Home Work for Learning Statistics: Online Technology Enhanced or Offline with Pen, Pencil, Calculator, and Computer Software - Is one more effective than the other?

In the concentrated time available in a college classroom, there is little time for practice or feedback. Homework provides a forum in which concepts can be reinforced as students assess their knowledge. While it can be difficult to convince students of the merits of homework, delivering homework online appears to be more palatable to the computer savvy generation. In this paper, graded homework followed by a test was given both in the traditional manner and online at a southeastern university. Data analyses compared students’ homework scores to test results. The intent of the research was to ascertain whether or not students were more likely to complete online homework assignments and if this impacted test scores. A survey instrument addressing student attitude and opinion was incorporated into the research.