Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Dissertations that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3720-3026
AccessType
Campus-Only Access for Five (5) Years
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Education
Year Degree Awarded
2020
Month Degree Awarded
September
First Advisor
Florence Sullivan
Second Advisor
Elizabeth H McEneaney
Third Advisor
Nathaniel Whitaker
Subject Categories
Curriculum and Instruction
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand how students are using online homework help aids, examine how students perceive their own learning through the use of help aids when completing homework assignments, and to determine how the use of these online help aids are affecting learning, particularly in the long term. Online homework platforms are being used in classrooms at an increasing rate. It is important to understand how the use of help aids, some falling into the category of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS), are affecting student learning outcomes. This study used mixed methods research with exam and homework data, as well as conducting interviews for a small sample of subjects. Sixty-nine students enrolled in an applied calculus course in two unique semesters participated in this study. This study found that students are making use of the help aids when they are unable to answer a homework question, in some cases, before attempting the problem without help. Students will use the to the solutions to the questions directly in the homework but will turn to an abundance of outside resources as well. The results show that using the solutions when needed increased the likelihood of later being able to correctly solve a problem, when the problem directly linked to the homework. However, in the case of a more challenging or theoretical problem, the solutions were a non-factor. These findings help to better understand the most effective way to deliver help aids and number of attempts offered to students on homework assignments. Additionally, this can be used to enhance the current help aids offered to be the most beneficial for learning.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/19104955
Recommended Citation
Hagedorn, Erica, "How Are Online Homework Help Aids Affecting Student Learning in Undergraduate Applied Calculus" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations. 2023.
https://doi.org/10.7275/19104955
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/2023