Often homework systems are bundled with required digital or hard copy textbooks and digital platforms provide students with supplemental materials such as practice questions, quizzes and videos. And they come with a price tag – an an average of $90 per lesson, according to the survey results.
“If you’re taking five courses and they all require access codes, that’s another $450 for that semester that you need to pay to do your homework,” Clinton-Lisell said. “It creates a financial barrier to what used to be free resources.”
Access codes for homework platforms, created by educational publishing companies, are individually assigned, non-reusable and expire after a certain period of time. For many students, their grades can depend on whether they complete assignments within the system.
A survey conducted by Clinton-Lisell and Kelly received responses from 966 students on campuses across the state.
Some students commented in the survey that they like the quick feedback they get from homework systems and that it encourages engagement with their studies. But others complain about the cost and worry that the questions in the homework program may differ from what is presented in the classroom.
In this study, black students said that the school’s programs were more helpful when compared to other students. Latinx students are more likely to say their grades dropped because they couldn’t afford access codes. Additionally, more first-generation students reported avoiding certain courses that require online homework systems compared to continuing-generation students, according to the study.
“We are always sensitive and aware of the challenges that students face in terms of the environment these days and the costs that they have to navigate and solve, and that is one of the things that motivates us and drives us on how to filter. to create digital products that are affordable, high-quality and improve student outcomes,” said Kate Edwards, senior vice president of operational effectiveness and research at Pearson, one of the nation’s largest academic publishers.
Students think the price of homework is “absurd”
Online homework platform features often include quizzes, interactive problems, videos and other visuals that can help students learn course concepts.
In a study conducted by Clinton-Lisell, students described the cost of online homework programs as “somewhat unreasonable.” In comparison, the price students considered appropriate for these features was one-third of the original price.
Jake Twomey, a student at the University of California Santa Barbara and a member of the Student Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is intrigued by the idea of paying for homework.
“[Students are] not very well-to-do people,” Twomey said. “I know students who sometimes, unfortunately, have to make a decision between buying access codes to the classroom, or getting dinner tomorrow. These are the real decisions of the students.”
The students in this study also doubted the smoothness of the programs. Clinton-Lisell said many students feel that because the publishers are the ones who create the tests, the professors end up not knowing the problems students are working on or being able to help solve technical problems that may arise.
“[Faculty are] not being involved in selecting or developing homework, or at least very much,” Clinton-Lissel said, citing the sometimes lack of alignment between homework and class content.
Edwards said Pearson’s online homework platforms, such as MyLab, provide a checklist from the core content of the course and the teacher can have “the flexibility to choose the questions they think are most appropriate for their classroom context.” Edwards adds that there are more opportunities for the instructor to personalize and ensure that their classes and assignments are consistent.
What historically underrepresented students say about homework forums
First-generation college students spend more per semester for online resources compared to their generation-continuing peers, according to research. At the same time, 11% of first-generation students reported failing a class because they couldn’t afford access codes compared to 2.9% of continuing-generation students. And 35.8% of first-generation students said they got worse grades compared to 25.6% of continuing-generation students because of the cost of online homeschool programs.
“We have students who are already discriminated against by the barriers of the system now being offered another one,” Clinton-Lisell said.
Latinx students reported higher levels of stress about the cost of online homework programs and were more likely not to purchase textbooks, and their grades suffered as a result. Black students said they paid more for access codes than any other student group but had lower rates of stress related to the cost.
Advantages to online homework systems
Despite the fees, some students who were part of the Clinton-Lisell study reported benefits. Black students in particular say they are helpful and report more engagement in course content than other students.
Clinton-Lisell said that in the study, students praised the idea of the homework itself rather than the platforms where they completed the work.
“They want to be able to practice, they don’t want to wait until the test to find out if they can, and it’s their way to support their grade,” she said.
For students who are more visual oriented or who need to understand dense material, online tests are very helpful in understanding certain concepts. Online systems will often include videos and other visuals to explain complex ideas.
But Clinton-Lisell said those benefits must be weighed against the cost impact on students.
Kyle Goodin, a professor of accounting at Missouri State University, uses an online homework program provided by McGraw Hill, where he is also an advisor. He said the platform, called Connect, has increased student engagement and improved “drop, fail, dropout” rates in some classes.
“I think the value students get for what they pay is astronomical,” Goodin said.
At Goodin’s accounting courses, for example, students pay $152 for a digital textbook, homework manager, proctoring service and additional resources per term. Goodin said that because of the homework platform, students can focus on data analysis and visualization, which are very important in the accounting field.
“I remember paying more than this, little by little when I was a student,” said Goodin.
Moving towards open education services
Back in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic forced campuses to close, major publishers created free online platforms. Many teachers have incorporated them into their courses and continue to use them even after the money has been refunded.
But Clinton-Lisell said the results of her research show that faculty may be more interested in open education resources — learning materials available under public domain or open licenses that are free or accessible for a small fee.
Dan Xie, political director of PIRG Campus Action, said that in a world where knowledge and information are everywhere, students should not have to pay exorbitant fees to learn course materials and do their homework.
“We have open textbooks … of the highest quality, peer-reviewed, for scholars to choose from,” Xie said.
But professors like Goodin question the widespread use of open education resources.
“These book companies, such as Wiley and McGraw Hill and Pearson, have expert writers who have been tested on their stories,” he said. Goodin said he doesn’t believe, at this point in time, that open textbooks can offer much value compared to what publishers’ courses offer.
Nevertheless, there is a movement to try to encourage faculty – through grants and subsidies – to create their own open books and course materials.
