Can online activities improve attitude to homework and improve academic performance in science with fifth year students at second level

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if online activities could improve attitude and academic achievement in Science with a group of students at secondary level education. The problems with homework are experienced by educators worldwide and with the use of online multimedia and technology, this investigation sought to determine if this could bring about a change. A group of sixteen students were involved in the investigation; these students were studying Physics to Leaving Certificate and were in fifth year. During the investigation four teachers were interviewed to get their views on homework and on this investigation. The students were required each night to complete homework and submit it using Moodle, a virtual learning environment. The lessons and homework questions were designed by the researcher. The research method used in this investigation was a case study and the research tools used consisted of pre and post questionnaires, teacher interviews, Moodle data, pre and post tests and an interview with a focus group which consisted of six students who also took part in the investigation. The data collected was both of a qualitative and quantitative nature. The investigation found that for the majority of students their attitude improved and also their academic performance with regard to homework. This suggests that students are very comfortable with technology and enjoy the different approach to completing and submitting homework. It also suggests that the traditional method of producing homework using pen and paper needs to be modified to motivate students in this area. A lot of schools at the moment are introducing mobile devices such as ipads and other tablets which contain ebooks instead of students carrying bags with heavy books. The obvious next step in this progression is to introduce online homework.