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Comparison
with Traditional
Homework Assignments
How is CPMP Homework Different from Traditional Programs and Why?
As
a concerned parent, you want to take an interest in what your child is
doing at home
to support
the
learning that takes
place in class.
In
traditional programs, this is facilitated in two ways: the content and
presentation of the mathematics in the traditional text has not changed
markedly in
the past 20 years, so the problems may look familiar; and the text offers
sample
problems, so that even if parents do not understand or remember a technique
they can usually follow the examples supplied. In CPMP and other NSF-funded
programs, there has been a deliberate attempt to move away from having
students go through the motions of following an example, and towards
having
students actively make sense of the mathematics they learn in class.
| Mostly familiar mathematics | Some unfamiliar mathematics |
| Sample problems in text | Guiding questions in text |
| Sample solutions in text | Student solutions in notes and summaries |
| Following someone else's reasoning | More independent sense making |
Homework Assignment |
Homework Assignment |
| Usually numerical or short answer | Sometimes short, often more lengthy answers |
| Some symbolic work or algorithm demonstrated | Symbolic or graphical/tabular evidence, accompanied by a complete explanation |
| Rarely a check | Reflection on whether answer is reasonable and supported by evidence |
| Problems are typically divided into sections: "A" questions are designed to be almost identical to the examples demonstrated; "B" questions are designed to be more complex examples; "C" questions are often applications. | Problem sets are labeled MORE: "Modeling" tasks are usually applications of the concepts developed in class to somewhat different contexts. "Organizing" tasks are designed to help students connect the underlying mathematical ideas across strands. "Reflecting" tasks ask students to think about their own thinking processes. "Extending" tasks provide students opportunities to explore further or more deeply the mathematics they are learning. |
For evidence to support, see Research on Learning.
For specific organization tips, see CPMP
Classrooms and Using
the Math Toolkit.