PROCEEDINGS OF THE 19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Online calculus homework: The student experience
Page: 961
The MAA advertises that the online homework system WeBWorK is used successfully at over 700 colleges and universities, and the institution selected for my study has implemented WeBWorK universally across all calculus courses. I used a mixed method approach to examine how students experience online calculus homework in order to provide insights as to how online homework might be improved. In particular, I examined the behaviors, perceptions, and resources associated with online homework. A survey was administered to all students in the mainstream calculus course that provides quantitative information about general trends and informs further questioning. For example, more than half of students reported that they never study calculus with classmates nor in office hours. In tandem with the large survey, I also closely studied the online homework experience of 4 students through screen recordings and interviews.