WHO INVENTED HOMEWORK?

Homework is a set of tasks assigned to students by their teacher for completion outside the class. Homework is crucial to learning, in that it makes learning more accessible and practical. Although this has been a long term culture, many of us had never inquired who started it, when it began or its purpose. Students mostly complain about homework, except for a few who love what they do. It is therefore vital to learn the history of homework.

History of Homework

The invention of homework dates back to the ancient Rome. According to historians, in the 1st century AD, Pliny the Younger asked his followers to take part in in-home activities. The exercise purpose was to develop the speaking skills of his followers in an informal situation. The result of this exercise was impressive. Hence, other teachers adopted the homework method. An Italian Pedagogue, Roberto Nevilis is considered the real inventor of homework. In 1905, he established homework as a punishment for his students. Since then, homework became recognized globally.

Towards the ending of the 19th century, there was a significant change in the educational system. These changes were associated with the type of homework given by a teacher which positively influenced the quality of education. Teachers who followed the homework approach saw it as a necessary type of training for their students and made it compulsory. Homework from this viewpoint was a means of facilitating individual learning, initiative and creative ability of students, which was a necessary ingredient for educational development. Homework will achieve the teacher’s purpose based on the following criteria:  

  • It should be within the scope of lessons taught in class.
  • It should not be overwhelming or complicated.
  • It should not be set at the beginning of a lesson until students learn how to work independently.

Purpose of Homework

  • To help retain the knowledge gained in school; mastery requires repeated practice. In preparing homework for children, a teacher should take cognizance of the stages in proficiency:

Perception- Comprehension- Fastening- Formation of skills- Application of new knowledge

  • To help students work without haste, choose the desired time to work and learn how to make use of essential sources of information.
  • To help build independence and the creative ability of students. Students can invent while they explore.

Types of Homework

The main goal of the teacher is the type of homework which depends on the topic they taught. He should be able to unite variants of homework in every class effectively. An effective way to carry this out is outdoor learning. Homework types include: dramatizing of oral exercises & written exercises, the performance of creative work, etc.

Homework shouldn't manipulate the students, but it is an opportunity to dedicate time to the subject. Through this, they would be able to retain what they learned in class. Without do homework for me services, a student who is struggling with assignments deprives himself of the opportunity to gain more profound knowledge about the subject topic. Doing assignments from a young age helps students to build research skill.