PROCEEDINGS OF THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2020
Boston, Massachusetts
How mathematicians assign homework problems in advanced mathematics courses
Page: 1053
While many aspects of the teaching and learning of advanced mathematics have been explored, the role, construction, and values of homework has been virtually ignored. This report draws on task-based interviews with six mathematicians to explore the relationship between an instructor’s learning goals and the factors they consider in selecting homework problems as well as general homework construction heuristics. Our initial findings are that 5 of the 6 participants viewed homework as a critical part of student learning, that the majority of the participants’ claims focused on either the mathematics or how the problem would help students learn, and that there was variance among the mathematicians in terms of selection of problems and rationales.