WeBWorK takes homework to a new level

That desire for instant gratification plays into the hands of College mathematics professors who have created an automated Web-based homework checker that immediately tells students how they're doing on assignments. The instant feedback program, WeBWorK, is being used by nearly 3,000 students mainly at Rochester and Indiana University. The creators of WeBWorK, Professors Michael Gage and Arnold Pizer, were honored recently by the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics for developing the program.

At Rochester the program is used mainly in calculus and physics classes, where freshmen typically spend long hours wrestling with complex problems long into the night. Students submit homework answers through the Web, and WeBWorK responds instantly, informing students whether their answers are right or wrong.

"Many students work very hard, but they don't get as much out of their homework as they would if somebody were standing next to them. That's what WeBWorK does," said Gage.

While the program doesn't show students how to find the right answer, it does something far more valuable, say their professors: The program spurs students to work together. That's because WeBWorK dishes out a different problem to every student.

"Students are encouraged to help each other, to teach each other," said Pizer, associate chair of the math department. "That's a very useful way for students to learn, and WeBWorK helps make that happen."

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