MasterPhysics, WileyPlus and other online homework solutions are used for many classes at Michigan Tech. They are supposed to provide easier management of grades for large classes, allowing students to get instant feedback and improve learning. However, many at Michigan Tech feel this is simply not the truth. In a survey we found that 70 percent of all students surveyed found WileyPlus, MasterPhysics and other online solutions to pale in comparison to pen and paper homework, often citing issues with answers that are correct being marked as incorrect, a frustrating interface and overall vexation at the cost and use of the system.

However for the school, the perceived benefits of online homework solutions seem to outweigh student outcry and annoyance. Large classes are usually the focal point of online homework solutions, most costing about $100 not including the already pricey textbooks. Our survey found over 70 percent of students thought online homework was harder to use and greatly disliked compared to traditional  pen and paper homework. When it came to the question of whether it helps them learn, surely an important element for colleges, the same bleak diagnosis was given with again 70 percent of students polled stating it did not help them learn.

Technology was supposed to make learning more efficient and students better prepared, however that is not the case. Technology now serves as a greater distraction and hindrance. From Facebook and other social media sites, texting and constant updates, technology has brought an inability to focus. A Slate.com title reads “You’ll Never Learn: Students can’t resist multitasking, and it’s impairing their memory.” Another from The New York Times read, “A Focus on Distraction,” and NBC News found that students couldn’t resist being distracted for even two minutes.

A study at UCLA backs this up, finding that when taking notes paper beats the computer. In both experiments conducted, a test 30 minutes after the lecture and a test after review time, students who used paper did better. A University of Central Arkansas study conjectured that students may also remember and have an easier time getting assignments done with paper instead of online homework as it reflects traditional modes of due dates and methods.

Scientific America gives a likely explanation to all of this in their article “The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens.” They found that when reading a physical book or doing homework on paper, the brain creates a mental map similar to those of terrains and environments. Thousands if not millions of years of evolution go into this adaptation, compared to the computer which has been in family homes for less than 30 years.

Both our survey and studies reflect the same thing, online homework does not present much benefit. This, combined with the expense, reflects a poor system pushed by publishers with a financial interest to the detriment of students.