Study: Copious Homework Does Little To Promote Learning

The New York Times (9/15, Ojalvo) reports that a new study from the Program for International Student Assessment "suggests that a lot of assigned homework amounts to pointless busy work that doesn't help students learn, while more thoughtful assignments can help them develop skills and acquire knowledge." The Times adds that the research suggests that the quality of the assignments is much more important than the quantity, and describes the methodology behind the study.