers to re-adjust spending priorities.

EY reports global revenues of US$40b in 2021 and outlines record US$10b investment plan over next three years

LONDON, 9 SEPTEMBER 2021. EY today announces combined global revenues of US$40b for the financial year ended June 2021 (FY21), an increase of 4.0% in local currency (7.3% in US dollars), a solid result given the global economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients.